What kind of test involves speeding a 1 million pound plane up to 190 miles per hour, stopping it as abruptly as possible, and having a fire engine sit for five minutes not putting out a fire? The Rejected Takeoff Test. And why?
Airplane manufacturers promise that their planes can be safely stopped without running off the runway as long as they are going below a speed known as “V1”. And what the manufacturer promises, the FAA tests.
This test is the absolute worst case. Plane fully loaded. Brakes worn down to their minimum. (The manufacturer has a tradeoff: require brakes to be replaced sooner and the test is easier, but your plane is more expensive to maintain.) No “thrust reversers” (they turn engines into giant power brakes, but if engines fail, they won’t work). The tires get so hot that specially-designed plugs blow out, deflating the tires so they don’t explode.
The brakes glow red. A fire engines meets the test plane at the end of the runway, ready to water down the brakes. But it waits for 5 minutes (to simulate the response time in an actual emergency). The plane fails if any component above the tires or brakes is harmed, either by fire (glowing red brakes have a tendency to ignite) or by structural failure (e.g., the landing gear collapsing).
The result is a spectacle so immense and expensive that the Mythbusters can only put it on their Christmas list. Go, take a minute, and watch.
Airplane manufacturers promise that their planes can be safely stopped without running off the runway as long as they are going below a speed known as “V1”. And what the manufacturer promises, the FAA tests.
This test is the absolute worst case. Plane fully loaded. Brakes worn down to their minimum. (The manufacturer has a tradeoff: require brakes to be replaced sooner and the test is easier, but your plane is more expensive to maintain.) No “thrust reversers” (they turn engines into giant power brakes, but if engines fail, they won’t work). The tires get so hot that specially-designed plugs blow out, deflating the tires so they don’t explode.
The brakes glow red. A fire engines meets the test plane at the end of the runway, ready to water down the brakes. But it waits for 5 minutes (to simulate the response time in an actual emergency). The plane fails if any component above the tires or brakes is harmed, either by fire (glowing red brakes have a tendency to ignite) or by structural failure (e.g., the landing gear collapsing).
The result is a spectacle so immense and expensive that the Mythbusters can only put it on their Christmas list. Go, take a minute, and watch.
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