Numerical and experimental testing of aircraft tyre impact during landing

Abstract The capability of aircraft tyres to sustain landing impact loads is essential for flight landing safety. Hence, the development of a reliable experimental database is necessary to validate numerical models. The experimental data on aircraft tyre landing impact in the public literature are somewhat sparse. This paper describes a detailed design rig for aircraft tyre impact testing. A finite element model is then created and simulated using a finite element tool (ABAQUS). Inflation and static load simulations are analysed based on the FE tyre model to confirm its reliability. Comparison of experimental measurements with the results reveals that the model can predict the significant features of aircraft tyre impact in a landing scenario. Very little experimental data are publicly available to verify aircraft tyre models. Therefore, the experimental data in this paper fill this gap in the literature.