Aircraft Brakes and Tail Wheels

[Flying Trucker]

Good afternoon all...

Got thinking about this after I posted in one of my other threads.

Have searched the Internet and came up with nothing.

Now I am sure there is a book at the old homestead that has the answer but again not sure which one.

I would like to know when the first aircraft brakes were introduced and tail wheels replaced wooden tail skids.

Pipers had a hand brake.

Cessna used toe brakes.

There were heel brakes.

The Avro Lancaster Bomber of World War Two had air brakes with a handle on the control wheel I believe.

Some World War One aircraft used the engine Blip Switch I think it was called to slow the aircraft down and the wooden tail skid was designed to dig into the ground at some point.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotary_engine

The blip switch is, however, still recommended for use during landing rotary-engined aircraft in modern times as it allows pilots a more reliable, quick source of power that lends itself to modern airfields.[4] The landing procedure using a blip switch involved shutting off the fuel using the fuel lever, while leaving the blip switch on. The windmilling propeller allowed the engine to continue to spin without delivering any power as the aircraft descended. It was important to leave the blip switch on while the fuel was shut off to allow the spark plugs to continue to spark and keep them from oiling up, while the engine could easily be restarted simply by re-opening the fuel valve. If a pilot shut the engine off by holding the blip switch down without cutting off the fuel, fuel would continue to pass through the engine without combusting and raw fuel/air mix would collect in the cowling. This could cause a serious fire when the switch was released, or alternatively could cause the spark plugs to oil up and prevent the engine from restarting

But when and where was the first wheel brakes applied to aircraft and when did the tail wheel replace the tail skid?

Perhaps another trip to the bugsmasher field is in order to pick some brains as my old grey matter seems to have forgotten a thing or two...

[Hagar]

I would like to know when the first aircraft brakes were introduced and tail wheels replaced wooden tail skids.

Interesting subject Doug. The two are closely related but I don't know if all aircraft with tail-wheels were fitted with wheel brakes or vice-versa. Of course, not all tail-skids were made of wood.*

I think the Piper J-3 Cub (1938) was one of the first US-built light aircraft with brakes. Goodyear developed the first hydraulic disc brakes for aircraft in 1932. The Boeing Model 247 (1933) & Douglas DC-1 (1933) airliners had tail-wheels & wheel brakes.

On this side of the Pond the DH.80A Puss Moth & the Avro Tutor (1930) had a tail-wheel & wheel brakes. The Avro Anson (1935) was the first monoplane to enter service with the RAF & also the first with a retractable undercarriage. This was fitted with an early version of the Dunlop differential pneumatic braking system which would be used on most British-designed military aircraft during WWII, including the Hurricane, Spitfire & Lancaster.

Some World War One aircraft used the engine Blip Switch I think it was called to slow the aircraft down and the wooden tail skid was designed to dig into the ground at some point.

The blip switch was an elementary form of engine control. It was used on aircraft powered with rotary engines without a conventional throttle. I think most, if not all, WWI aircraft were fitted with tail skids & no wheel brakes.

*The legendary DH.82A Tiger Moth used by the RAF had an all-metal steerable tail-skid & no brakes. The Canadian-built version was fitted with a tail-wheel so I assume it had some form of wheel brakes.

PS. I found an interesting article here --> http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1929/1929-1%20-%201276.html

[beaky]

Interesting, but it is moot.. anybody who flies old taildraggers will tell you "brakes are for parking."

[Hagar]

The Flightglobal archive is a mine of information. This 1920 article by J. D. North contains the earliest reference I can find to aircraft wheel brakes.
http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1920/1920%20-%200161.html

A paper on aircraft wheel brakes by G. H. Dowty was published in 1927. (It starts halfway down the right-hand column.)
WHEEL BRAKES AND THEIR APPLICATON TO AIRCRAFT

Note: John D North was chief engineer of the Grahame White Aircraft Co., Ltd & moved to Boulton & Paul Ltd in 1917. He would later own the company.

Sir George Herbert Dowty (1901-1975) was the founder of Dowty Aviation, now part of Messier-Dowty. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Dowty

PS. The Bristol "Seely Puma" Biplane (1920) was fitted with differential wheel brakes. http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1920/1920%20-%200878.html

[Flying Trucker]

Good morning all...

Thanks Sean you are absolutely right...

I remember my Tiger Moth and Harvard days when "S" Taxiing and the Instructor always asking me if I was parking or taxiing...like get your boots off those brakes.

Fortunately for me I had quite a few Tiger Moth hours before learning the real way...

[Flying Trucker]

Thanks Doug...

Lots of interesting reading in those Links, one I just have to go back and look at again and make a copy to take along to the bugsmasher field as we had quite a conversation yesterday about just this subject.

My dad and grandfather owned several Tiger Moths, one with the Canadian Winter Kit...canopy and skis.

They had brakes and a Caster Tailwheel.

[Hagar]

[quote]My dad and grandfather owned several Tiger Moths, one with the Canadian Winter Kit...canopy and skis.

They had brakes and a Caster Tailwheel.

[Flying Trucker]

Hi Doug...

A mile taxi...that would be awesome...
Now are you going to tell me you never once tried to taxi that distance without the tail skid off the ground just a wee little bit...

Those are interesting Links and thanks...

Now the first link makes me wonder if the two metal pieces either side of the spring are there to protect the bottom of the rudder from the spring while in a turn over rough ground as well as acting as mounting brackets or supports.

Now did the skid itself (the metal piece which comes into contact with the ground) not actually tilt a number of degrees left and right?

[Hagar]

Hi Doug...

A mile taxi...that would be awesome...
Now are you going to tell me you never once tried to taxi that distance without the tail skid off the ground just a wee little bit...

Not once or I would have been fired on the spot. I was a very responsible young man. To make up for the poor wages I was having free flying lessons as part of the job.

Those are interestin Links and thanks...

Now the first link makes me wonder if the two metal pieces either side of the spring are there to protect the bottom of the rudder.

Those plates are to guide the tail skid. Trust me.

The second link shows exactly what a castering tailwheel would do and it is connected to the rudder.

That would be a steerable tailwheel. The system is used on a lot of light aircraft.

This is a castoring tailwheel. http://www.proulx.com/~bob/photo_album/2002-05-26-helio-courier/midres/331-helio_tailwheel.jpg.html

[Flying Trucker]

Hi Doug...

I was in the middle of changing something when you posted...

Great link on the Castoring Tailwheel...thanks...

Do you remember anything on the tail skid being used as a brake...I read it somewhere and not sure how that would work and how it would work for take off.

Perhaps the skid only slowed the aircraft down but I am sure I read somewhere the skid would dig into the ground to stop the aircraft...hmmm....

I was curious as to the spelling of the Castoring Tailwheel and apparently caster can be spelt with an "O" or an "E"...

[Hagar]

Hi Doug...

I was in the middle of changing something when you posted...

Great link on the Castoring Tailwheel...thanks...

Oops! Just call me Speedy Gonzales.

Do you remember anything on the tail skid being used as a brake...I read it somewhere and not sure how that would work and how it would work for take off.

Perhaps the skid only slowed the aircraft down but I am sure I read somewhere the skid would dig into the ground to stop the aircraft...hmmm....

Tail skids were intended for use on grass airfields. The conventional types I'm familiar with will slow the aircraft as soon as they touch the ground, thus acting as a brake. (Other types are mentioned in the articles from my links but I don't think they were ever used.) Of course, the braking effect will depend on the speed of the aircraft & the state of the ground surface. Long grass is a very effective brake. Our chief flying instructor insisted on three-point landings so the landing run was very short anyway.

I think the problems started when heavier aircraft with increased landing speeds came into service. That's when wheel brakes, tail-wheels & hard runways were introduced. Differential brakes could also be used to assist with steering on the ground.

[quote]I was curious as to the spelling of the Castoring Tailwheel and apparently caster can be spelt with an "O" or an "E"...

[Flying Trucker]

Hi Doug...

I can still see the guy on the best movie I think I have ever seen..."Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines" throw out that anchor...

I thought there was a second movie being made but not sure...

[Hagar]

Hi Doug...

I can still see the guy on the best movie I think I have ever seen..."Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines" throw out that anchor...

Hi Doug. I believe an anchor was one method that was actually tried. It didn't catch on.

I thought there was a second movie being made but not sure...

Oh dear. I sincerely hope not. You can't improve on a classic.

[Flying Trucker]

  How true in both cases...