A braking system for an aircraft may comprise: a brake assembly including a brake stack; an electric braking subsystem having an electric brake actuator configured to operate the brake assembly; and a controller in operable communication with the electric braking subsystem, the controller configured to perform a wear depth measurement process, the wear depth measurement process comprising: determine a reference position of the electric brake actuator; command the electric brake actuator to extend toward the brake stack; receive a force measurement from a load cell in response to the electric brake actuator contacting the brake stack; determine a linear travel distance of the electric brake actuator based on an end position determined from the force measurement; and determine a wear depth based on calculating a difference between the linear travel distance and a prior linear travel distance of the electric brake actuator.

The present invention combines known brake control systems with a new runway condition monitoring unit that works in conjunction with an anti-skid/brake control unit to improve runway condition evaluation. The runway condition monitoring unit is installed on an airplane and receives data from the brake control unit, and processes that data through hardware and software to formulate a runway condition report of the airplane while landing on a runway. The invention may include additional sensors or interfaces that supplement the data received from the BCU. The runway condition monitoring unit contains a processor and interfaces that calculates and creates a runway condition report. The runway condition monitoring unit communicates the report by way of the avionics communication network on the airplane to devices that then send the runway condition report to consumers of the data; such as the flight deck, air traffic controllers, airport operators and airline operations.

An aircraft includes a brake lever for receiving a pilot braking input as a lever travel of the brake lever, a braking wheel operatively coupled with the brake lever to brake the aircraft based on the lever travel, a brake actuator operatively coupled with the braking wheel to apply a braking force in response to a braking pressure provided to the brake actuator, and a brake pressure circuit. The brake pressure circuit is configured for: estimating a maximum braking pressure above which the braking wheel will skid with respect to a ground surface; scaling a lever gain of the brake lever to command the maximum braking pressure at a full travel of the brake lever such that a remaining brake lever travel indicates the amount of braking capability remaining for the aircraft; and braking the braking wheel based on the lever gain and the lever travel.

An apparatus and method is disclosed for determining a temperature characteristic at a first location on a wheel or a brake assembly of an aircraft landing gear. The temperature characteristic at the first location is determined using relationship information based on a first temperature at a second location of the wheel or the brake assembly of the landing gear, the relationship information representing a relationship between the temperature characteristic at the first location and the first temperature. Also disclosed is a method to determine the relationship information.

A system and method of displaying an Engine Failure Awareness Chart (EFAC) for aircraft with at least one engine out is shown and described herein. The EFAC may display lines and zones indicative of levels of risk of obstacles on the ground. The obstacles may be either man-made or natural structures. The EFAC may update continuously providing the pilot with a real-time awareness of the risks around the aircraft during an engine failure. Using the EFAC the pilot may navigate the aircraft to a landing area or back to the airport for landing.

A method for detecting a fault within a brake mechanism on an aircraft is disclosed. In various embodiments, the method includes activating, by a brake control unit, the brake mechanism; receiving, by the brake control unit, a wheel speed data for a wheel associated with the brake mechanism; determining, by the brake control unit, a wheel speed characteristic for the wheel associated with the brake mechanism; and detecting, by the brake control unit, whether the brake mechanism is faulty based on a comparison of the wheel speed characteristic and a wheel speed deceleration database.

The invention relates to a method for controlling an aircraft taxi system, comprising the steps of: generating a traction command (Com) to control an electric motor of a wheel drive actuator; detecting whether or not an external brake command, intended to control braking of the wheel via the brake, is generated; if an external braking command is generated, producing a predetermined minimum command (Cmp) to control the electric motor so that the drive actuator applies a strictly positive predetermined minimum motor torque to the wheel during braking; detecting whether a speed of the aircraft becomes zero and, if so, inhibiting the predetermined minimum command (Cmp) so that the drive actuator applies zero torque to the wheel.

A method of monitoring friction associated with a plurality of aircraft wheels of an aircraft, the method including, for each of the plurality of aircraft wheels, obtaining wheel speed data associated with the aircraft wheel. The method includes determining, based at least in part on the wheel speed data, deceleration of the aircraft wheel during a time interval, and determining, based at least in part on the determined deceleration, a value indicative of friction associated with the aircraft wheel. The method includes providing, based at least in part on the determined value, a signal indicative of a level of friction associated with the aircraft wheel.

An aircraft nose landing gear assembly is disclosed including two wheels, motors, brakes, and a controller. The wheels are separated by a steering axis and independently rotatable about a rotation axis in a rotation direction. The motors and brakes are each arranged to selectively engage a respective wheel. The motors and brakes supplement and resist rotation of the respective wheel in the rotation direction, respectively. On the basis of an indication to the controller of rotation of the two wheels in the rotation direction, the controller is arranged to: cause one motor to engage its respective wheel and supplement rotation, and cause the brake associated with the other wheel to engage the other wheel and resist rotation. Engagement of the motor and brake causes the wheels to pivot about the steering axis during a turning event.

An aircraft includes a brake lever for receiving a pilot braking input as a lever travel of the brake lever, a braking wheel operatively coupled with the brake lever to brake the aircraft based on the lever travel, a brake actuator operatively coupled with the braking wheel to apply a braking force in response to a braking pressure provided to the brake actuator, and a brake pressure circuit. The brake pressure circuit is configured for: estimating a maximum braking pressure above which the braking wheel will skid with respect to a ground surface; scaling a lever gain of the brake lever to command the maximum braking pressure at a full travel of the brake lever such that a remaining brake lever travel indicates the amount of braking capability remaining for the aircraft; and braking the braking wheel based on the lever gain and the lever travel.