MECHANIC RECEIVES JET TIRE PATENT REDUCING WEAR SHOULD SAVE TAX DOLLARS.Byline: Daily News EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE Edwards Air Force Base, U.S. military installation, 301,000 acres (121,805 hectares), S Calif., NE of Lancaster; est. 1933. It is one of the largest air force bases in the United States and has the world's longest runway. - Prompted by a stack of unevenly worn jet tires he noticed while working on an hangar air-conditioning system, a mechanic earned a patent for an invention aimed at minimizing wear on aircraft tires. Mike Almen devised a metal plate fitted with curved fins and bolted to the inside of the landing gear tires. The fins make the tires spin as gear is lowered for landing, lessening the skidding when the tread touches the runway pavement. ``I want to see it work - to see it implemented,'' said Almen, 795th Civil Engineer Squadron heating, ventilation and air conditioning air conditioning, mechanical process for controlling the humidity, temperature, cleanliness, and circulation of air in buildings and rooms. Indoor air is conditioned and regulated to maintain the temperature-humidity ratio that is most comfortable and healthful. work leader. ``It's one thing to have an idea patented, but I would love to see it actually work on an Air Force aircraft, as many planes as possible. To see just one aircraft touch down with my invention on board would be so cool.'' Almen's invention idea was forwarded through Air Force channels to Hanscom Air Force Base Hanscom Air Force Base, initially and briefly designated Bedford Army Air Base, is a U.S. Air Force facility in Bedford, Massachusetts. It is the headquarters of the Electronic Systems Center (ESC), one of the product centers of the Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC). , Mass., one of five patent offices in the country, and he received notice in January from Hanscom that his invention would be patented. He also received a $300 cash award from Edwards' Innovative Development Through Employee Awareness Program. Tires last two or three flights for a fighter jet or 30 to 40 flights for a B-52 bomber. They cost about $400 for a T-38 trainer jet and $1,400 for a KC-135 tanker, said Tech. Sgt. John Lostumbo, noncommissioned officer non·com·mis·sioned officer n. Abbr. NCO An enlisted member of the armed forces, such as a corporal, sergeant, or petty officer, appointed to a rank conferring leadership over other enlisted personnel. in charge of the 412th Maintenance Squadron tow tire shop. ``If we can extend the life of a tire for any aircraft, whether it's from two to five days or 30 to 120 days, that would be a substantial savings,'' said Almen. To solve the tire wear problem, wheels would have to rotate as close to ground speed as possible before landing, said Almen, who has more than 18 years of aircraft maintenance experience with Boeing Co. and Rockwell. Almen talked to other mechanics, took measurements on a T-38 tire rim and drew up diagrams before submitting them through Edwards channels in March 2001. Although several inventions of this type relating to relating to relate prep → concernant relating to relate prep → bezüglich +gen, mit Bezug auf +acc self-rotating airplane airplane, aeroplane, or aircraft, heavier-than-air vehicle, mechanically driven and fitted with fixed wings that support it in flight through the dynamic action of the air. tires have been done before, none is exactly like Almen's, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. U.S. Patent Office records. |
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