PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Braking forces on front wheels
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Old 15th October 2004 | 22:58
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Mad (Flt) Scientist
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Joined: Sep 2002
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From: La Belle Province
Big difference for most a/c is that the front wheels typically only carry about 10% of the total weight (or less) statically; your car is more like 50-50 usually.

Then the long "arm" to the wheel means that any pitching down caused by braking on the mains can be resisted with proportionally less load on the nose.

A very few aircraft have used brakes on the front wheels (SAAB Gripen is one IIRC) but most don't bother.

Think of it as a similar case to a drag racer - small spindly front wheels because all the weight is near the back wheels.
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