WHBM - sorry, I posted in a hurry, our paths previously crossed on a different forum. Raging Bull is the principal forum home for the ultimate parent company, Borealis Explorations Ltd.
The WT system is intended for the nose wheels without brakes, not the main bogeys.
The traction 'problem' isn't. The whole point of the system is that the main engines won't be started until warm up / the penultimate minutes before take off. Weighty (largely offsetting the weight of WT) and expensive fuel savings are substantial. The fuel burn difference between a main engine & an APU is significant. Other savings can be made in main engine servicing & wear & tear on the engines. Then there is the redundancy of most of the tug fleet & crew, who are also responsible for a large percentage of ground collisions. There will be significant reductions if air pollution noise and jet blast around apron. There are other features yet to be made public.
The heart of the system, the Chorus Motor, is what makes the whole concept possible. It has an amazing power density and efficiency. The available APU power is fundamental.
The system would be utilised the vast majority of the time.
The dimensional constraints along with customers requirements will vary between aircraft models and airlines.
WT will initially only pursue certification for one type of aircraft.
Sophisticated software will run the system, avoiding the possibility of contradictory operational situations.
On the WT site, the details of some of the staff and companies hired are available. The finest in the industry. WT will not fail as a result of elementary oversight.
Last edited by rahosi; 6th Nov 2007 at 10:52.