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| MICHELIN Aircraft Tire Did You Know? |
| 1. Michelin has a long history of improving mobility through innovations for just about every type of vehicle, from bicycles
to cars to trains to the space shuttle. Michelin introduced the radial tire to aviation, providing numerous benefits, and has continued the tradition with
the new NZG ™ technology for aviation tires. |
2. Michelin is the only tire manufacturer on the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, a worldwide coalition of 160 companies committed to economic growth, ecological balance and human progress. |
3. Michelin produces aircraft tires for a wide range of applications, including high flotation tires designed for landing on rough terrain and runways in out-of-the-way places. |
4. While today paved runways can be found with a wide range of lengths and altitudes, it hasn't always been that way. In 1916, Michelin constructed the world's first concrete runway, located in Aulnat , France . |
5. Four years after developing the first radial tire for F1 racing, Michelin introduced the world's first operational radial aircraft tire, the Michelin ® AIR X ® , for the Mirage III fighter jet. |
6. An aircraft tire carries 250 to 1,000 times its mass (compared to 50 times for a passenger car tire), while tire temperatures can fall to -58º F during flight and reach 140º F on the runway.
In regular operation, an Airbus A320 takes off and lands 6 times a day, 300 days a year.
On landing, each tire of the NASA space shuttle carries nearly 65 tonnes (72 tons), at a speed exceeding 400 km/h (250 mph).
On the Paris - New York flight, a Boeing 747 consumes some 80 to 85 tonnes (88-95 tons) of fuel. |
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