We are going to look at four (4) ways a fixed wing aircraft brakes after landing. Based on the type of aircraft, different braking types are used to halt them to stop once they land on runways. The 4th one will surprise you, as it is mainly used by military aircrafts or space shuttles. They are as follows:

1. The first one is where there are brakes on aircraft landing gear, just like vehicles. When an aircraft lands, a caliper presses the brake pads against the disc, slowly reducing the speed on wheels until it stops. Let’s not delve into different types of discs for now, as it is deep engineering.

2. Secondly, the spoilers located on the upper middle part of aircraft wings help create drag. This helps create barriers that that air flowing over the aircraft wings hit, aiding in speed reduction and eventual stoppage of the aircraft. They also reduce lift generated by wings, leaving the aircraft’s full weight on the landing gear that have brakes systems, aiding in further braking.

3. The third one is reverse thrust by aircraft engines. Here, air is sucked and thrust forward by aircraft engine, aiding in deceleration until the aircraft halts. This is mostly

4. Finally, Brake Parachutes have been designed to provide adequate deceleration to fighter aircraft of different weight class and to stop them within specified landing speed in both normal and emergency conditions. It is because in normal circumstances, military aircraft land with very high speeds, necessitating the use of extra creative solutions to stop them on runways.

That’s it for today’s article. Thanks for visiting and stay safe!