The Swedes are known to be a progressive, sensible, and modern people, and the cars they’ve produced reflect that. Saab is not any longer producing latest cars, however it left a long-lasting mark on the worldwide automotive landscape with its quirky yet secure cars, and Sweden’s remaining automaker Volvo, carries the proverbial torch with an identical fame.
The smart Swedes didn’t just put their energy into making cars, though. In reality, Saab began its life as an aviation company and airplane manufacturer after World War I, and only got into the automobile business after the conclusion of World War II. Within the late Seventies, the National Swedish Traffic Research Institute and the National Aeronautical Research Institute of Sweden partnered with Scandinavian Airport and Road Systems (SARSYS) and Saab automobiles to create a brand new intersection of Swedish automotive and aeronautical excellence, with a security innovation called the runway surface-friction tester. In Saab’s absence, SARSYS has pivoted to installing its friction testing equipment in Volvo wagons and other vehicles.
These rigs are designed to check the friction levels between a simulated airplane tire and the runway with the goal of reducing the danger of aircraft hydroplaning during takeoff and landing, that are probably the most dangerous parts of a flight. We have even seen a number of of those specialized Swedes come up for auction prior to now, if for some reason you wish certainly one of your individual.
Friction testers use a somewhat ingenious measurement system
Even a dry runway may present friction issues for planes on account of residual rubber buildup left behind when airplane landing gear go from stationary to over 100 mph in the meanwhile they are available contact with the bottom during a landing. In fact, adding rain or standing water to the equation reduces friction even further.
Runway friction testers, whether Saab or Volvo, are retrofitted with a retractable airplane wheel called a skiddometer, a water tank, a pc measurement system, and an onboard printer. To measure the friction levels, the driving force deploys the auxiliary wheel while driving on the runway, and a pc system continually reads friction levels between the wheel and the runway. The water tanks can dispense a constant-rate spray in front of the wheel and measure the friction levels in hostile weather conditions.
Since Saab is not any longer producing latest vehicles, SARSYS friction testers take many alternative forms, from small towable trailers to massive tanker semi-trucks, but Volvos are also converted to serve this noble purpose.
This Article First Appeared At www.jalopnik.com
