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Runway Rubber Removal
Civil Engineers from the 1st Expeditionary Civil Engineer Group, 577th Expeditionary Prime BEEF (Base Emergency Engineer Force) Squadron perform rubber removal maintenance on a runway at Forway Operating Base Shank, Afghanistan,. (www.youtube.com) Plus d'info...
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They were doing a good job but perhaps someone can explain why so much rubber is left on runways in the first place. Surely it would not be difficult to get the wheels spinning prior to touch down. That rubber doesn't come cheap!
Lockheed tried the pre-spin technique back in the 1950's. There was no cost advantage found. At this particular location the mid east the combination of the surface temp of the slab (high) and the mass value (high) of the machines landing mean that rubber is deposited. The tires are remoulded and not a large expense item.
That put a smile on my face. I asked the same question 45 years ago. It must be more difficult than you think.
