A low parameter tyre model for aircraft ground dynamic simulation

The work presented in this paper describes a new low parameter mathematical model representing the force and moment components generated in an aircraft tyre for use in the computer simulation of takeoff, landing and taxiing manoeuvres of an aircraft. As such the problems addressed fall in the area of ground vehicle dynamics and the modelling of the tyre presents similar challenges to those involved in modelling automotive tyres, albeit on a much larger scale in terms of the size and the loads on the tyre. The model has been implemented in the Matlab/Simulink environment and designed to run initially with aircraft models defined by the industry standard multi-body systems program MSC.ADAMSTM. An overview is provided of current automotive and aircraft tyre models along with a critique of the application and capabilities of these existing models for aircraft simulation. The need for a model which can be used to fit the limited range of data available for aircraft tyres, compared with automotive tyres, is also discussed.