9/1/2004 - EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AFPN) -- Initial KC-135 Stratotanker carbon brake testing here discovered an increased operational capability over currently used steel brakes.

Test team experts, using a KC-135R from the Alaska Air National Guard, found carbon brakes stopped the aircraft in a shorter distance, allowing the tanker to take off with heavier loads and operate on shorter runways.

Among the carbon brakes' benefits include increasing the lifespan of the brakes to 1,000 landings from a previous 100 landings with the steel brakes, Mr. Hamilton said. The increased lifespan reduces costs of changing out brakes on the aircraft's 18 wheels every 100 landings.

The carbon brakes also performed well on medium to high risk testing, experts said. The test experts stopped a heavy, fast-moving tanker in a short distance, putting a lot of energy on the brakes and generating high temperatures.

"High-brake temperatures heat the air inside the tire, causing the air to expand," said Dave Benson, another flight test engineer. "If the air expands beyond what the tire can hold, the tire and wheel can explode like a balloon. Fuse plugs release at certain temperatures, letting air out of the tire to avoid overheating, and the end result is just a flat tire, not an exploded tire and wheel."

During the highest energy test, test experts were able to stop and taxi 4,000 feet before the fuse plugs released, he said.

Rumors of the AF testing "spinners" were denied.