Lifting aeroplanes softly

Citation

(2001), "Lifting aeroplanes softly", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 73 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat.2001.12773aab.006

Lifting aeroplanes softly

Lifting aeroplanes softly

Keywords: Pronal, Maintenance, Aircraft industry

Aircraft maintenance and repair crews are using cushions as an alternative method of getting airplanes off the ground. The cushions, designed by Pronal, an elastomer manufacturer based in Leers, France, can raise airplanes weighing up to 40 metric tons as high as 22 feet. The Pronal aircraft recovery cushions provide a flexible balanced cradle, so that ground crews can work on landing gears, tyres and wings.

The cushions consist of a stable base made of inflatable elements, each element measuring 13 x 6.4 feet when inflated. These elements support a group of cushions made of a heavy duty textile coated with synthetic rubber that resists harsh atmospheric conditions, kerosene, and aircraft fuel. An upper, dihedral-shaped element is positioned atop the cushions. Different upper elements are shaped to mate with the section of the plane being raised, be it wing or fuselage. The cushions are available in different sizes to lift 15, 25 and 40 metric tonne aircraft.

An external guide positions the cushions correctly when they are stacked. Pronal moulded a pyramidal indentation in the upper and lower surfaces of the cushions to prevent them from slipping. Workers use handles on the cushions to install them and to disassemble the system after repairs are completed. Crews inflate the cushions to a recommended 7lb per square inch through a numbered, blue positioning ring.