A leader in radial aviation tyres, Michelin supplies the world’s major aircraft manufacturers. Among these, the French company, Dassault, has established a long-lasting relationship with the Clermont-based firm, built on expertise and mutual trust.© Dassault Aviation – S. Rande / © Dassault Aviation – S. Rande
In 1981, Michelin equipped the Dassault Mirage 3 military jet with the world’s first radial aviation tyre. At the time this represented a breakthrough technology that only Michelin was capable of inventing, and it laid the foundations for a fruitful collaboration between the two companies. The business jets of the Falcon range were then equipped by Michelin, with the Falcon 2000 benefiting from the first NZG-technology Michelin Air X tyre.
Michelin continues to pursue its offensive by developing new ranges to equip the next innovative craft to light up the skies.
Present at the 2015 Paris Air Show
The Michelin Air X tyre range, to be unveiled at the 2015 International Paris Air Show, caters to the needs of commercial, civil and military categories. Michelin Air X tyres with NZG technology for the Boeing 737 Max7 and 737 Max8 will be present on the stand, along with those for the Airbus A350 and the Falcon 8X by Dassault Aviation.
MICHELIN Air X tyre with NZG technology for the Falcon 5X, Falcon 7X and Falcon 8X by Dassault Aviation:
Dassault Aviation is expanding its range of business aircraft with the upcoming market launch of the Falcon 5X and Falcon 8X, two jets that can boast a spacious cabin, an excellent action radius and the capability to land on short runways.
Michelin therefore needed to offer the users of these business jets all the benefits of its know-how in order to provide them with the reliability and operational efficiency that they are entitled to expect.
Compared to conventional bias tyres, the Michelin Air X with NZG technology offers the following advantages:
Improved safety, with 50% better damage resistance (FOD)
More economy, with weight savings of up to 40%, meaning reduced fuel consumption
More longevity, with up to 50% more landings
From one generation of aircraft to the next, Michelin continues to develop its range of tyres. Compared to the Michelin Air X tyre equipping the Falcon 7X by Dassault Aviation, the Michelin Air X for the Falcon 8X by Dassault Aviation generates cost savings thanks to the following benefits:
10% extra load capacity: in the drive towards efficiency, this tyre allows you to carry a heavier payload in like-for-like dimensions
An extra 10 mph maximum speed, facilitating take-off on high-altitude runways
The Michelin Air X tyre with NZG technology, for equipping the Falcon 8X by Dassault Aviation, will be available with the dimensions H32x10.5R16.5.
MICHELIN Air X for the Rafale by Dassault Aviation
The recent sales contracts for the Rafale by Dassault Aviation represent for Michelin the opportunity to promote the features of the Michelin Air X radial technology tyre that exclusively equips this twinjet fighter.
For a tyre, the operational characteristics of a military jet represent a raft of the most extreme constraints conceivable.
By way of example, a Rafale jet needs to be equipped with tyres that are capable of:
- reaching a runway take-off speed of 390 km/h
- supporting a load of 40 tonnes generated when landing on an aircraft carrier
- carrying a nominal load of 10.5 tonnes per tyre
- being inflated to a maximum 27 bar when used on aircraft carriers
The Michelin Air X tyre with radial technology for the Rafale takes these extreme operational constraints in its stride, for a diameter of 15 inches (equivalent to the tyres on a small city car), and weighing in at only 24 kg.
Compared to military tyres with conventional bias technology, the Michelin Air X radial offers the following benefits:
An extra 40% resistance to damage (FOD).
20% lighter, for less fuel consumption – Tread Magazine