it would be a mess.

這將是一個爛攤子。

Strap over 500,000 pounds to its back

將超過50萬磅的重量綁在其背上。

and it would be, well, nothing.

而這將是，嗯，什麼都沒有。

But airplane tires manage that impact every day,

但飛機輪胎每天都在管理這種影響。

without incident.

順利。

They're made to withstand hitting the pavement

他們是為了抵禦撞擊路面而生的。

at extreme speeds,

在極速下。

all while supporting an entire commercial jet.

同時支持一整架商用飛機。

Don't think too hard about it next time you're in the air,

下次在空中的時候，不要想太多。

but 45 inches of rubber is the only thing standing

但45英寸的橡膠是唯一的東西站在

between you and the tarmac during landing.

降落時，你和停機坪之間。

So, what makes them tough enough for the job?

那麼，是什麼原因讓他們足夠強悍呢？

If you've ever driven down a US highway,

如果你曾經在美國的高速公路上行駛過。

you've probably seen shredded tires along the way.

你可能在路上看到過撕碎的輪胎。

Semitruck tires aren't supposed to explode, but they do.

半掛車的輪胎不應該爆炸，但它們會爆炸。

Airplane tires?

飛機輪胎？

Not so much.

沒有那麼多。

There are a few differences between the two.

兩者之間有一些區別。

First of all, a semitruck isn't falling out of the sky

首先，半掛車不是從天上掉下來的。

as part of its route.

作為其路線的一部分。

Those tires don't need to be made

那些輪胎不需要做的。

to withstand the same high speeds and weights.

以承受同樣的高速和重量。

Airplane tires, on the other hand, need to be reinforced.

而飛機輪胎則需要加固。

Brandy Moorhead: They're made with a combination

白蘭地-莫海德他們是由一個組合

of proprietary synthetic rubber compounds,

專有的合成橡膠化合物。

which are paired with aluminum steel reinforcements

搭配鋁製鋼筋。

and nylon and aramid fabrics.

以及尼龍和芳綸織物。

Narrator: That's Brandy.

旁白：那是Brandy

She's in charge of Goodyear's aircraft tires,

她負責固特異的飛機輪胎。

and she told us that airplane tires are inflated

她告訴我們，飛機輪胎是充氣的。

twice as much as truck tires

兩倍

and six times as much as a car's.

和六倍於汽車的。

That's because the higher the pressure, the firmer the tire

因為胎壓越高，輪胎越牢固

and the more strength it has to support the plane.

和支撐飛機的強度就越大。

And when they're inflated, it's not with regular air.

而當他們充氣時，不是用普通的空氣。

Airplane tires are filled with nitrogen.

飛機輪胎是充氮氣的。

Brandy: Nitrogen is an inert gas,

白蘭地。氮氣是一種惰性氣體。

so high temperatures and pressure changes have less effect.

所以高溫和壓力變化對其影響較小。

Narrator: Plane tires are subjected

旁白：飛機輪胎會受到

to the most rigorous conditions of any vehicle tire.

適應所有車輛輪胎的最嚴苛條件。

When Goodyear develops a new airplane tire,

當固特異研發出一款新的飛機輪胎時。

it starts with a prototype.

它從一個原型開始。

Then the tires are tested beyond their breaking points.

然後對輪胎進行測試，超過其破損點。

They're tested for speed, pressure,

他們的速度，壓力測試。

and the ability to handle a load up to 38 tons.

並能承受高達38噸的負荷。

So they have to be made very differently than other tires.

所以它們的製作方式必須和其他輪胎有很大的不同。

Instead of the blocky design seen on a lot of car tires,

而不是很多汽車輪胎上看到的塊狀設計。

plane tires get groovy.

飛機輪胎變得時髦起來。

Brandy: That blocked pattern enables different maneuvering

白蘭地。這種封鎖的模式可以讓人有不同的操作方式

and different characteristics of ride and handling,

以及駕駛和操控的不同特點。

which are required by an automobile,

汽車所需的。

as opposed to just an aircraft that takes off

相對於僅僅是一架起飛的飛機而言。

and lands on a runway.

並降落在跑道上。

The reason we have grooves in an aircraft tire at all

我們在飛機輪胎上開槽的原因是

is because we need to evacuate water

是因為我們需要疏散水。

if we were to land on a wet surface.

如果我們降落在潮溼的表面。

Narrator: Commercial jets usually have around 20 tires

旁白：商用飛機通常有20個輪胎

and touch down about 500 times

並落地約500次

before they have to be retread,

之前，他們必須重走。

which can be done seven times

七下五除二

before the tire's no better than scrap rubber.

之前的輪胎比廢橡膠好不了多少。

And tires at the nose of the plane tend

而飛機機頭的輪胎往往是

to have shorter life spans than the rest.

壽命比其他的短。

It takes two mechanics up to an hour

兩個技師要花一個小時

to change a single tire.

換一個輪胎。

They raise the tire only 5 centimeters off the ground,

他們將輪胎抬高到離地面只有5釐米。

which doesn't feel like enough room to fit a thumb,

感覺空間不夠大，裝不下一個大拇指。

let alone change a plane tire.

更不用說換飛機輪胎了。

The mechanics take off the hubcap

機械師把輪轂蓋取下來

and reduce the tire pressure from 200 to 30 psi,

並將胎壓從200降至30psi。

which reduces the risk of it exploding

這就降低了它爆炸的風險

as the bolts and nuts holding it on the plane are removed.

因為固定在飛機上的螺栓和螺母都被拆除了。

A sleeve protects the axle,

一個套筒保護著車軸。

and a lifting tool pulls the tire off.

並用起重工具把輪胎拉下來。

The axle sleeve is then greased,

然後在軸套上塗上黃油。

and the new tire is slid smoothly on.

並順利地滑上新輪胎。

And then things move in reverse.

然後，事情就反過來了。

Nuts and bolts, tire reinflated to 200 psi, hubcap back on,

螺母和螺栓，輪胎重新充氣到200磅/平方英寸，輪轂蓋重新蓋上。

and the whole thing is gently lowered 5 centimeters

並將整件事情輕輕地降低5釐米。

back onto the ground.

回到地面上。

So, what happens after 500 landings, seven retreadings,

那麼，500次落地，7次重修後會怎樣。

and uncountable "This is your captain speaking"s?

還有數不清的 "我是你們隊長"？

A lot of the tires get recycled

很多輪胎都被回收了

into playground mulch and even other tires

變成遊樂場的覆蓋物，甚至是其他輪胎

for farming equipment.

耕種設備；

Those tires will be made from old plane tires,

這些輪胎將由舊飛機輪胎製成。

but not like them.

但不喜歡他們。

There's no need.

沒有必要。

Because if a farmer is using their tractor

因為如果一個農民使用他們的拖拉機。

the same way they'd use a plane,

和他們使用飛機的方式一樣。

well, they're doing it wrong.

好吧，他們做錯了。