"Too hot to handle" is no mere cliché for Air Force pilots and ground crews when an F-16 comes in for a landing. Heavy braking stops the plane in time but can produce high temperatures that risk rupturing tires or igniting fuel during refueling for quick turnaround missions.

Early warning of such risks soon will be possible with a sensor system under development at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). The prototype sensor system will allow ground crews to measure an F-16's brake temperature as it lands and help the crew and pilot prepare for the worst if brakes approach 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit, which could produce a hot brake emergency.

"Pilots need to know the level of risk they face during a landing so they can determine if they should taxi away from other aircraft," said Jim Skorpik, PNNL chief engineer. "And once a fighter plane is safely down, if ground crews need to refuel for the next mission, they can check the sensor system to see if the brakes have cooled sufficiently."

The sensor system addresses these risks by coupling a temperature sensor that can detect temperatures up to 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit with a radio-frequency tag.

Contact: 1-888-375-PNNL or e-mail: inquiry@pnl.gov

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