Electric brakes advance the aeronautical industry. Whilst all-electric aircraft are not yet here, significant progress has nevertheless been made in this domain. Two industrial companies, the American Utas and French Safran, have together developed electric brakes for the Boeing 787. What are the benefits? While the all-electric in the air is not yet here, significant progress has nevertheless been made in this area. Two companies, the American Utas and French Safran, have indeed developed electric non-hydraulic brakes as a substitute to those which are the norm today in commercial aviation; "new generation" brakes with which only the Boeing 787 is currently provided. Philippe Chicot - Responsible for electric brakes - Safran Messier -Bugatti- Dowty "The basic operational principle of electric brakes is the same as for hydraulic brakes. There’s still a disc that rotates with the wheel to which friction is applied via the brake pads. Instead of the pistons being actuated by hydraulic fluid under pressure, we use electro-mechanical actuators. Each actuator consists of an electric motor which rotates and engages a series of gears and a screw-nut system with one part being the rotating component and the other acting as a piston." Among the advantages of this new technology, in addition to the ecological aspect of course, there is the ease of connection. All that needs to be done is to wire up the actuators with the computer, and from there plug into the electrical circuit of the aircraft. Maintenance is also much easier. Philippe Chicot – In charge of electric brakes - Safran Messier-Bugatti-Dowty. "The direct cockpit display indicating the level of brake wear eliminates a physical or visual check of the plane’s brakes." At the moment, the cost of this technology is of course higher. But things could change quickly depending on the demand. In the near future, Safran is due to equip the future Eurocopter X-4 with electric brakes, and also certain Dassault Falcons and Airbus A-320’s. Brake technology is accelerating fast…