Next-level brakes

On his YouTube channel, he supersized a CubCrafters Carbon Cub called Scrappy. It can fly with two electric motorcycles hanging off wings that have solar panels charging the bikes.

Prior to that, he transformed a stork-like, Polish-designed Wilga PZL–104 called Draco into an aerial powerhouse that launched in 100 feet and landed in 80. It was like a flaming red dragon that escaped from a Pixar movie.

Patey is now working on Draco X. It will feature a nearly 1,000-horsepower turbine engine and lots of surprising innovations that will redefine STOL performance levels.

There are two distinctive parts he tweaked but didn’t create on Scrappy and Draco X: wheels and brakes from Beringer. Beringer is a passionate, family-run company in the Southern French Alps, with roots in motorcycle racing, Formula-1 cars, and fast-growing operations in South Carolina.

Scrappy’s shimmering, anodized, orange wheels match the airplane’s eye-catching paint scheme. Milled from a solid block of aluminum with 10 radiating spokes, the wheels’ striking good looks are a byproduct of engineering decisions to reduce weight while maintaining strength and performance.

“On the original Draco, I used stock wheels and brakes because I had so many other things I was tackling,” Patey told me from his massive hangar near Provo, Utah. “However, when I was running up the engine on the ground and standing on the brakes, the plane would start rolling forward if power got above 60 percent. With Draco X, I’m going full-Beringer on the wheels and brakes. They will have dual calipers and backcountry brake pads for more holding power.

“Beringer’s brakes perform differently and feel precise compared with other brakes. I can finesse them a lot more on takeoffs and landings, and they’re never spongy. Plus, they dissipate heat better than any brakes I’ve ever used, so I don’t worry about them fading from heat buildup.”

From racetracks to runways

Beringer’s history began in the 1980s when Gilbert and Véronique Beringer raced motorcycles with sidecars. In 1991, they became French National Rally Champions, partly from mechanical upgrades they crafted for their machines. That led them to create a business building motorcycle brakes, wheels, and sidecars for companies like Ducati. F-1 racing cars later entered the mix.

Ever adventurous, they built an airplane in 2002, and aviation became their passion. The family all earned pilot certificates. In 2009, they sold the automotive and motorcycle business to focus on improving airplane brakes, wheels, and suspensions.

If anyone wonders whether the French have impacted aviation history, a long list includes the first manned balloon flight in 1783 and the first joystick control system in 1908. The world’s first pilot certificates were issued to French men and women in 1909 and 1910. That’s also when French innovators produced the first flight simulator for student pilots. All pilots speak some French when they say aileron, fuselage, empennage, pilot, canard, or nacelle. Joie de vivre should also be included. It means an exuberant enjoyment of life, which sums up flying for many pilots, including 37-year-old daughter Claire Beringer, who has degrees in engineering, physics, and business and became CEO in 2018.

She and her colleagues in the United States and France are focused on continually improving their core products for thousands of certified and experimental aircraft. The biggest among them is Cirrus, but the list includes Diamond, Extra, Pipistrel, JMB, and the Pilatus PC–6. They also have an extensive line of aftermarket products for Cessna, Piper, Carbon Cub, Van’s, Kitfox, and many other aircraft. Bonanzas are in line for aftermarket approval.

Brakes that deliver

Cirrus switched to Beringer wheels and brakes in 2014 to reduce weight, enhance performance, and improve safety. The company also liked the use of tubeless tires since they provide a higher level of reliability. Inner tubes are often the source of leaks, and they add some weight.

Zach Anderson is a 38-year-old Southwest Airlines first officer who was a Cirrus instructor in Texas during the pandemic. Before that, he was a car and heavy equipment mechanic for 12 years with lots of experience working on brakes.

In a 2021 technical article, Anderson wrote that Cirrus legacy brake systems before 2014 “generally overheated on landing.” He noted that after Cirrus changed brake systems, the “Beringer brakes far exceed the braking power and durability of the old system. The new system is more robust, withstands heat better, and is very well built.” As a result, “the difference is quite apparent. The pilot has better control of the aircraft, no spongy pedal, the confidence to get the plane stopped without possibly overheating the braking system.”

I’m always dubious when someone is that confident, so I tracked Anderson down. He doubled down on his earlier claims and said, “The Beringer brakes perform like a race car’s. When Cirrus’s legacy brakes got hot,
they were like an old Super Duty truck. The difference is significant.”

NASCAR suspension expert and former Marine Sgt. Matt McSwain competes in STOL competitions and builds advanced suspension systems for bush airplanes at Acme Aero in North Carolina. He believed his stock brakes didn’t have sufficient clamping force to hold his airplane in place during engine runup or the ability to stop as quickly and safely as possible.

“We contacted and collaborated with Beringer to create something beefier,” McSwain said. “The result was a new bracket, dual brake calipers, and some brake cylinder changes. I estimate it cut our landing distance in half. It’s a bad-ass package.”

A big reason for that is because Beringer’s brakes use a “floating disc” design they originally pioneered for motorcycles and race cars. Compared with solid disc brakes with roots in World War II, a floating disc handles heat better, is less prone to warping, is lighter yet durable, and provides excellent brake pad contact so they don’t fade when hot.

“I run them on my Kitfox,” said Bryan Bowen of Bowen Aero in California. He worked with Beringer to develop brake pads for STOL competitors like himself. “I’ve done thousands of landings and am still using the original pads,” Bowen said.

STOL aircraft are one end of the performance spectrum. Cirrus jets, Pilatus PC–6s, Piper Malibus, and Meridians are on the other end. Malibu Aerospace in Minnesota has converted several of the long wing Pipers to the new system.

“The ramp appeal is a lot better with these wheels,” said Doug Hiltz, vice president of Malibu Aerospace, who’s also a commercial pilot. “Our company’s Meridian features wheels that are anodized blue to match the paint. Unlike painted wheels that can peel, anodized wheels hold their color. The conversion process also helps them resist corrosion.”

He’s also a fan of the company’s unique SensAIR system that lets pilots read their tire pressures on their smartphones. He said Piper wants pilots to check those pressures daily. SensAIR makes that a lot easier.

The upgrade

I’ve been upgrading my Cessna TR182 for several years and decided to buy Beringers several years ago when they were STC’d for my model. There were no tariffs then or now, and parts are widely available.

A busy schedule kept me from installing them until late last year, and it took a bit more than 25 hours. Upon completion, my mechanic at Emerald Aircrafters in Oregon said to follow the company’s recommended break-in procedures.

So far, so good, and they look amazing.

“I love Beringer’s advancements. They aren’t copying someone else,” said Patey. “After decades of stagnation in this area, they are constantly stepping up and saying, ‘Let’s make it better! Let’s make the brakes and wheels feel better. Let’s make performance and responsiveness better.’’

“Every time I visit with them, they’re going next level. It’s not very often in aviation you see a company fixated on product improvements, not just the bottom line.”

Kevin Knight is an instrument-rated pilot from Texas. He owns and flies a Cessna TR182.

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