Definition
An aircraft wheel brake assembly in which braking is produced by friction pads (pucks or linings) clamping against a single rotating disc that turns with the wheel. When the brake is applied, hydraulic pressure forces pistons to squeeze the stationary pads against the spinning disc, slowing the wheel.
Plain English
A wheel brake that uses one flat metal disc spinning with the wheel. Pads press against both sides of that disc to slow the aircraft down, much like the disc brakes on a car.
Context Anchor
Seen in landing gear, wheel, and brake system descriptions, especially on many light aircraft.
Derivation
Single means one. Disc refers to the flat round plate that rotates with the wheel. The name simply describes the design: braking action comes from pads pressing on one disc, as opposed to multi-disc brakes used on heavier aircraft, which stack several discs together for more stopping power.
Why Pilots Care
Single-disc brakes are simple and reliable but have less stopping capacity than multi-disc systems. Pilots flying light aircraft rely on them for taxi control, directional steering during the landing roll, and stopping. Knowing the type helps with preflight inspection and recognising wear or fluid leaks.
Intuition Check
“Single-disc” does not mean the airplane has only one brake. It means each brake assembly uses one rotating disc as its main braking surface.
Example Sentence 1
Most light single-engine trainers use single-disc brakes, one on each main wheel.
Example Sentence 2
Single-disc brakes on the main wheels provide adequate stopping power for the light trainer.