Topic summary
Brakes
Extracted from the Wikipedia article Brake.
Background
Brakes are generally applied to rotating axles or wheels, but may also take other forms, such as the surface of a moving fluid (flaps deployed into water or air). Some vehicles utilize a combination of braking mechanisms, such as drag racing cars equipped with both wheel brakes and a parachute, or airplanes that employ both wheel brakes and flaps raised into the air during landing.