Some further thoughts about brakes.
In early days, the tailskid was just that-a wood skid, often with a steel shoe. That arrangement was simple but provided a bit of retardation with the tail on the ground and also some stability. However, even small aircraft required holding down for engine run-ups and the first "brakes" were people hanging-on to the tail or, a tie-down rope to a fixed post etc.
More convenient wheelbrakes became required as aircraft got heavier and more powerful. Without research, I would guess that aircraft wheelbrakes were developed after WW1 and some perhaps earlier than that. Automotive style manual drum brakes may well have led the way. Early brakes would have assisted handling of the aircraft and helped stop heavier and faster aircraft. The increasing speed, weight and power of aircraft demanded more powerful brakes. The energy required to be absorbed in stopping an aircraft on the ground increases directly proportional to the Mass, but also to the speed squared, so a doubled speed requires four times the braking power.
Drum brakes were very common until after WW2. Although the drums got larger, the force required to operate them demanded mechanical assistance, and compressed air or hydraulics became common. However, the drum brake is often limited in its ability to develop sufficient braking power and fading or overheating brakes were a common problem.
Disc brakes were developed to offer greater braking capacity, to deal with faster and heavier aircraft. The disc / caliper(s) arrangement can offer advantages in brake performance and cooling ability, with multiple discs and calipers, the performance can be outstanding. Additionally, hydraulic disc brakes can be supremely reliable and offer high service life.
To control the braking power of disc brakes, anti-skid systems were developed. Early mechanical anti-lock systems, like Dunlop Maxaret, used a small spinning wheel running on the inside of the aircraft wheel, that would stop spinning if the wheel locked. The small spinning wheel incorporated an inertia bobweight that operated a relief valve so that if the spinning stopped, the inertia bobweight operated the relief valve and released the brakes, until the wheel spun-up again.
Anti-skid systems developed further and electro-hydraulic versions used different wheel sensors. Eventually, digital systems with wheel sensors and complex electro-hydraulic operation were developed. Auto-Brake also became part of the picture and added extra safety to the whole ability of modern aircraft brakes.
Eng