Why Aircraft Tires?

You may be wondering why aircraft tires are rated as being so high performing. One main reason is due to the fact that these tires are made by hand. These tires are crafted with meticulous care and they undergo a detailed inspection in order to provide the assurance that they are up to par with the strict policies of the Technical Standard Order of the FAA.

There really are no terrible aircraft tires among the various brands. Even if someone happens to purchase the least expensive aircraft tires, these tires must be in compliance with the specifications as set forth by the FAA. In order to meet operations for normal conditions and emergency conditions, the manufacturers of aircraft indicate the required type and size of tires based on expansive analyses pertaining to engineering factors.

Concerning common specifications for most aviation tires, these include the strength of the tire as well as the size of the tire. It is noted that the first number is the representative of the size of the tire.

In the construction of common aviation tires, there is the usage of bias-ply formation. Tires that are made of bias-ply have materials that possess plies of reinforcement, which are placed at angles that range from thirty degrees all the way up to sixty degrees in correlation to the rotation direction or center line pertaining to the tire. During the process of construction, these elements are then embedded in rubber. The end result is that the strength of the tire is balanced.

The specification of 4 ply is provided as an indication of how many plies or layers of material were used for the sake of reinforcement, such as nylon, etc., during the process of construction. In the past, this number was literal in regard to the exact number of plies or layers. But with the utilization of modern technology in regard to the creation of tires, fewer actual layers are applied in order to achieve the same rating of plies. This is an improvement due to the fact that less heat is created and this saves on the amount of weight of a tire.

Some may wonder if it is worthwhile to invest in buying a tire that is even stronger than the recommendations of the manufacturer. Should someone buy a tire of six plies when a tire of four plies is what was mentioned in the specifications of the manufacturer? The truth of the matter is that it is not really better to buy a tire that has more plies than indicated in the specifications.

Tires that have more plies are not always better. The reality is that each aircraft is made to be used with a particular type of tire. Tires that have more plies than required many not perform as well for the aircraft. Further, it is to be noted that having tires with more plies does not mean that they will last for a longer period of time. Also, when there are more plies added to a tire, this results in a decrease of the diameter of the tire’s interior overall.