19" tires for replica aircaft

[snj5]

What are others doing for tires on full size replicas? Is there a source for replica Palmer Cord a/c tires or some place that will shave the tread or recap smooth?

Many thanks

Russ

[bristol scout]

Hi Russ,
If these are for your Camel----Why 19"? the Camel used 700x75mm. About 27 1/2" dia.---as i'm sure you know.

Just wondering,
Dave.

[BF190G]

I am in Rockland,Maine (aka) the back woods of the U.S. and Iwas able to walk right in to V.I.P. (a tire store) and they had All kinds of antique tires availble to them. If you like I will go back and ask the catologs name. The darn thing had everything from motorcycle to military 6x6x6 tires and more.
I personaly found those extra widewhite walls for my my old dodge power wagon at 119 a tire I love these dudes

[drrivah]

Try:

Coker Tire

-pete

[BF190G]

ahh thats the one and apperintly they can send you a free catilog. If that doesn't work fore you I know of a few other sorces from the guys down at the owlshead transportation museum witch by the way has reconstructed
sevral WWI aircraft It might give some Ideas if you can contact them too.

['14-'18aviationcollector]

Originally Posted by bristol scout

Hi Russ,
If these are for your Camel----Why 19"? the Camel used 700x75mm. About 27 1/2" dia.---as i'm sure you know.

Just wondering,
Dave.

Hi Dave,

I have spent a lot of time looking into tyres and rims, so I know the answer to your question.

The Camel, as you said used 700 x 75 mm tyres, which as you say is about 27 1/2" diameter. The old tyres were measured using the outside diameter, and modern tyres are generally measured using the diameter where the tyre bead seats on the rim. That's why a 700 mm or about 27 1/2" tyre sits on a 19" or so rim.

Regards,

David.

['14-'18aviationcollector]

Originally Posted by snj5

What are others doing for tires on full size replicas? Is there a source for replica Palmer Cord a/c tires or some place that will shave the tread or recap smooth?

Many thanks

Russ

Hi Russ,

I have spent a lot of time researching tyres and rims for WW1 aeroplanes. There are several manufacturers who either have old moulds they can use or adapt for use in the manufacture of replica WW1 aeroplane tyres. Coker is one of the most promising brands, and when we restored the DH9 we used some tyres which were specially constructed by Dunlop. They had some old moulds, and either filled the space where the tread would have been or ground it off after the tyres were moulded. I have seen several references to grinding tread off tyres with an angle grinder or something similar.

I have been talking to one of the local tyre manufacturers about the possibility of having some replica Palmer Cord Aero Tyres manufactured. They say it is relatively easy to do, but the cost of course would be significant, especially for the first batch, and I would imagine that most of the cost would be for the manufacturing / adaptation of the moulds.

Rims are much easier to obtain. There are a few manufacturers who can make rims to any size, and they are not particularly expensive.

Regards,

David.

[bristol scout]

Originally Posted by '14-'18aviationcollector

Hi Dave,

I have spent a lot of time looking into tyres and rims, so I know the answer to your question.

The Camel, as you said used 700 x 75 mm tyres, which as you say is about 27 1/2" diameter. The old tyres were measured using the outside diameter, and modern tyres are generally measured using the diameter where the tyre bead seats on the rim. That's why a 700 mm or about 27 1/2" tyre sits on a 19" or so rim.

Regards,

David.

Hi David,

Thanks for that clarification .

Dave.

['14-'18aviationcollector]

You are very welcome Dave!

Tyres and wheels for WW1 aeroplanes are a fascinating subject, but they can be very confusing, and it can be difficult at times to obtain reliable information. Interestingly, bicycle tyres still use the old method, whereby the size of the tyre is simply the outside (rolling) diameter x the width of the tyre. My 700 x 23 tyres actually sit on a rim which is about 620 mm diameter where the tyre seats on the rim. If it was measured in the same way a modern car tyre is measured, they would be 620 x 23 mm tyres. It's confusing at first, but becomes less confusing as the different measuring systems are understood.

Regards,

David.

[Nick]

Hi Russ,

I used Firestone Smooths, made by Coker tyres. They’re a 28” x 3” tyre on a 22” rim



Cheers, Nick