biggest airplane tire?

[Wheels up]

The Fairchild EC-82A had the tracked gear waaaay before the 36. In fact it was then tested on a B-29 I believe.

http://books.google.com/books?id=XMpdOe ... #PPA306,M1

This link shows the tracks going waaaay back .....

Last edited by Wheels up on Sat Mar 08, 2008 4:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[mustangdriver]

My uneducated guess is the B-19.

That would be my vote.

[airnutz]

My uneducated guess is the B-19.

That would be my vote.

So far...We've focused on tallest tire, but remember the question was, "what was the biggest"?
I'm pretty sure the XB-36/XC-99 will beat the B-19 in the "biggest" department. They have vastly
different take-off weights, so the tire requirements imply the '36 family will win the day.

I've seen a few photos of the XB-19 tire and wheel assembly which is in the NMUSAF system...now at Hill
Aerospace Museum since 1993. Ball in your court Mustangdriver?

Last edited by airnutz on Sun Mar 09, 2008 4:19 am, edited 1 time in total.

[hairy]

I always thought this was a pretty unique idea to try and distribute the B-36 gtound pressure. As far as I know it was the only Aircraft half-track. Anyone know of any others?

From the Nation Museum of the USAF online archive.................


Douglas A-20H-10-DO (TA-20H) in flight after the installation of an experimental tracked main landing gear. (U.S. Air Force photo)

[hairy]

Again from the NMUSAF on-line archive.

I think the XB-36 has it over the B-19, compare the people in the 2 pics below to the tyres in each photo. (Assuming both photos have "average" sized people in them and one (or the other) was not taken at a little people convention. )

XB-19

XB-36


And for the side topic, XB-36 nosegear. (not a 1/2 track after all )



The complete package..............



It did fly................


OOOPS, What are we gunna tell the General?


Photo archives here.......................
http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/photos ... 0&page=200[/b]

[airnutz]

Hairy!!! How ya' been you old scudder???

Nice digging on the pics! Were these in your database, or did you bust some fast google?

About yer new icon pic..sigh.. Remember in Papillon when McQueen and Hoffman were in isolation and
every 6mos they let'm see light. How do I look??..Your looking a bit eccentric there buddy..Are you OK?

How's the Griffon Bronco project coming?

[Tim Landers]

I always thought this was a pretty unique idea to try and distribute the B-36 gtound pressure. As far as I know it was the only Aircraft half-track. Anyone know of any others?

Those are neat pics of the tracked LG. I came across this a while back.

[mustangdriver]

My uneducated guess is the B-19.

That would be my vote.

So far...We've focused on tallest tire, but remember the question was, "what was the biggest"?
I'm pretty sure the XB-36/XC-99 will beat the B-19 in the "biggest" department. They have vastly
different take-off weights, so the tire requirements imply the '36 family will win the day.

I've seen a few photos of the XB-19 tire and wheel assembly which is in the NMUSAF system...now at Hill
Aerospace Museum since 1993. Ball in your court Mustangdriver?

XB-19 tire is on display in the Early Years Gallery at the NMUSAF. I wonder if they have more than one. It looks like the XB-36 tire is bigger. I will say that laying on it's side that the XB-19 tire looks bigger for some reason.

[dhfan]

On a much smaller scale, tracked undercarriage was fitted to an Auster in 1951. There was a pic on the Flypast Forum but it's gone now.

[FG1D Pilot]

This tire restricted the YB-36 and XC-99 to operations from 3 runways in the United States - Carswell AFB (where it was built), Fairfield-Suisun (now Travis AFB), and Eglin AFB due to the weight loading on the concrete runways.

The XC99 flew in and out of Kelly AFB. I used to go in it when I was a kid. I still remember being at an airshow where they were giving tours through it. I think it was grounded by then.

[bdk]

Those are neat pics of the tracked LG. I came across this a while back.

I wonder if those still rotated 90 degrees when they retracted? Any idea if it ever flew? MAybe they just left the gear down.

[Tim Landers]

I couldn't tell ya bdk, wasn't sure if it was photoshopped or not untill I saw this thread, very interesting subject
Tim

[sdennison]

Again from the NMUSAF on-line archive.

I think the XB-36 has it over the B-19, compare the people in the 2 pics below to the tyres in each photo. (Assuming both photos have "average" sized people in them and one (or the other) was not taken at a little people convention. )

XB-19

XB-36


And for the side topic, XB-36 nosegear. (not a 1/2 track after all )



The complete package..............



It did fly................


OOOPS, What are we gunna tell the General?


Photo archives here.......................
http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/photos ... 0&page=200[/b]

Wow! Is it me? I can't fathom how that belt would react landing on a runway. Were these designs meant for grass landings only? I would hate to blow a belt!

[Second Air Force]

That tracked gear had to be a real beauty for the mechanics, can you imagine getting the assignment to pack wheel bearings on them!!

The tracked gear on the '36 was extremely noisy from what I've read, with lots of screeching and such to announce departures and arrivals.

The main tire for the early B-36 is larger than the XB-19, but I don't know by how much. The primary reason for the single tire gear on the X and YB-36 (and XC-99) was because of braking requirements. It took Bendix a bit of research to come up with new brake technology that would stop the monster and still work with the 56" tire and wheel assembly.

Scott

[hairy]

Hairy!!! How ya' been you old scudder???

The fuzzy one has been lurking, it's been a bit hectic with a new job etc. Also being doing some research on a photo collection that I managed to get my hands on, 3000+ prints and approx. 2500 negs all pre 1953(ish).
Once I get my hands on a decent scanner that will do them justice I might make the odd post.

Nice digging on the pics! Were these in your database, or did you bust some fast google?

You flatter me unjustly, I just went to the NMUSAF photo archive and searched XB-36 and B-19, believe me its worth checking out, its the best source for desktop pics. Hears the link again..............
http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/photos ... 530&page=1

About yer new icon pic..sigh.. Remember in Papillon when McQueen and Hoffman were in isolation and
every 6mos they let'm see light. How do I look??..Your looking a bit eccentric there buddy..Are you OK?

*SIGH* Oh to be that good looking, but alas I am undone, for said comely visage is not aforementioned hairsuite one but the noble Sir Bubbles of the Trailer Park, vanquisher of the SAMSQUANCH and protector of the fiefdom of Canadia.

How's the Griffon Bronco project coming?

I was thinking possibly about the Jet class, how does an A-10 airframe with a pair of RR Trents sound.
(someone talented really should produce a graphic of the above idea, I'm just an "ideas" guy. )