First pneumatic airplane-specific tire: Goodyear 1909
Number of tires on the Antonov AN-225 freighter: 32
Typical cost of a tire for a light plane: $100-$250
Cost of the tires on the Airbus A380: About $5,500 apiece
Number of retreads a tire can take: Up to 10 before replacement
Composition of almost all aircraft tires: Rubber, steel and fabric
Length of time it takes NASCAR pit crews to change a tire: A few seconds
For ready-to-go crew to change a tire on an Airbus A320: 45 minutes
Inflation pressure in a typical car’s tires: 35 psi
Inflation of the tires in a Lockheed Martin F-16: 320 psi
Inflation gas in a light plane: Air
In an airliner: Nitrogen
Reason: Nitrogen is inert, so it doesn’t react with the rubber at high altitudes
Rated speed for a typical airliner tire: 200-250 mph
Reason for chines (perpendicular fins on the sidewalls): Keep rain water from getting into the engine inlets
Largest aircraft tire (that we’ve been able to find): 110 inches, B-36 Peacemaker bomber
Weight of the B-36 tire on the runway: 156 pounds per square inch
Number of runways worldwide in late ’30s rated to handle that load: 3
Ultimate replacement: A four-wheel bogie (multi-wheel gear)
Failed alternative: Tank-style tracks
Problem with SR-71 Blackbird tires: High heat could ignite them
Solution: An aluminum–latex blend filled with nitrogen
Inflation pressure: 415 psi
Size of DC-3 tailwheel: 6 inches, larger than J-3 Cub main gear
Reason for FAA testing of large-tire airplanes, 1995: Frequent stall-spin crashes
FAA theory at the time: Large tires cause stall increase as bank increases
FAA finding: Inconclusive
Largest size tundra tire approved by FAA today: 35-inch tire diameter
X-15 nose tire problem: Prone to shredding on landing
Landing speed of X-15: 242 mph
Main gear on X-15: Metal skids
First radial tire approved by FAA: Goodyear, 1983
Reason that rubber builds up on runways: Spin-up friction
Amount deposited on a runway by landing jet liner: 1 pound
Pounds of rubber built up on a typical international airport runway every three months: 10,000 pounds
Reason it has to be regularly removed: Increases risk of hydroplaning
Most common removal method: Water pressure (up to 40,000 psi and 30 gallons per minute)
Other methods: Chemical removal and milling of the runway surface
Number of dimensions used to describe aircraft tires: At least 12
Number of tires on the space shuttle: 6 (two nose and four main gear tires)
Rated speed, respectively, for those tires: 250/263 mph
