Tailwheel tire shortage

[Flying Dave]

[FONT=&quot]Shopping for a new tailwheel tire. Spruce is out. Chief said they have had an open P.O. since October. Anyone know of new stock on a shelf anywhere?? 280/250x4

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[stewartb]

In stock at Spruce near my house. Let me know if you’d like me to grab one for you.

 

[bob turner]

If you check the aviation department of Amazon you will find many variants. I suspect the Carlisle would be better than the Chinese products - I was able to wear out a $20 tire on my Decathlon with absolutely no problems.

 

[cubdrvr]

I use a solid rubber tire...........can't wear 'em out.

 

[sj]

I use a solid rubber tire...........can't wear 'em out.

I carry one as a backup in the 180 along with the tools to put it on.

sj

 

[Flying Dave]

Thanks fellas. 4th phone call was to Desser and they have put one in the mail.

 

[WhiskeyMike]

I use a solid rubber tire...........can't wear 'em out.

And.... They never go flat! Great for non bush flying.:lol::lol::lol:

 

[hotrod180]

I carry one as a backup in the 180 along with the tools to put it on. sj

You carry a solid tailwheel as a spare?
Curious what wheel it fits on,
my understanding the that the (6x2) solid t/w tires
fit the wheels used on the Scott 2000 & maule tailwheels,
never heard that they will fit the wheel of the scott 3200 / 3400.

 

[FdxLou]

SJ
If you switch to a 10” 6ply TW tire and Michelin airstop tube you can lose the onboard spare.
The stiffer sidewall and tube that holds air better is the secret.
Lou

sj[/QUOTE]

 

[sj]

It fits the Scott 3200. Lou, the 10" has too much drag :lol:

sj

 

[hotrod180]

SJ
If you switch to a 10” 6ply TW tire and Michelin airstop tube you can lose the onboard spare.
The stiffer sidewall and tube that holds air better is the secret.

Standard 8" tailwheel tire is 4 ply, but Airframes AK sells a 6 ply-- doesn't really say but it looks like an AeroClassic.

Tailwheel Parts | 8" Standard Tailwheel Tire (airframesalaska.com)

"Tailwheel Tom" Anderson of TLGW recommends running 10" tailwheels at 65-70 psi,
dunno why that wouldn't be a good idea in 8" tailwheels as well.

10" Tailwheel Assy for Cessna 180/185/188 — TLGW

 

[supercub1999]

You carry a solid tailwheel as a spare?
Curious what wheel it fits on,
my understanding the that the (6x2) solid t/w tires
fit the wheels used on the Scott 2000 & maule tailwheels,
never heard that they will fit the wheel of the scott 3200 / 3400.

The 6" solid at Spruce fits the Scott3200 perfect, uses about 1/2" of washers on each side of the wheel as spacers its not as wide as the taller 8" air tire. It lowers the tail an inch which increases the AOA on takeoff so you can get off the ground shorter.

 

[stewartb]

I recall dga saying there’s no TSO requirement for tailwheel tires. That said, shopping Amazon makes sense. And saves a lot of dollars.

 

[supercub1999]

This is the one on my Scott 3200, had a flat 8" air tire, this fits right on with washers as spacers on each side of the wheel, works great.

 

[bob turner]

I think I shall get one! I have been carrying around a spare, and keep forgetting to check the inflation.

By the way, I had lots of tailwheel flats until I started carrying that spare, Now, nada. Of course, some of that may be due to keeping 55 lbs in there.

I note that we are using the API tailwheel on four J-3s, with excellent results. Cannot seem to get ahold of Karen for more . . .

A fifth user actually got a field approval - but with no TSO, we decided it wasn't necessary - minor alteration. Easy to get a 337 from him if we needed it - he would have to do the initial installation. I did his bungees Tuesday, so I bet he would be happy to sign.

 

[Dan Gervae]

That size is common On mobility scooters…buy one from eBay or Amazon….it’s the same tire on my front amphib wheels

 

[kase]

Shopping cart tire works good to. Don't have to worry about getting a flat. Most of the ranch cubs around here run these now. Fit right on a Scott 3200.

 

[bob turner]

Source? Part #?

 

[cubdrvr]

Shopping cart tire works good to. Don't have to worry about getting a flat. Most of the ranch cubs around here run these now. Fit right on a Scott 3200.


View attachment 66071

That's what I use. It's a tight fit. Wheel goes in freezer overnight, heat up tire......and a rubber hammer helps.

 

[sj]

Finally

I had a flat on the faux-baby bushwheel during the middle of a video shoot a hundred miles away from home. Got to practice my tail high taxiing, which I am actually pretty good at but don't generally do because it seems like an opportunity for an engine rebuild waiting to happen - have seen it happen more than once!

Anyway, I have been meaning to switch to the solid rubber for a while. I did the freezer and the heat (put it in the sun, heat index over 100 here today) as mentioned above. It helped on one side, but the other side of the tire was too small for the wheel and I had to remove a little bit of material with a small drill mounted sander drum to get it to fit.

Have not flown it yet, but I think it is going to be great!

 

[bob turner]

Source? Maybe a link?

 

[sj]

Source? Maybe a link?

Larry Mayer in Billings is where I got mine. I’ll see if he is still selling them.

sj

 

[AKjurnees]

Funny how the pendulum swings, Baby bush wheel was all the rage, now the solid tail wheel tire. Piper used them on stock J-3 out of the factory, mine works great still.

Watch. Next is the stock main tires and tubes rage, since 95% of all landings and takeoffs can be performed where the bush bros go, lighter, cheaper, faster, easier to handle on the ground by hand, etc. etc.

 

[sj]

You can contact Larry Mayer at pictures@larrymayer.com He said he has about twenty right now, but they are getting a lot harder to find as they are used for a lot of different things in a lot of countries.

sj

 

[bob turner]

Thank you. Wilco.
We are using solid tires on the little Cubs - the API tailwheels are great! Cannot seem to get ahold of Karen for more, although I think she has new parts to be assembled.
We tried the blimp tkires on a J3. All agree that at least on pavement she handles measurably better with 8:00s.

Absolutely nothing wrong with gisnt tires for appearsnce, so long as one is aware of the performance hit.

 

[Steve Pierce]

Aviation is all about compromises. Love my Baby Bushwheel, doesn't act like a plow disc like my 3200. I know it is more prone to shimmy should I happen to land on hard surface, loaded and put the tail down too fast. All very uncommon.

 

[mvivion]

Aviation is all about compromises. Love my Baby Bushwheel, doesn't act like a plow disc like my 3200. I know it is more prone to shimmy should I happen to land on hard surface, loaded and put the tail down too fast. All very uncommon.

As we keep saying around here: It’s all about the mission.

MTV

 

[RedOwlAirfield]

Aviation is all about compromises. Love my Baby Bushwheel, doesn't act like a plow disc like my 3200. I know it is more prone to shimmy should I happen to land on hard surface, loaded and put the tail down too fast. All very uncommon.

I've only had my baby Bushwheel a few months, but what I found is that running it at the max recommended inflation (25 PSI) cured the slight shimmy issue it had the first time I flew it. Haven't had any shimmy since - no matter the surface.

Thanks for the image though. The reason I got this TW was just what you describe- my old Scott was plowing furrows in the soft gravel. I now can refer to it in a way that is accurate as well as stylish. Thank you!

 

[WindOnHisNose]

Can anyone provide a part number for the solid tailwheel replacement for the Scott 3200? I saw the question asked in previous postings here, but no response.

For bonus points, does anyone know of a similar solid replacement for the Stearman PT17, with part numbers?

rsc

 

[sj]

Can anyone provide a part number for the solid tailwheel replacement for the Scott 3200? I saw the question asked in previous postings here, but no response.

For bonus points, does anyone know of a similar solid replacement for the Stearman PT17, with part numbers?

rsc

Randy, I got mine from Larry Mayer in Billings. There is no part number...

You might email him at: pictures@larrymayer.com and see if he still has them.

sj