Lancaster tyres

[Alte Hase]

Hi all. I was wondering who made the Avro Lancaster smooth tread tyres, and if any manufacturer logo appeared on the sidewalls? I've Googled several walk around a and period photos buy none are clear enough to show any detail on the tyres. Stupidly, I was at Hendon last year and saw PO*S but never took note!

Thanks!

 

[Airframes]

I don' think there was a name moulded on the side wall of the wartime, 'smooth' tread tyres, but AFAIK, they were made by Dunlop. Note that most preserved Lancs today have post-war, 'block' tread tyres, as used on the Lincoln and Shackleton.

 

[Alte Hase]

I've noticed that the 'block' tires are pretty much all that's on the preserved Lancasters. I'm mostly interested in the smooth tread tyres. I know they had ridges moulded concentrically around the sidewall but can't tell if "Dunlop" was moulded on there too... all the photos I've seen are too poor quality to tell...

 

[Airframes]

I'll have a look at some pics I have, but I don't recall seeing any sidewall markings.

 

[stona]

I don't know the answer, but I'd be surprised if size and manufacturer's markings were not molded somewhere on the side walls. I can't find an image to prove either way, but the tyres are so big and the possible markings so relatively small that only a detailed shot of the markings would be likely to show them.
Cheers
Steve

 

[fastmongrel]

A good place to look would be air crash websites. The hills and mountains of Britain are riddled with WWII airwrecks and a hi res photo of a tyre that has lain undisturbed for 70 years might show more detail than an original photo.

aircrashsites.co.uk | Air Crash Sites, Air Raids and Bomb Sites

 

[Crimea_River]

According to a Lancaster X (Canadian-built) manual that I have the tires were made by Dunlop. I found the below picture and lightened it and it appears there are no markings, at least on this side. However, Steve is probably right in that I would expect some type of data to be molded onto the tire, though in this case it could be on the other side or very small.

 

[Alte Hase]

Thanks for the photo and the information! The reason I asked is that I have just bought the Tamiya 1:48 Lancaster I/III and was wondering if the kit tyres (which have the concentric raised rings on them but no "Dunlop" logo on) are accurate or not.

 

[stona]

The later treaded version definitely had data (size etc) molded on the inside side wall. I have a war time image of an erk testing the pressure in a smooth tyre and I think I can see what might be a Dunlop logo molded on the outer side wall. It's difficult to be certain.
Cheers
Steve

 

[bobbysocks]

it would have to have the size molded to it somewhere or there would be a chance it get mixed up with another tire...not just simply possibly put on a wrong rim but shipped to the wrong base, etc. it would make for an inventory and logistical nightmare..

 

[Shortround6]

There may be even more information on the tire someplace as some tires were available in different numbers of plys (layers of fabric inside the rubber) or ply "ratings" which affect the load carrying ability of the tire even at the same size and inflation.

 

[bobbysocks]

exactly...max inflation is pretty important to know....lol.

 

[A4K]

The smooth tread mainwheels in the 1:72 Eduard Brassin resin set (for the new tool Airfix kits) have DUNLOP in raised relief on the sides, in the gap between the concentric rings.
No idea what their basis for this is, but interested to know if it is correct.