Tyre ID help please

BTW ... I also found the pic. The caption says the tail heel was of the BP Defiant .


the pic source: SpitfireSpares.com - warbird Undercarridge

Steve Skillman said:

I think it's great to know that the Airspeed Oxford is the most likely origin of the wheels.
Your knowledge is impressive..
Thanks to you and MiTasol!
Steve

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My pleasure Steve.

I am just one of very many who post documents here and elsewhere because these documents are getting harder and harder to find. The more copies of these documents that exist on the net, and are distributed, the greater their chance of survival. Once the last physical copy of a document is gone the only ones that will remain are the digital copies plus if the only copy of a document I need is in Outer Faroffistan then I have no chance of ever seeing its contents unless someone creates an electronic version and posts a copy on line in an accessible place. Like many others I provide these for free but because scum copy and sell a lot of those manuals I watermark those I produce. People are free have as many copies as they want and to give them away but not to sell them. Probably 1/4 of the manuals are provided to me as photographs or scans or photocopies from other people and I always offer to list their details. So far only two have accepted that offer and only one has refused to let me post the results on line.

Well that's an interesting picture in #21!
How reliable is the BP Defiant ID on the Spitfire Spares website? Given that this tyre and the hub are virtually identical to our 4 wheels?
In #5 the view of Mitasol from the manuals was rather not a Defiant (12 1/2" wheel). My wheels are 11 1/2".

From the Defiant manuals I have this is the wheel and tyre information - NPN means No Part Number.
I have not looked at the Spitfire spares site so cannot comment on that.

Steve Skillman said:

Well that's an interesting picture in #21!
How reliable is the BP Defiant ID on the Spitfire Spares website? Given that this tyre and the hub are virtually identical to our 4 wheels?
In #5 the view of Mitasol from the manuals was rather not a Defiant (12 1/2" wheel). My wheels are 11 1/2".

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Actually there is always a possibility that a seller may try to cheat. So there is no 100% sure it is orginal. So there is always the doubt. The main problem is that the tyre could be fitted with different hubs. Most of the listed planes had the fixed tail wheels so using a slightly larger or smaller tyre that fitted the factory hub for these is also possible. Additionally, the tail wheels could be made everywhere because the British planes were manufactured and used not only in the GB but also in the Canada, Australia etc ... in other words through the all British Commonwelth and could vary with details. However as I said ... it is better to follow the MiTasol's info taken from the manuals. At least you'll be correct saying these were used with the Airspeed Oxford. In case you would decide to sell the tyres for instance.

Currently no intention to sell the wheels, but if someone needed one for a renovation project I guess I could provide one.
There were an amazing 8'870 Oxfords built - a very important aircraft for the wartime training effort. Built of wood, they did not last the test of time, but there seem to be a few left, in IWM Duxford and the RAF London museum.