Inner Tubes

I understand there is a new class of inner tubes that do not leak as
severely as the old
"TSO'd crap" natural rubber that we've used since Wilbur put them on the
Flyer.

Anybody got a lead on who has them for relatively few AMUs for common sizes
like 600-6 and so on?

Jim

RST Engineering wrote:
I understand there is a new class of inner tubes that do not leak as
severely as the old
"TSO'd crap" natural rubber that we've used since Wilbur put them on the
Flyer.

Anybody got a lead on who has them for relatively few AMUs for common sizes
like 600-6 and so on?

Jim


Michelin sells them as AirStop tubes. Chief Aircraft carries them.

Rip

"Rip" wrote in message
. ..
RST Engineering wrote:
I understand there is a new class of inner tubes that do not leak as
severely as the old
"TSO'd crap" natural rubber that we've used since Wilbur put them on the
Flyer.

Anybody got a lead on who has them for relatively few AMUs for common
sizes like 600-6 and so on?

Jim
Michelin sells them as AirStop tubes. Chief Aircraft carries them.

Rip

And they are not cheap. I believe Goodyear has come out with a version too.

Desser carries both brands.

IIRC, my 5" x 5" airstop tubes were $30+ each. New tires were $50/ea. It
hurt paying almost as much for the tubes as the tires. Still, only having
to air the tires 3 or 4 times a year is nice.

KB

KB

Where else but in aviation do you have to pay extra to get inner tubes that
don't leak? You gotta love it.

-Mike

"Kyle Boatright" wrote:
....
And they are not cheap. I believe Goodyear has come out with a version
too.

Desser carries both brands.

IIRC, my 5" x 5" airstop tubes were $30+ each. New tires were $50/ea. It
hurt paying almost as much for the tubes as the tires. Still, only having
to air the tires 3 or 4 times a year is nice.

KB

In article ,
Mike Murdock wrote:
Where else but in aviation do you have to pay extra to get inner tubes that
don't leak? You gotta love it.


Bicycling has the same issue. I lose ~40psi a week out of the
tires on my bike. Of course, I'm starting at a much higher pressure.
The tires on my road bike have a recommended pressure of 100psi.
I have upgraded tubes for when I need to replace the existing ones,
but it is easy enough to add air that it isn't worth trashing good
but leaky tubes.

John
--
John Clear - http://www.clear-prop.org/

Mike Murdock wrote:
Where else but in aviation do you have to pay extra to get inner tubes that
don't leak? You gotta love it.

My understanding is that there is an actual technical issue. The kind of
rubber (butyl?) tubes that don't leak are difficult to make in small
tire sizes with small radius of curvature.

Dave

-Mike

"Kyle Boatright" wrote:
...
And they are not cheap. I believe Goodyear has come out with a version
too.

Desser carries both brands.

IIRC, my 5" x 5" airstop tubes were $30+ each. New tires were $50/ea. It
hurt paying almost as much for the tubes as the tires. Still, only having
to air the tires 3 or 4 times a year is nice.

KB

Dave,

Your on the right track Dave.
I hold patents on inner tube joining machinery and as you say there is a
difficulty in using a regular joining machine at the smaller sizes.
Butyl inner tubes have been around since 1970.
An inner tube is made from a straight length of "tube" and then joined end
to end in a "joining machine"
Semperit Tyres produced and licensed the first joining machines that were
successful on butyl.
Goodyear Tire [licensed by Semperit] was supplying "airstop" tubes through
the 1970's.
Butyl is a oil product and significantly lower in cost than natural rubber.
However, natural rubber "joins" much more easily than butyl and therefore
remained the tube to use for the aviation industry.

And of course being for aviation, butyl tires are now sold at a premium, but
are most definitely lower cost to make because of lower raw material cost.

Roy
Piper Archer - N5804F






"Dave Butler" wrote in message
...
Mike Murdock wrote:
Where else but in aviation do you have to pay extra to get inner tubes
that don't leak? You gotta love it.

My understanding is that there is an actual technical issue. The kind of
rubber (butyl?) tubes that don't leak are difficult to make in small tire
sizes with small radius of curvature.

Dave

-Mike

"Kyle Boatright" wrote:
...
And they are not cheap. I believe Goodyear has come out with a version
too.

Desser carries both brands.

IIRC, my 5" x 5" airstop tubes were $30+ each. New tires were $50/ea.
It hurt paying almost as much for the tubes as the tires. Still, only
having to air the tires 3 or 4 times a year is nice.

KB

I can confirm that both the Mich. Airstops are top notch. We've had
Airstops in our Aztec for several years, they go month after month , even in
the winter, without loosing a single lb of pressure. I just helped install
Goodyear Flight Mate Butyl tubes in a new set of Flight Custom III's on a
Piper Lance, I'll stay in touch with the owners. Desser is good source for
each.
Jim

"RST Engineering" wrote in message
...
I understand there is a new class of inner tubes that do not leak as
severely as the old
"TSO'd crap" natural rubber that we've used since Wilbur put them on the
Flyer.

Anybody got a lead on who has them for relatively few AMUs for common
sizes like 600-6 and so on?

Jim

RST Engineering wrote:
Anybody got a lead on who has them for relatively few AMUs for common sizes
like 600-6 and so on?

Both my mechanic and Desser recommended the Aero-Classic LeakGuard
tubes. We installed them a couple years ago and I can't remember the
last time I filled them. Definitely more expensive than a regular tube,
but worth it.

-Doug

--
--------------------
Doug Vetter, ATP/CFI

http://www.dvatp.com
--------------------

Both my mechanic and Desser recommended the Aero-Classic LeakGuard
tubes. We installed them a couple years ago and I can't remember the
last time I filled them. Definitely more expensive than a regular tube,
but worth it.

Now that is high praise.

Mary and I fill the tires at least twice a month. It's her least
favorite task, since -- thanks to our Fancy Pants -- it's a real bitch
to do.

(Me? I just stand there and push -- or pull -- till things are lined
up properly... :-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"