mtv wrote:

dwm wrote:

mtv wrote:The Goodyear 26 inch “blimp tires” are a little wider than a Goodyear 8.50 x 6 tire and a little larger in diameter. They are hell for stout tires, and have the advantage of no tread grooves.

From the sounds of your responses, I’d get a Airglas fork, with 8.00 tire and stick with 8.50 x 6 on the mains.

Much bigger on mains you’ll likely lose some speed. The nose is always what I worried about, and the Airglas fork offers better options there.

Or, stick with what you have and see how it works. You can do a lot with the standard gear.

MTV

I am checking the Goodyear 26's (looks like there is only a tubless option) in Aircraft Spruce and it looks like they are only for experimental? (no STC for Certificated aircraft). Am I correct or can I "legally" use them in a C206?

They are listed as tubeless because they are run tubeless in their primary application: The Goodyear blimps, which have wheels designed to run tubeless tires.

As noted above, in aircraft applications, they are run with 8.5 x 6 tubes

MTV

Thanks a lot MTV. This kind of plane is new to me, and nobody can really help me on the area I live, so your help and experience is priceless for me.


So the C206 fully loaded is not a "too heavy" airplane for those Goodyear 26" tires?


I am starting to think about the possibility to "start trying" with this two new configurations (the idea is getting better "off airport" capability, getting a more level tail up position on the ground, but not loosing the 140 kts speed I can get now with 6.00 on the nose and 8.00 on the mains):

- 7.00 nose x Goodyears 26" mains (and I can keep the HD fork I already have and I don't need to change the 6' wheels)

And if the first option does't work, the second option could be:

- 8.50 nose x Goodyears 26" mains (I have to get the Landes Airglas fork I but I can still keep the 6' wheels)


What do you think about speed loose compare whit I can get now?

gbflyer wrote:Too many replies to read them all. I had 8.50X6 on the nose, 8.50X10 on the mains using the 10 Alaska Bush Wheel. 135kts at sea level to 3000’ 23/24. Land about anywhere a 206 needs to go.

Thank you gbflyer! So I suppose then that I will not loose any speed (or almost any) if I change the combination I have now 6.00 nose and 8.00 mains, if I increase the nose to (7.00 x 6, 8.00 x 6 or 8.50 x 6) and increase the mains to (8.50 x 6, 8.50 x 10, or even Goodyears 26 x 6)

I see 140kts now.

What do you think?

mtv wrote:The Goodyear 26 inch “blimp tires” are a little wider than a Goodyear 8.50 x 6 tire and a little larger in diameter. They are hell for stout tires, and have the advantage of no tread grooves. ....

This is a 26" GY next to an 850x6 GY.
I'd say the 26 incher is noticeably larger.
The 850 is a recap, so if anything it's probably a bit larger than a standard 850 GY.

hotrod180 wrote:

mtv wrote:The Goodyear 26 inch “blimp tires” are a little wider than a Goodyear 8.50 x 6 tire and a little larger in diameter. They are hell for stout tires, and have the advantage of no tread grooves. ....

This is a 26" GY next to an 850x6 GY.
I'd say the 26 incher is noticeably larger.
The 850 is a recap, so if anything it's probably a bit larger than a standard 850 GY.

Thank you hotrod180. Do you see any change in speed when you change from those 8.50 to the 26's?

hotrod180 wrote:

mtv wrote:The Goodyear 26 inch “blimp tires” are a little wider than a Goodyear 8.50 x 6 tire and a little larger in diameter. They are hell for stout tires, and have the advantage of no tread grooves. ....

This is a 26" GY next to an 850x6 GY.
I'd say the 26 incher is noticeably larger.
The 850 is a recap, so if anything it's probably a bit larger than a standard 850 GY.

Thank you hotrod180. Do you see any change in speed when you change from those 8.50 to the 26's?

dwm wrote:

mtv wrote:

dwm wrote:

mtv wrote:The Goodyear 26 inch “blimp tires” are a little wider than a Goodyear 8.50 x 6 tire and a little larger in diameter. They are hell for stout tires, and have the advantage of no tread grooves.

From the sounds of your responses, I’d get a Airglas fork, with 8.00 tire and stick with 8.50 x 6 on the mains.

Much bigger on mains you’ll likely lose some speed. The nose is always what I worried about, and the Airglas fork offers better options there.

Or, stick with what you have and see how it works. You can do a lot with the standard gear.

MTV

I am checking the Goodyear 26's (looks like there is only a tubless option) in Aircraft Spruce and it looks like they are only for experimental? (no STC for Certificated aircraft). Am I correct or can I "legally" use them in a C206?

They are listed as tubeless because they are run tubeless in their primary application: The Goodyear blimps, which have wheels designed to run tubeless tires.

As noted above, in aircraft applications, they are run with 8.5 x 6 tubes

MTV

Thanks a lot MTV. This kind of plane is new to me, and nobody can really help me on the area I live, so your help and experience is priceless for me.


So the C206 fully loaded is not a "too heavy" airplane for those Goodyear 26" tires?


I am starting to think about the possibility to "start trying" with this two new configurations (the idea is getting better "off airport" capability, getting a more level tail up position on the ground, but not loosing the 140 kts speed I can get now with 6.00 on the nose and 8.00 on the mains):

- 7.00 nose x Goodyears 26" mains (and I can keep the HD fork I already have and I don't need to change the 6' wheels)

And if the first option does't work, the second option could be:

- 8.50 nose x Goodyears 26" mains (I have to get the Landes Airglas fork I but I can still keep the 6' wheels)


What do you think about speed loose compare whit I can get now?

Why do you so badly want to get your tail up to level? They don't sit level stock, and by doing that you are adding more weight onto the nose, which is always the weak spot. I think you are focused to much on that aspect.

What do you think about speed loose compare whit I can get now?[/quote]Why do you so badly want to get your tail up to level? They don't sit level stock, and by doing that you are adding more weight onto the nose, which is always the weak spot. I think you are focused too much on that aspect.[/quote]

Hi A1Skinne. Good question, I think it is just me, I am not use to see the airplane so "tail low". And because the place where I will mostly operate will be gravel landing strips, I think getting the tail little bit higher from the ground will be a positive change in order to not get so much debris flying into it. I have been seeing lots of pics of 206's with different wheels configurations, and it looks like mine "looks" lower than the majority. So I am thinking about one of the reasons could be that my nose suspension is "too" inflated (the scissor looks quite extended). Is there any guide or recommendation on angles or measurements of how they should be?

If you are currently sitting on 8.00s with a 6.00 nose then you're already sitting higher on the mains then the stock 6.00 main with 5.00 nose. Your strut should be set to a proper inflation which should be listed in your POH and maintenance manuals.
Yes the tail can be fragile, but the nose is also fragile. If you have boot on the front of your stab it is really quite durable, and I rather have the odd small dent there then over stress my nosewheel assembly. When you get to the speed that your tires are throwing stuff, you are going to be tail low to rotate anyways, so I don't think sitting tail high when parked makes a difference. Unless you plan to land and takeoff from a flat 3 point attitude, which puts your prop more at risk to having rocks flung at it from the nose wheel and also puts more stress on the nose gear.

Last response. You are going to lose SOME speed with larger tires. How much? One way to find out.

Finally, there is no such thing as a free lunch. You want to operate “off airport”, but don’t want to lose any speed. And you’re totally focused on the ground attitude, but not necessarily in the right direction. For off airport, prop clearance is essential. Putting bigger tires on the mains and leaving the tiny nose tire on there does the opposite.

When you figure out what your actual priority is, get back to us.

In the meantime, IF you are actually operate that thing “off airport”, I’d install the Airglas fork and AT LEAST an 8.00 nose tire. That is if you care about that prop and engine.

MTV

You do not want a nose low. Put the air glass on the nose. And 8.59 x 10s. I operated off of beaches and gravel bars every day for 6 seasons. When you start getting stuck (and you will) the first instinct is to push throttle and pull back, all you do is dig your nose down further.. Or you run out of elevator and the nose comes down hard. Either way you are looking at strut, or heaven forbid, tunnel damage.

As far as speed that just isn't an issue. Your gonna fly 1.5 leg max to an off airport site. Ten or fifteen knots just doesn't make a huge difference.

Thank you all for your time guys! This was very helpful.

Thank you all for your time guys! This was very helpful.

206 is not fast unless it’s a turbo and you want to go to the flight levels. Tire size doesn’t matter much, can only push a turd so fast. If you want 6 Cessna seats and fast, a CE210 with a Robertson STOL is sweet. No problem on those pretty Idaho grass runways.