Good info 4Whitey. I've never used No Tubes in any tubeless tire so I have no idea what it turns into when it dries. Slim is water based so when you ride through a puddle the water will breakdown sealant anywhere it is plugging a hole and you end up with a flat. When I switched to No Tubes I did so because it doesn't breakdown after riding through water because it isn't water based, at least that is what I was told.

The stuff I got from ABW works so well, it takes forever to lower the tire pressure, even with the valve stem up! No one has mentioned how the hell one is capable of knowing when it "dries out". I can't see putting more and more in on some kind of timetable, on an assumption that the previous application is dried out. I did mine once, 3 years ago, and don't plan to do it again unless I come up with some way of knowing for sure what's going INSIDE the Airstreaks So far so good anyway, no flats!

Remove the valve core and let all the air out - position the tire so the valve stem is the lowest point and see if anything drains. If nothing comes out - you're dried out.

Good tip Soy.

Are there tubeless wheels available which can take a Maule / Bearhawk sized aircraft?
They'd need to be 6" rims to suit a common tire e.g. Goodyear 26". The highest I've seen is 1250 lbs static gross per wheel.

I'm looking at this as a (much) cheaper alternative to ABWs. I need new discs and brakes either way, which is going to cost as much as a whole new set of wheels and brakes. Figure this might be a smarter way to go, fiscally speaking.

Without a tube, I would hope to be able to run 26" GYs really soft, maybe 10psi (is that realistic or would the tires not stay sealed?). I appreciate they have stiffer side-walls than ABWs, but I don't need super-super soft tires for my mission.

Grove.

Additionally, for people not interested in showing off a unnecessary $5000 set of "bush" tires, Aero Classic 21x8.00-6 tires are a great option for your experimental airplane.

Av8r3400 wrote:Grove.

Additionally, for people not interested in showing off a unnecessary $5000 set of "bush" tires, Aero Classic 21x8.00-6 tires are a great option for your experimental airplane.

Thanks for the help,

I note the Grove are only rated to 1250lbs per wheel.
My plane has MTOW 2700lbs (MLW 2500lbs) which would be right at that limit, knowing the tailwheel takes 13% of the weight at full forward CG, and the mains 44% each. That would be 1188lbs per wheel in theory, but I am not sure if that's acceptable or "too close" to the limit. Seems like it should be ok.

I am also very keen to know how low-pressure you can run tubeless tires without risking deflating??
I imagine pressure loss happening during a sharp turn or a side-impact during rough landing etc.
I see from Supercub.org that Bushcaddy was running them as low as 8psi with a lighter aircraft.

soyAnarchisto wrote:Remove the valve core and let all the air out - position the tire so the valve stem is the lowest point and see if anything drains. If nothing comes out - you're dried out.

Huh?? With the valve stem at 12:00, or with the stem at 6:00,there is still no way I would expect to see anything coming out of it, unless I had a couple gallons or more goo in the tire. A more practical test for me anyway is how long it takes to effect a tire pressure change, even with the valve stem totally removed! And, at any position, it seems to stay the same.

Av8r3400 wrote:Grove.

Additionally, for people not interested in showing off a unnecessary $5000 set of "bush" tires, Aero Classic 21x8.00-6 tires are a great option for your experimental airplane.

Nothing beats the real purpose built bush tire, when used as/where and how intended. Agreed, if operating off smooth turf, a little gravel, not to mention pavement, a lesser tire will do. When on baby head size rocks, it is real nice to have the pressure down to 3 or 4 lbs, with no worry! I am probably cheaper then most, frugal anyways, and I feel the $2500.00 I paid for the 29" Airstreaks was some of the best flying money I've spent, followed closely by the Roberts gear mod. I wish to hell it wasn't true, it would save me some money, but if I wear these set out I will rob a liqueur store to get the money (if no other legal options were available ) to buy another set.

You're landing on that stuff all the time, and I bet 29" tires are great - and cheaper too if you have a light / slower plane. That's not a good fit for my mission.

I need:
* to land on pavement and off-airport in "not-so-rough" environments, places ballsy people risk 8.00's.
* a smooth tire that wont throw rocks into my tail.
* a softer tire for added cushioning, flotation on sand, and insurance against that unseen big-baby-head.
* the smallest possible bush tire to retain airspeed, because I fly 800 miles cross-country every second/third weekend, and >130kts makes it a lot less painful.
* a tire/wheel combination for operations at 2700lbs MTOW

I am not sure running any tire at 3psi at 2700lbs would be wise, but I honestly don't know? I would think 7-10lbs in the tubeless GY would be the lowest I would want to go.

Currently, I am tossing up between the 26" ABW and 26" GY. Whether it makes sense to pay twice as much for a slightly softer, larger tire that won't last very long taxiing at my home airport....?

Size comparison of my current options... :


I am about to disappear for 10 days of flying backcountry, hunting / fishing by plane. I may not reply for a bit... will provide photo/video.