If you run an ultralight flight school I can guarantee that the
following has happened to you:
1. You are taxing down the runway, or have just landed to find you have a
flat tire.
2. You have just installed a set of brakes only to find they really
weren't worth taking the time to install.
Well a company called Starlight Custom wheels out of San Diego
California has the answers to fix these problems. According to Bruce Root
president of Starlight wheels the flat tire problem is caused by the tube
in your tire being pinched by the two outer rim halves. Or in the case of
tubeless tires by air leaking out when the bolts holding the halves
together loosen. Bruce's solution - a true tubeless one piece solid
wheel. Instead of being bolted together his wheel halves are welded
together with more surface sealing area for the tire to grip onto. This
makes the rims "truer running" with a "tighter fit"
"since the rim is one piece tubes can not be caught and
pinched." When I asked about tire installation and removal Bruce
demonstrated a tubeless tire installation and removal in less than a
minute! He then went on to demonstrate how even with all the air out of
the tire the tire did not fully collapse, rather it rode on the inner bead
of the rim. The rims which are designed to be tubeless can also be run
with tubes inside, and are available in all the standard sizes and rim
offsets. All of the rims are also designed to take a number of
ultralight brake systems, with pilots getting a saving in weight of almost
half of that of a standard rim and brake system. In the near
future a water inflatable tail wheel will be available. This will allow
pilots to add weight to the tail of their craft easily and quickly without
a great deal of work. Brakes - Bruce had a unit for demonstrating a
effectiveness of a standard common brake system used on ultralights. He
then demonstrated how with some minor machining modifications which allow
a better contact area and more mechanical leverage improve brake
performance by nearly 75 %. When the Starlight wheel is used in
conjunction with the this brake modification the brake is actually working
inside of the rim versus outside of it in the standard application -
allowing for installation of wheel pants, with no modifications or cutting
of the wheel pant required. For more information contact: Starlight
Wheels U.S.A.
6676 Varney Drive
San Diego Ca.
92114 |
