THE TWO BICYCLE MECHANICS WHO PERFECTED THE AIRPLANE WEREN'T THE FIRST ONES to use the bicycle-like wheels that were common on most early flying machines. Instead, that honor goes to Horatio Phillips. In 1904, his 20-winged monstrosity lifted (unstably) into the air, flew 50 feet, and returned to terra firma-on wheels. Hardly an impressive flight, but it set the stage for the bulk of all landings over the next century, minus those on water or snow.The earliest airplane tires were solid rubber glued on spoked wheels, but it wasn't long before the air-filled airplane tire was introduced, debuted by Traian Vuia in 1906. By 1909 Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. was making pneumatic airplane-specific tires; and they are still in the business today. The other major players in the now $1.5-billion-a-year airplane tire market are Bridgestone, Dunlop, Michelin, and Specialty Tires of America.That's a lot of dough for rubber. Of course, a lot of it is spent in the commercial and military side. Tires for commercial jets can sell for as much as $5,500 each, and bear in mind that a commercial jet needs a lot more than the three tires most of us use. Cha-ching!
展开▼
