Nope, neither do I. I have two servicable 5007 wheel rims with bearings though, so that’s covered for the current restoration. They too are pretty hard to find in working order.

Hi ericmunk,

My AP is a mid-war one so I can only speak about 1942-ish with confidence.

I would think the tailwheel size/tyre remained the same for most of those types, except maybe the Firefly – it seems to have had several combinations of mainwheel and tailwheel as the airframe was developed. You’d have to consult the Vol. Is. They have quite a few at Kew.

Thank you, AM. The list of types should give me a general direction in which to look.

Twin pioneer Tailwheel tyres. The remaining stocks were hoovered up for a couple of Comper Swift replicas.
The closest useful tyre I have seen is a harrier outrigger tyre though it is a bit smaller and has a higher ply rating. Might work for a glider though.

A good lead too, that Twin Pioneer. Problem with higher plyrates (and increased stiffness) is the higher loads on airframe glue joints. Heavy landings especially are an issue, and can then more easily result in structural glue joint damage, which can be very hard to spot. The Aerolite glue used in the gliders in question is much better than the Kaurit or Casein glues, but still susceptible to failures. It is starting to become a widespread issue in the maintenance and conservation of vintage gliders, often requiring the rebuild of substantial airframe sections.

Yes, they are impossible to get new. No demand. Latest production run I came across was 1973…