The United States Department of Defense has approved the use of Arnco polyurethane tire fill for military applications.
According to Bob Giasson, Arnco’s director of marketing and OEM sales, two Arnco formulations have met rigid criteria demands for military applications: RePneu "for real firm applications" and SuperFlex "for applications requiring more flexibility."
Arnco flatproofing materials are being used throughout the world for a variety of military applications, from transportation trailers carrying tanks and armored personnel carriers to aircraft tires used in training GITA (Ground Instructional Training Association) crews.
The United States Air Force has begun filling aircraft tires with Arnco's RePneu polyurethane flatproofing material. The planes are used in ground support training (flying aircraft use compressed nitrogen).
"Tires on flying aircraft are normally pressurized to 300 psi," says Arnco Technical Specialist Keith Cartwright. "Compressed nitrogen is used for safety reasons, but tires with high pressure can rupture or explode and can cause serious danger to ground support crews, especially those being trained and with less experience.
"Since GITA crews train with non-flying aircraft and there is no requirement for compressed nitrogen, the Air Force wanted to substitute a safer pressurized medium in the tires."
The aircraft tires are being filled by Stanley Industrial Tires Inc., a certified Arnco dealer located in Gladewater, Texas.
