The History of Tire Testing at Cornell Aeronautical Laboratory

This paper is another in a series that examine the historical aspects of specific areas of research conducted by Cornell Aeronautical Laboratory, which after its independence from Cornell University became Calspan. The purpose of the series is to discuss the development of the technology at the laboratory and to review selected programs and how they contributed to the national aerospace and transportation programs. This current paper explores the development of the tire research program. During these years the operations were based largely at the facilities in Buffalo, New York. It starts with the conceptual phase of the idea for a tire testing facility, and continues through to the beginning of current operations.