Let's discuss why do the aircraft tires have straight tire profile? A tire is a rubber material which provides contact with the surface. The tire is made of compound material (rubber, belts, beads) and every tire has it's unique characteristics as per the requirement. The aircraft tire needs strength so it is built such that it provides maximum strength. The standard inflation pressure on the aircraft tire is about ~210 psi.
The primary reason to have a straight line profile is to guide/deflect the water away during landing/take off on the runway and also the tire should help for the directional stability of an aircraft. In case of an aircraft, you do not have to corner constantly, therefore, you do not need more grip on tire whereas, the tire should have enough strength and prevent the slip. Another reason to have a straight line profile is to prevent hydroplaning in the tires. Hydroplaning is a phenomenon where the tire slips/skids on the water profile which makes the tire to lose contact from the runway surface and the tire slide over the runway, i.e., inactive braking. At a higher speed, the lifting force is higher which lifts the tire up; thus, loses the contact from the surface, i.e., loses directional control. Hence, the straight profile tires help the water to pass through the grooves so that the water profile can not be built.
Why not use the same tire profile as the car tires?
1. The car profile tire (grip tires) would clog up more quickly than a straight profile tires due to extreme abrasion of the tire material while landing.
2. More wear of tire treads; thus, making it an unbalanced tire profile.
3. In grip tires, the stones can be stuck, while running on the runway might split out and damage the aircraft fuel tank, engine, etc.
Due to the following reasons, the straight tire profiles are used in the aircraft, as shown in figure below. It is always recommended by the Aviation that the tires should be checked by the maintenance engineer and the pilot before they take off because might the tire is worn, have flat spots, treads are visible on the tire profile, etc. All of these factors should be checked during the maintenance of an aircraft to have a safe flight.
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