BIRMINGHAM, England—Dunlop Aircraft Tyres Ltd. has won a $2.4 million government grant to develop and test next-generation aircraft tires that will be lighter and more robust.
The three-year project, run in collaboration with Airbus, will see the aircraft tire manufacturer and retreader focus on developing main-wheel radial tires designed for current and future versions of the A320 family of aircraft.
The project will cost more than $4.8 million, is being overseen by Dunlop Aircraft Tyres' chief designer, Steve Barlow.
"We are following a phased process which will allow us to innovate with new materials and modeling techniques before designing a new product," he said. "We will be investing in new manufacturing and testing equipment and plan to have the first prototype tires ready by 2014."