Definition
The inward or outward tilt of a landing gear wheel from the vertical, measured as the angle between the wheel's centerline and a true vertical line when viewed from the front or rear of the aircraft. Positive camber means the top of the wheel tilts outward away from the aircraft; negative camber means the top of the wheel tilts inward toward the aircraft.
Plain English
How much a wheel leans in or out at the top when you look at it from the front. If the top of the wheel leans away from the aircraft, that's positive. If it leans toward the aircraft, that's negative.
Context Anchor
Seen during landing gear inspection, wheel alignment checks, and tire-wear troubleshooting.
Derivation
From the Old French 'cambre,' meaning bent or curved. The word kept the sense of a slight angle off straight, which is exactly what wheel camber describes.
Why Pilots Care
Incorrect camber causes uneven tire wear, poor ground handling, and added stress on wheel bearings and gear components. Maintenance technicians check camber when tires wear unevenly on one side or when the aircraft tracks poorly during taxi, takeoff, or landing rollout.
Intuition Check
Do not confuse wheel camber with airfoil camber. In wheel alignment, camber is about the wheel leaning in or out, not the curve of a wing.
Example Sentence 1
The technician measured excessive positive camber on the left main gear, which explained the heavy wear on the outer edge of the tire.
Example Sentence 2
Incorrect camber settings caused the tire to wear on the outer edge after several landings.