Definition
The carcass of an aircraft tire, made up of layers of rubber-impregnated cord fabric (plies) bonded together. The cord body provides the tire's structural strength, holds its shape under load, and contains the inflation pressure.
Plain English
The inner skeleton of a tire, built from layers of strong fabric coated in rubber. It is what gives the tire its strength and shape.
Context Anchor
Seen in aircraft tire construction, tire inspection, and maintenance discussions about cuts, wear, or exposed cords.
Derivation
Cord' here refers to the strong twisted fibers (originally cotton, now usually nylon or other synthetics) woven into the fabric layers. 'Body' refers to the main structural part of the tire, as opposed to the tread or sidewall surface.
Why Pilots Care
The cord body carries the aircraft's weight and absorbs landing loads; damage here can lead to tire failure.
Intuition Check
Do not picture a single cord or rope inside the tire. Here, cord body means the built-up internal reinforcing layers that make the tire strong.
Example Sentence 1
During preflight, the mechanic rejected the nose tire because wear had exposed the cord body.
Example Sentence 2
Tires with a higher cord body ply rating are selected for heavier aircraft to handle increased loads.