Anti-roll oscillation landing wheel rims for rotorcraft

A helicopter having a light on gear phase during takeoff and landing, the helicopter comprising:

• a fuselage;
• and
• a landing gear system coupled to an underside of the fuselage, the landing gear system including port and starboard landing wheel assemblies, each landing wheel assembly comprising:
• a tire including inboard and outboard side walls each having a vertical length, the inboard and outboard side walls each having a proximal end, the tire having a longitudinal centerline and forming a center aperture;
• and
• an anti-roll oscillation rim comprising:
• a center disc including inboard and outboard center disc halves disposed in the aperture of the tire and receiving the proximal ends of the inboard and outboard side walls of the tire;
• an inboard side wall support plate including a center interface portion separable from the center disc, the center interface portion of the inboard side wall support plate coupled to the inboard center disc half such that the inboard side wall support plate covers the inboard center disc half, the inboard side wall support plate extending at least 50 percent of the vertical length of the inboard side wall of the tire;
• and
• an outboard side wall support plate including a center interface portion separable from the center disc, the center interface portion of the outboard side wall support plate coupled to the outboard center disc half such that the outboard side wall support plate covers the outboard center disc half, the outboard side wall support plate extending at least 50 percent of the vertical length of the outboard side wall of the tire such that the inboard and outboard side wall support plates are symmetrical about the longitudinal centerline of the tire, the center disc halves and the side wall support plates each substantially covering the aperture of the tire;
• wherein, the side wall support plates engage and support the side walls to stiffen the tires in the light on gear phase of takeoff and landing, thereby reducing roll oscillations of the helicopter.