Aircraft tug (merged)

I use the TF1 for a TB 20 (full tanks) with tractor tires on grass, doing well. You can in-/decrease tire pressure depending on your traction needs. The only disadvantage is that the tires particularly carry some mud into the hangar if you run it on very wet grass.

Towflexx (company that produces TF1 & TF2) sometimes has demo units for sale during/after Aero Friedrichshafen. Not sure about this year though…

Peter wrote:

I thought about building such a thing and IMHO it would need spiked wheels

Only useful if you also have a grass hangar floor! The transition to tarmac would be interesting!

Perhaps a tug with track instead of wheels? I think I might stick with this as my tug, works great on grass and tarmac, although I don’t need it very often for the Auster.

alioth wrote:

I think I might stick with this as my tug, works great on grass and tarmac, although I don’t need it very often for the Auster.

Also good to clear the path in front of you

In all seriousness I tried desperately to purchase a 1metre long tracked chassis, but despite the myriad of offerings, and finding a few which seemed perfect, I couldn’t get the UK landed price below €1500.00.
Add to that the build effort, time, and cost of the remaining parts and I couldn’t make it even slightly viable.

After selling my Meridian after a disastrous year cost-wise (An entire thread in itself) I bought a C185 unseen as a gamble to import before the Brexit Import VAT deadline (Another thread). It’s now in the UK at Lydd who have no tug facilities for tail-wheel aircraft. So I decided to design and build an electric tug – a very interesting but pointless exercise as the tools I need to build one cost at least double the price of buying a ready made commercial tug but I’m learning something new; CNC machining so it’s all good to me.

What surprised me was how little power and torque is required to accelerate and move a 1.5T aircraft on level tarmac. But how that changes on even the slightest gradient.

It’s basic physics but an online calculator shows reality….

https://www.robotshop.com/community/blog/show/drive-motor-sizing-tool

To cope with a slight gradient, at walking pace with reasonable acceleration looks like a pair of 500W DC motors to move a 1.5T aircraft.

I decided to go with a tracked tug as at some point I will operate over summer at a grass strip and will need the traction from tracks rather than a couple of drive wheels.

Just saw this DIY contraption on Mooney forum. For a guy who must have IKEA’s assembly instructions oriented the same way as the parts, this is another level

Those are great if you have only solid flat ground and a smooth entry to a hanagar. It may tolerate a wet wheel too.

For my needs the tug is for when I specifically couldn’t move the aircraft even when helped by one other.
I have had a delivery of bits for my project almost daily, but the biggest delay is the Pillar drill I’ve ordered, has been on back-order for weeks.

I can highly recommend a tracked design if you’re going to be on varying ground. My hangar buddy bought a remote control tracked version and it’s been a superb quality of life upgrade.

Otherwise if you’re on uneven ground you need a decent weight and tyres.