Do you use your towbar?

[gvgoff99]

Originally Posted by cbo111

The Hartzell manual says "Never attempt to move the aircraft by pulling on the propeller."
I ocassionally push on the spinner dome at the same time I push on the tow bar to get things moving while backing into the hangar.

Chuck Olsen
RV-7A
TSP

Chuck, The spinner bulkhead is apt to crack. It is being used as a fulcrum when you are pushing on it. I know the Hartzell warning and cannot argue with them but the prop will probably suffer less damage if the pushing is done at the hub where your hand is next to the spinner. The prop is being used to pull the plane around when the motor is running. It is rugged and made to withstand some load.
If you don't wish to push or pull on the prop you are in conformance with the recommendation of Hartzell but if there is a need to push somewhere up there the spinner is without a doubt more fragile than the prop and pushing on the spinner is probably more risky than the prop. It is possible to push and pull on the tow bar but make sure it is a tight fit and will not slip off as that can and has caused damage to people's nose wheel faring when it slipped off.

[gvgoff99]

Originally Posted by DeltaRomeo

We have angle iron on the floor that the doors roll on. Using the bar to get the plane over these has been VERY helpful. Video clip.

b,
dr

Doug, Nice video. Where do you find the time to do all this stuff?

[zilik]

I for one have never used a tow bar on my 6A. Eight years and counting. Never needed one.

[kevinh]

Originally Posted by Ron Lee

If you have an A model try moving it around without a towbar. You will soon discover the right response.

I'm totally with you on that - I was just checking to make sure I wasn't doing anything dumb. Sounds like it is accepted practice.

[Rick6a]

When backing an RV-*A into a hangar already occupied with an airplane, inches of spacing count bigtime. The towbar (along with a high vis centerline painted on the floor) definitely helps to prevent unnecessary hangar rash and bad feelings by your hangarmate if you accidentally bump into his airplane.

[L.Adamson]

Originally Posted by Rick6a

When backing an RV-*A into a hangar already occupied with an airplane, inches of spacing count bigtime. The towbar (along with a high vis centerline painted on the floor) definitely helps to prevent unnecessary hangar rash and bad feelings by your hangarmate if you accidentally bump into his airplane.

Thats the way it is in my hangar. My wing will just miss a large Pitt's M-12 (Russian radial) if I follow my blue taped lines on the floor. The towbar is what makes the steering precise. Otherwise, the "castoring" nosewheel tends to swivel one way or the other, when being pushed backwards.

L.Adamson -- RV6A

[DSmith]

Which tow bar works best? ACS has a Bogi Bar 4-RVA (ACS P/N 13-01811)

Danny

[Ron Lee]

Danny, I have no idea which is best but I have used that towbar and will be buying one soon since the old towbar is not very good on the fatter nose wheel pant I installed.

[L'Avion]

Here's the "towbar" that I made yesterday. I used it to push my RV-4 out of the hangar, did a 360 with it and then towed it back in by hand. Hopefully, it will work to tow behind my Jeep to the gas pump and back.

Note double thickness of 2x on the cart side - needed to clear tail light.

Barney
RV-3, N90516 (bought flying, restoring)
RV-4, N44LR (bought flying)

[img=http://img120.imageshack.us/img120/3879/rvtowbar01smln5.th.jpg]
[img=http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/4530/rvtowbar02smzp2.th.jpg]
[img=http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/3151/rvtowbar05smkn4.th.jpg]
[img=http://img120.imageshack.us/img120/7391/rvtowbar04uf1.th.jpg]
[img=http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/9434/rvtowbar03smnh2.th.jpg]
[img=http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/6624/rvtowbar06smhf8.th.jpg]

[Bob Axsom]

RV-6A. Trying to build as fast an airplane as I could I was not about to cut holes in the sides of a fairing who's only function is to reduce drag. I called Van's and asked how do people move the RV-6As without cutting the big holes in the sided of the nose wheel faring. I was told "they move them with the prop like the Grumman pilots have done for years." It takes care and technique but it has worked well for me since way before my first flight in 2004.

Bob Axsom