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Aircraft tugs

LettersFromFlyoverCountry

LettersFromFlyoverCountry

Well Known Member
Mindful of my accident last night in which I got THIS by trying to push the plane into the hangar....

(sorry if this makes you squeemish, try to focus on the dead sexy nature of it)

shoulder.jpg


I need to give up pushing the plane into the hangar, especially since there a ramp there also to keep water out.

I've been reading the thread on winches but that's out for me b/c I don't own the hangar and also because I'm reluctant to put stresses on parts of the plane that weren't designed for it. And the hangar is drywalled with a drop ceiling so it'd be hard to install any combination of winches or pullies.

A nice tug seems like a good idea and I found this online, although it says to call for RV adaptability.

It's pricey but still cheaper than an evening in an emergency room and I don't ever want to feel the pain of a dislocated shoulder ever again.

And I need to make concessions to the fact I'm not as young as I once was.

Does anyone have this or anything like it? Is it weighty enough to push an RV over shoveled snow without spinning its tires? And could it get it up over the roughly 1-2" ramp?
 
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Bob,
You pick out what you need and I’ll be the first to contribute $25 to the Christmas fund my man. You’ve MORE than motivated me along with a few thousand other RV builders to keep on fighting the good fight!
And I’m calling you ‘Dish’ from now on (DIslocated SHoulder).

Get well soon and let us know you what you end up with,
dr
 
Bob
I saw somewhere someone had modified a motorised wheelchair as a remote controlled aircraft tug. Took the seat off and used the joystick on its wire cord.
Just a thought.
Man that looks painful, and I know a little as I have put a few back in (my end is the better end of the proceedure to be on).

John

Found the link on Youtube.

http://youtu.be/td8PxIfyF_o
 
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I love my PowerTow. It easily moves my Navion around and it's 3100lb GW so it shouldn't have any problem with an RV-7A. We don't have snow in Houston but I can get traction on an oily gloss painted hangar floor by pressing down harder and easing the clutch. I've got friends that use them with RV-10's. I think the adapter is just an insert to fit the axle bolts.
 
Just realised, you may get some snow at your location!!!!, as you mentioned, so my suggestion is probably a fair weather device.
 
PowerTow

Bob,
I bought the Power Tow you referenced a couple of years ago. I use it for the -10 and it does great. I have a 7A and it would work on the 7A as well.

Fortunately, I didn't have the accident/injury that you've experienced but I did get to the point prior to buying the tow that the struggle with pushing the -10 up the grade into the hangar was limiting my flying.

The Power Tow will work great for you. It'll be heavy enough (and you can push down on the wheel for additional traction) to push the 7 around on the plowed snow you'll have around the hangar.

Quick recovery,
Doug
 
I bought a garden tractor, which I thought would be great for my -10. It is actually very difficult to use; Kind of like backing up a tandem trailer. I will be converting to the snow blower method.

Re your shoulder, it will get easier. Easier to dislocate the next time, and easier to replace. After several dislocations, some people get so they can replace it by themselves. Something to look forward to.:)

Be diligent with your physical therapy, once they give you the OK. If you procrastinate and lose function, it will be very difficult to get it back. That seems unlikely, knowing how you pursued your ear problem.
 
Aero-Tow or winch

I had a 12 volt winch with a 10 ft controller in my hangar in TX. Pulled my rather hefty 108-3 up an incline without trouble. Same with my -9. When I moved the -9 to FDK, the hangar did not have a substantial beam on which to mount a winch, plus I rent, so I went with the Aero-Tow unit. It is self contained, easy enough to manage in the turns, and it moves the -9 though some pretty uneven pavement sections. Pricey; but functional, stout, and I am glad I have it. http://aero-tow.com/ is the web site.
Jim Feighny
358JR
KFDK
 
The lawn tractor works great for pulling but not so good for pushing. If you go this route, have someone weld a hitch on the front. (My first tractor/tug cost me $50.)
 
O.K. Dish (like it Doug!)...a couple of things. First, how on earth are you taking a selfie with the same arm that you dislocated?:eek: Having done the same thing myself (dislocating my shoulder) in a MUCH more embarrassing way, I can't imagine lifting my arm up to that height for a selfie!

Second, do your physical therapy! My process was: physical therapy until it stopped hurting really badly, lapse, have it hurt really badly, do physical therapy, rinse, repeat. It would be so much better if we didn't need pain as a reminder!

Third...I can't help you with your choice of tugs:eek:

Get better soon!
 
Aero-Tow E200

Bob
I bought the E200, yes it's a little pricy but it works great. I live in the lake effect region of Michigan so once winter starts it's the only way I can get the 7A in and out of the hangar with the ice and snow.

http://www.aero-tow.com/index.html

Hope you have a speedy recovery.

Gary
 
I lease a corner of a hangar whose prime tennant is a Beech Duke which approximates 5000 lbs. The Duke must come out to get the RV out. The Duke owner has a Power Tow like you have asked about. I've probably used it a couple of hundred times in the last year...

For the Duke, the Power Tow is marginal, but it always works, except when there is any snow or ice. This year we got a set of chains for it, but have not tried em out yet...

For an RV, the Power Tow would be more than adequate, and chains are available... Since the hangar does not involve any slopes, I can easily push the -8 around by hand...

If snow is a likely possibility, you might want to look at the snow blower option, on which you could chain up 2 wheels...
 
I have that model powertow for my Varga. Works great, no complaints. Requires some minor adjustments to the cables to fit to your plane but that's easy to do and then you're pretty much all set. I just fuel it with the 100LL from my sumps. Grips the front axle. My Varga took the universal fitting they sell.
 
That hurts just looking at the pic.
Best wishes for a speedy and complete recovery.

Maybe one of these?
We have a wheeled version for moving a Beech 36 (sort of the squadron hack) at work. It makes maneuvering the airplane in tight spaces pretty easy.
 
Tug

I have a power tow in Minnesota and love it, works great. I didn't have anything in Georgia and finally got to the point where I couldn't get the plane back by myself. I didn't like the price of the tugs I could find. I bought a used garden tractor with the engine in the front, put a hitch on the front grill and added about 50lbs of weight to the front to keep the wheels from sliding if I turned sharply. It works great down here, not so sure about on snow and ice, but I only paid $300.

I too have busted up both shoulders and you get good at popping them back in after a while.

Gary
 
jjconstant said:
O.K. Dish (like it Doug!)...a couple of things. First, how on earth are you taking a selfie with the same arm that you dislocated?:eek: Having done the same thing myself (dislocating my shoulder) in a MUCH more embarrassing way, I can't imagine lifting my arm up to that height for a selfie!
Click to expand...

I actually took it with the "good" arm -- the right one. I was sprawled there on the ground at the airport for about 15 minutes... nobody was around and I'm in a secluded area, thinking of all those movies where they give the guy a shot of whiskey and a make him bite on belt while they pop it back in.

I was actually kind of shocked when I found they don't actually do it that way. But it was a good 2 1/2 hours of pure ****, for sure.

Then, while laying there, I started thinking of Miles O'Brien. You have a lot of time to think in these situations. Not always a good thing.

The guy who owns the hangar -- or perhaps someone beforehim -- built a wooden ramp to keep water out. so you have to get a pretty good head of steam... up an incline... to get it over the ramp.

More than once, even in the summer, I've been huffing and puffing after pushing the plane in and thought, "they're going to find me dead in this hangar one of these days."

I am told by the ortho doc I saw on Wednesday that it's easier to dislocate a shoulder at a younger age rather than an older age, although he acknowledges that once it happens, it's easier to happen again. He said however with older people it's easier to just rip a rotator cuff. I've had a few pals with THAT surgery and THAT does not seem like fun at all.
 
Bob, I bought the electric Power Tow back in '08 when I was getting ready to fly my Phase 1. Power Tow advised me that they did not recommend the electric model for Minnesota. However, since I knew at that time I was moving to FL, I elected to go electric. I just did not want to fool with gasoline. I think they advertised the electric model as good up to 2700 lbs. Power Tow was great to work with getting the custom arms made for the RV-10. I think I may have been the first -10 owner they dealt with. Anyway, I did use it in MN during my phase 1 and the snow was flying before I was done. The unit worked fine on a ramp with a small amount of snow. I think you can get a chain for the tire and it should work fine on snow and ice. Mine is still working fine. I have had to do just about zero maintenance on it. It is on the second battery and I changed the drive belt a couple of years ago.
That photo looks very painful!
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.
 
LettersFromFlyoverCountry said:
The guy who owns the hangar -- or perhaps someone beforehim -- built a wooden ramp to keep water out. so you have to get a pretty good head of steam... up an incline... to get it over the ramp.
Click to expand...

This. I've been reading this thread with interest because I have to push my little Aircoupe up a ramp, over tracks for the sliding T-hangar doors, and finally into the hangar. I find it difficult with that airplane, don't think I could do it with an RV, and I really don't like the speed I have to accelerate it to get it over the obstacles.

A simple winch on the aft hangar wall would be ideal, I think I'll try that before tug, since I don't need to maneuver the plane...just pull it straight back.
 
Bob, sorry to hear about your injury.
In case you are in the mood to build it yourself for about 300 dollars.
IMG_0143.JPG

A little crude but perfectly functional.
I also wanted to stay away from gas "stink up your clothes" powered tugs.
Uses 2 old aircraft batteries. Those are 10 year old $35 dollar 18amp Panasonic
batteries still doing their job.
Hope for a speedy recovery.
 
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