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Tug for A model

Ifly12

Active Member
Can anyone recommend a tug that will work for my 6A?
Thanks,
John Thach
RV 6A
180 hp/constant speed
 
A friend of mine towed his CJ6A with a riding lawnmower tug. Of course, he removed the mower deck and painted it just like his aircraft. It was a neat looking combination, but unless there is a health reason you can move it under your own power. I'm an old geezer and don't have any trouble moving my 8A. Look at your local lawnmower repair business.

Jim
 
I've seen quite a few hangers with inclines that would make it challenging to push even an RV into without some kind of tug.
 
How about a winch?

Here's what I did for my hanger. I know this isn't a tug for moving a plane around the airport but it does make a night and day difference getting the plane in the hanger up an incline.

I've got a nice hanger with a nice paved runway to use. I've also got a nice grass area in front of my hanger and decent incline up into my hanger. Two guys can put the plane away no problem. Just me and some wet grass....nearly impossible.

I bought a cheap (less $100) electric winch at Harbor freight with the wireless remote control. I anchored it at the back of the hanger. I pull up next to the hanger. Open door, pivot airplane by the tail to face plane outward. Then I hook up winch to tail and stand at the front with the tow bar for steering and hit the button. Once the winch has done the work of moving the 10 feet or so I need to get in the hanger I can easily finish the final positioning by hand.
 
I have a friend who mangled the back end of a Comanche with the winch system when the "dead man" switch failed and the winch didn't shut off. Being in front of the aircraft, he couldn't get to the power source of the winch in time to stop the inevitable.

A cable stop would have really been a good thing.

Dan
 
I have a friend who used to hook his winch to a T-post, he had a door on both ends. One day the T-post popped loose, whistled throught the air and punched all the way through his wing. Time for new skins. Don't take this to mean a winch won't work. Its just that it was funny.
 
I have a Tow Buddy from Wag Aero and like it. Good control speeds. I did end up installing a master solenoid (left over/damaged from build) as a back up to make sure it would not accidentally move the aircraft. It moves our RV-10 easily.
Ron
 
Power Tow

I use a Powertow to move the RV-10 and -8A --- the one I have is battery powered with built-in charger --- I have also used the gasoline powered and 110V powered ones --- work great.

Pick up a used one, as new they are about $1200 or so.
 
deadman a necessity!

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too many stories of winches crunching aircraft into hangars.
Even a simple cable that pulls the plug if the winch line travels too far, is better than nothing.
... apparently it's like a gear-up landing, it's not if, it's when it's going to happen.
save yourself and everyone else from an unnecessary insurance claim. :)

and hey, most of us ( all?) ain't getting any younger....don't blow a tube or fall..... trying to use muscle alone.....a terrible way to interrupt your flying season/career!
 
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To get into my hangar I have to go up a 30 feet 4 degree incline. It's a back-breaking experience to get my 7A into the hangar, so I've decided to look at a tug, an electric one if it would be strong enough. Anyone who had a similar requirement bought one and is happy with it?

Thanks,
Andre
 
I was in the same situation with a considerable ramp to push the plane up. I tried a winch and was concerned about stress on the tiedown eyelet. So I looked at several tugs in the $1500 range. I also watched people at my airport struggle with tugs. Seemed there wasn't enough traction on the tire to push the plane. Maybe their plane was too heavy for the tug. They were not RV's.
I ended up buying a used electric golf cart and a bogey bar. I had a tow hitch mounted to the front of the cart. It works great and I get to ride around the airport in it. Granted it was twice the price of the tug, but there were cheaper used carts available, I just wanted a nice one.
 
Power Tow

I am using the battery version on my -6A -- this is the same one we used on the -10 and -8A --- I have used the electric, gas, and now, battery, Power Tows in the past, and on various airplanes --- they all work great ---

Pricey at 1500 new, but used ones can sometimes be found.
 
Thanks. Is your hangar entrance on an incline as well?

Every one of the vendors out there (incl. power tow) tells me that if I need more than one person to get the plane into the hangar I can't use the electric version which is hard to believe as the plane doesn't suddenly go from 1400 (empty weight with fuel) to 3500 lbs (capacity of tug) by just being on an incline.
 
Yes - definite incline

We have a fairly sharp incline -- one person cannot push an 8 or 6 up the hill, and two people have a tough time on the 10 ---- no problem with the battery one (we use an Odyssey 925 on it)
 
That's very good to hear and gives me some hope that an electric one will work for me as well. I'd rather have tone of those than a noisy gas model.

Thanks!
 
I've started to think a little about this concept with our new hangar. It has a short ~10' 4deg incline ramp that is unpleasant with one lightweight person with the -9A. I actually fear that moving the -8 up the ramp will be worse. But, there is no way I'm spending $1500 on a tug. I'm thinking there is a project in here somewhere. The DC motors and gear units that are normal for power transmission are pretty expensive done right. Need to come across a scrap snow blower. Good luck with that in Texas! :).
 
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I don't need a tug for the rv but I use a golf cart in ct and a hitch on the Altima in fl to move the r44. A straight pull is a piece of cake, backing up takes a bit of practice.
 
Tug

As Scott said, snowblowers make great tugs. I made one several years ago for my Maule. I no longer need it but it is a long way from Texas. It was a Simplicity two stage blower. I can e-mail some pics if anyone is interested. Ron
 
It was uphill from my first hangar to the runway so I bought a beat-up old lawn tractor for $50 to pull my plane in and out.

I bought a Cessna Deluxe tow bar, turned the handle 90*, and drilled a new hole for the pin. Then the handle would fit in the hole in the back of the tractor.

Even though you have an "A", something similar might work.

See the pictures below.

Here's a short video of it in action.

2013-01-19_23-08-27_551.jpg

Cessna Deluxe Tow Bar

2013-01-19_23-09-07_580.jpg

Tow bar connected to the tractor

2013-01-19_23-08-04_276.jpg

Longer tail wheel bolt and bushings
 
Block & Tackle

A flying club I belong to uses a rope attached to the back of the hangar and a couple of pullies in lieu of a winch to provide a mechanical advantage to tow the C-172 into the hangar. Very helpful with snow and ice on the ramp, and that frost heave bump from the ramp onto the hangar floor. Still need a towbar on the front, so single pilot ops are still a little challenging.
 
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