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RV-12 Tow Bar

Vans Tow Bar

I'm happy weith the Vans' unit. Very lightweight, and doubles up as a rudder lock and parking brake so worth it, to me at least.

Cheers...Keith
 
Don the Vans tow bar is more than just a tow bar it locks the rudder pedals and engages the brakes as Keith says.

Cheers

Julian 120316
 
Vans don't promote tow bar that well. It is quite a nifty idea. The tow bar ends turn 90 degrees. While engaging your brakes you can snap it into position and it will hold the brakes on. An extra bonus is the equal pressure on the brake pedals acts as a rudder lock. I don't have my brake fluid in yet, and have not set it up to advise on how effective it is. But I was sure pleased when I discovered this feature.
 
But it appears to have no adjustments for length, what does it rest against to put pressure on the brakes?

J.Coles said:
Vans don't promote tow bar that well. It is quite a nifty idea. The tow bar ends turn 90 degrees. While engaging your brakes you can snap it into position and it will hold the brakes on. An extra bonus is the equal pressure on the brake pedals acts as a rudder lock. I don't have my brake fluid in yet, and have not set it up to advise on how effective it is. But I was sure pleased when I discovered this feature.
Click to expand...
 
DonFromTX said:
Vans does not say anything about locking brakes, only the rudder.
Click to expand...

Because the amount of brake activation is dependent on installation, and even with it adjusted for a very tight fit, the amount of braking action probably shouldn't be considered the equiv. of applying a parking brake.
Even though it is more expensive than some of the alternative choices, the great thing about it for an RV-12 is that it only weighs just over 1 pound (much lighter than all of the other choices). That is light enough to not decide to leave it home because of weight concerns. And, if you have it with you, you also always have your rudder gust lock. The prototype one has been in service for about 2 years now, and has been used extensively.
 
Thanks, I do think I will get one. I have installed the Matco parking brake valve anyway, so don't really need a brake function. I am still a bit hazy about exactly how it works as a rudder lock, anybody have a photo of theirs in use?

rvbuilder2002 said:
Because the amount of brake activation is dependent on installation, and even with it adjusted for a very tight fit, the amount of braking action probably shouldn't be considered the equiv. of applying a parking brake.
Even though it is more expensive than some of the alternative choices, the great thing about it for an RV-12 is that it only weighs just over 1 pound (much lighter than all of the other choices). That is light enough to not decide to leave it home because of weight concerns. And, if you have it with you, you also always have your rudder gust lock. The prototype one has been in service for about 2 years now, and has been used extensively.
Click to expand...
 
Don,

I neglected to add that my homemade device has a short extension that just slips over the aft end of the long tube so that the length is correct to place the forward parts against the brake pedals instead of the lower rudder pedals. I have the length adjusted so the brakes are very firmly set when I use it.

Obviously not as good a solution as the one Van's sells, but it works.

John
 
Interesting. And if I am thinking correctly, when you lock the brake pedals down - you have locked the rudder as well, right?

BigJohn said:
Don,

I neglected to add that my homemade device has a short extension that just slips over the aft end of the long tube so that the length is correct to place the forward parts against the brake pedals instead of the lower rudder pedals. I have the length adjusted so the brakes are very firmly set when I use it.

Obviously not as good a solution as the one Van's sells, but it works.

John
Click to expand...
 
Picture

Don,

The link below takes you to Van's picture of the towbar.

http://www.vansaircraft.com/cgi-bin...987-96-144&browse=airframe&product=12-tow_bar

This picture is with the legs in the retracted position and rotated through 90 degrees, so this is the configuration for use as a brake/rudder lock. The handles rest against the seat bulkhead under the curve of the pilots stick.

The other ends sit on the rudder pedals with the "turned up" ends pressing against the brake pedals. The instructions explain how to set up the legs and drill a hole in each so that they are the correct length to apply pressure to the brakes.

It only takes a few seconds to reconfigure the tow bar for manoeuvring the aircraft on the ground. The black band near the handles is a velcro strap which ensures the ends cannot jump out of the axle while pulling/pushing. Seems to work just fine.

Cheers...Keith
 
Thanks Keith and John, that is the information I needed.
gblwy said:
Don,

The link below takes you to Van's picture of the towbar.

http://www.vansaircraft.com/cgi-bin...987-96-144&browse=airframe&product=12-tow_bar

This picture is with the legs in the retracted position and rotated through 90 degrees, so this is the configuration for use as a brake/rudder lock. The handles rest against the seat bulkhead under the curve of the pilots stick.

The other ends sit on the rudder pedals with the "turned up" ends pressing against the brake pedals. The instructions explain how to set up the legs and drill a hole in each so that they are the correct length to apply pressure to the brakes.

It only takes a few seconds to reconfigure the tow bar for manoeuvring the aircraft on the ground. The black band near the handles is a velcro strap which ensures the ends cannot jump out of the axle while pulling/pushing. Seems to work just fine.

Cheers...Keith
Click to expand...
 
OK, I bought one of these, and went to use it today to move the plane. Could not figure out how it worked, then looked at the catalog and saw some velcro used. I could not recall getting any velcro with it, but found two strips that have sticky on the backs.
I cannot figure out how to make this complicated thing work! It looks like if you just put a strap over the tubes, it would just slide up the tubes. Can anyone help?
 
DonFromTX said:
I am still a bit hazy about exactly how it works as a rudder lock, anybody have a photo of theirs in use?
Click to expand...

If it pushes on both brake pedals, it is also holding both rudder pedals, thus holding the rudder stationary. Am I correct about this fellas?
 
DonFromTX said:
OK, I bought one of these, and went to use it today to move the plane. Could not figure out how it worked, then looked at the catalog and saw some velcro used. I could not recall getting any velcro with it, but found two strips that have sticky on the backs.
I cannot figure out how to make this complicated thing work! It looks like if you just put a strap over the tubes, it would just slide up the tubes. Can anyone help?
Click to expand...

The velcro you found may very well be the pieces that shipped with the tow bar kit. Maybe the instructions are near where you found the velcro;)
Seriously, it is quite simple, and works quite well, but it would probably be easiest if you call Van's and ask for the instructions. That way you will for sure get the velcro installed correctly rather than possibly loosing something in translation from a description typed here. There is also a couple holes you need to drill, to be able to use it as a rudder gust lock... also described in the instructions.
 
Dave12 - correct. Don - the strap squeezes the 2 prongs together. One end of the long Velcro strap wraps around one of the prongs and sticks to itself. Then you wrap the long end around the other prong and back to itself to apply the squeeze when attached to the nose wheel. It won't slide up/down.
 
Bill_H said:
Dave12 - correct. Don - the strap squeezes the 2 prongs together. One end of the long Velcro strap wraps around one of the prongs and sticks to itself. Then you wrap the long end around the other prong and back to itself to apply the squeeze when attached to the nose wheel. It won't slide up/down.
Click to expand...

Actually some of the self stick velcro gets applied to the tubes. That is what keeps the velcro strap from sliding down the tubes
 
Also Aileron lock

The bar straddles the stick, and keeps the ailerons from moving very much. A little more velcro and a short wood block and you have an elevator "neutral position" (avoid tail-sitting) lock all in one. Since I already had a tow bar that works for that function, I keep my Van's bar in the airplane. If I land other than my home airport I've got all the functions right behind my seat.

Wayne 120241

PS-- if you don't drill the holes exactly right or your carpet compresses under load a few wraps of electrical tape make adjustment easy.
 
My crisis is over, never even thought to look in my plans at page 52. Must have filed them when I received the towbar. Easy to understand once you have the plans!
 
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