Working on the ideal single engine tug!

[TugMan]

Alright all you pilots, linemen and pseudo-engineers...I am in the
process of designing the perfect single engine aircraft tug! My
company, ForkliftsDirect.com currently carries a line of aircraft tugs
ideal for planes from 12,500 MGTOW up to 30,000 MGTOW. What we've found
is that there is a lacking in the marketplace for a tug that is
designed for the single engine owner. So, here's where you come in. In
a perfect world, how would you like to see a tug for your airplane
equipped? How does it attach to the aircraft? Towbars? Clamp & Lift
mechanism? A simple platform with safety straps? Should the unit be
electric or gas? Walk behind or rideable? Any info would be quite
helpful to this project and is greatly appreciated. We hope to have a
rendering and specs in time for Osh Kosh this year. If you are
interested in what we are all about please check out the website above
or look for us in the Osh Kosh edition of "Twin & Turbine" magazine.

Regards,

Alex Elkin
ForkliftsDirect.com
877-736-7554
877-936-7554 - fax

[FLAV8R]

"TugMan" wrote in message ...
> Alright all you pilots, linemen and pseudo-engineers...I am in the
> process of designing the perfect single engine aircraft tug! My
> company, ForkliftsDirect.com currently carries a line of aircraft tugs
> ideal for planes from 12,500 MGTOW up to 30,000 MGTOW. What we've found
> is that there is a lacking in the marketplace for a tug that is
> designed for the single engine owner. So, here's where you come in. In
> a perfect world, how would you like to see a tug for your airplane
> equipped? How does it attach to the aircraft? Towbars? Clamp & Lift
> mechanism? A simple platform with safety straps? Should the unit be
> electric or gas? Walk behind or rideable? Any info would be quite
> helpful to this project and is greatly appreciated. We hope to have a
> rendering and specs in time for Osh Kosh this year. If you are
> interested in what we are all about please check out the website above
> or look for us in the Osh Kosh edition of "Twin & Turbine" magazine.
>
> Regards,
>
> Alex Elkin
> ForkliftsDirect.com
> 877-736-7554
> 877-936-7554 - fax
>
We have one already, its called a golf cart.
Unless your talking about a Citation Jet then we use a tug built by Clark.
With all the major carriers that have gone under you pick one up for cheap.

David

[Jim Macklin]

Wheelhorse has a nice clamp and lift articulated tug. A
lawn tractor with a hitch pintle front and rear works great
and can mow, blow snow and plow.

Good luck with you company, but most small airplane owner's
just use muscle power or a clip-on tire roller.


--
James H. Macklin
ATP,CFI,A&P

--
The people think the Constitution protects their rights;
But government sees it as an obstacle to be overcome.
some support
http://www.usdoj.gov/olc/secondamendment2.htm
See http://www.fija.org/ more about your rights and duties.


"TugMan" > wrote in message
ups.com...
| Alright all you pilots, linemen and pseudo-engineers...I
am in the
| process of designing the perfect single engine aircraft
tug! My
| company, ForkliftsDirect.com currently carries a line of
aircraft tugs
| ideal for planes from 12,500 MGTOW up to 30,000 MGTOW.
What we've found
| is that there is a lacking in the marketplace for a tug
that is
| designed for the single engine owner. So, here's where you
come in. In
| a perfect world, how would you like to see a tug for your
airplane
| equipped? How does it attach to the aircraft? Towbars?
Clamp & Lift
| mechanism? A simple platform with safety straps? Should
the unit be
| electric or gas? Walk behind or rideable? Any info would
be quite
| helpful to this project and is greatly appreciated. We
hope to have a
| rendering and specs in time for Osh Kosh this year. If you
are
| interested in what we are all about please check out the
website above
| or look for us in the Osh Kosh edition of "Twin & Turbine"
magazine.
|
| Regards,
|
| Alex Elkin
| ForkliftsDirect.com
| 877-736-7554
| 877-936-7554 - fax
|

[Jim Burns]

Got an old snowblower that doesn't blow? Torch off the blower, extend the
frame, add a tow bar. Put the chains on it for winter use.
Jim

"TugMan" > wrote in message
ups.com...
> Alright all you pilots, linemen and pseudo-engineers...I am in the
> process of designing the perfect single engine aircraft tug! My
> company, ForkliftsDirect.com currently carries a line of aircraft tugs
> ideal for planes from 12,500 MGTOW up to 30,000 MGTOW. What we've found
> is that there is a lacking in the marketplace for a tug that is
> designed for the single engine owner. So, here's where you come in. In
> a perfect world, how would you like to see a tug for your airplane
> equipped? How does it attach to the aircraft? Towbars? Clamp & Lift
> mechanism? A simple platform with safety straps? Should the unit be
> electric or gas? Walk behind or rideable? Any info would be quite
> helpful to this project and is greatly appreciated. We hope to have a
> rendering and specs in time for Osh Kosh this year. If you are
> interested in what we are all about please check out the website above
> or look for us in the Osh Kosh edition of "Twin & Turbine" magazine.
>
> Regards,
>
> Alex Elkin
> ForkliftsDirect.com
> 877-736-7554
> 877-936-7554 - fax
>

[Ross Richardson]

My FBO has a old Craftsman lawn mower, sans blade, and a universal tow
bar. Works great. With the tow bar was a little lighter, though. I just
need to learn to back up with it. I am great with cars and trailers, but
this thing goes the wrong way with each turn. I just disconnect the tow
bar from the tug and stear it in. A 172 isn't that heavy.

Ross
KSWI

Jim Macklin wrote:

> Wheelhorse has a nice clamp and lift articulated tug. A
> lawn tractor with a hitch pintle front and rear works great
> and can mow, blow snow and plow.
>
> Good luck with you company, but most small airplane owner's
> just use muscle power or a clip-on tire roller.
>
>

[Morgans]

"Ross Richardson" > wrote in message
...
> My FBO has a old Craftsman lawn mower, sans blade, and a universal tow
> bar. Works great. With the tow bar was a little lighter, though. I just
> need to learn to back up with it. I am great with cars and trailers, but
> this thing goes the wrong way with each turn. I just disconnect the tow
> bar from the tug and stear it in. A 172 isn't that heavy.

Put a hitch (towbar attach point) on the front of the lawn mower. You will
wonder why you didn't do so, earlier.
--
Jim in NC

[Matt Barrow]

"Jim Macklin" > wrote in message
news:BFCfg.25103$ZW3.13620@dukeread04...
> Wheelhorse has a nice clamp and lift articulated tug. A
> lawn tractor with a hitch pintle front and rear works great
> and can mow, blow snow and plow.
>
> Good luck with you company, but most small airplane owner's
> just use muscle power or a clip-on tire roller.

Our hangar neighborhood has a JD lawn tractor that has the mowing unit
removed but it does have a snow blade. Very nice for clearing the "alley".

The sixteen of us paid in $50 each to the fellow who provided it when he got
a new fancy-schmantzy one. Some guy built a small shed to store it in out of
plywood.

As for towage, the biggest bird our "neighborhood" has is a Cheyenne II.


--
Matt
---------------------
Matthew W. Barrow
Site-Fill Homes, LLC.
Montrose, CO

[Ross Richardson]

It has one, but I never set it up that way. Makes it easier???

I have seen cars and trucks pushing boat trailers that way because they
couldn't back them up. I never had to do that. So, I thought I could
succeed by backing up. It just didn't work that way. I'll try it next time.

Thanks
Ross
KSWI

Morgans wrote:

> "Ross Richardson" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>My FBO has a old Craftsman lawn mower, sans blade, and a universal tow
>>bar. Works great. With the tow bar was a little lighter, though. I just
>>need to learn to back up with it. I am great with cars and trailers, but
>>this thing goes the wrong way with each turn. I just disconnect the tow
>>bar from the tug and stear it in. A 172 isn't that heavy.
>
>
> Put a hitch (towbar attach point) on the front of the lawn mower. You will
> wonder why you didn't do so, earlier.

[Morgans]

"Ross Richardson" > wrote in message
...
> It has one, but I never set it up that way. Makes it easier???
>
> I have seen cars and trucks pushing boat trailers that way because they
> couldn't back them up. I never had to do that. So, I thought I could
> succeed by backing up. It just didn't work that way. I'll try it next
> time.

Without a doubt, the pushing will be simple with the hitch on front.

The difference is the type of trailer. Yeah, I too can back a conventional
trailer with my eyes closed. The problem comes with backing a trailer with
a steerable front axle. That is what some call a 4 wheel trailer, however
inaccurate that description may be.

The plane with a steerable nose or tail wheel, with a towbar is like the 4
wheel trailer. Everything is backwards. You put the hitch on the front of
the tug, and it all becomes easy, and intuitive.
--
Jim in NC

[PixieAviatrix]

Hello Alex,

Sporty's has a variety of tugs and tow bars, even a couple "deluxe
models" in the > $1000.00 price range for any of you out there who
happen to have any cash left in this era of $5+/gallon Avgas! Here's
what Sporty's already has: http://www.sportys.com/tug/

Sounds like a risky proposition, unless you target the higher end twins
and small biz jet market. Maybe Eclipse would consider including one of
these as an accessory, but their "$1MM jet" is already up to $1.3MM...
<sigh> Cirrus may be interested too, but you would have to design a
parachute into, just in case... <grin>

Happy flying this weekend to everyone!

"Pixie Aviatrix"
Seattle, WA
__________________________________________________ _________________
TugMan wrote:
> Alright all you pilots, linemen and pseudo-engineers...I am in the
> process of designing the perfect single engine aircraft tug! My
> company, ForkliftsDirect.com currently carries a line of aircraft tugs
> ideal for planes from 12,500 MGTOW up to 30,000 MGTOW. What we've found
> is that there is a lacking in the marketplace for a tug that is
> designed for the single engine owner. So, here's where you come in. In
> a perfect world, how would you like to see a tug for your airplane
> equipped? How does it attach to the aircraft? Towbars? Clamp & Lift
> mechanism? A simple platform with safety straps? Should the unit be
> electric or gas? Walk behind or rideable? Any info would be quite
> helpful to this project and is greatly appreciated. We hope to have a
> rendering and specs in time for Osh Kosh this year. If you are
> interested in what we are all about please check out the website above
> or look for us in the Osh Kosh edition of "Twin & Turbine" magazine.
>
> Regards,
>
> Alex Elkin
> ForkliftsDirect.com
> 877-736-7554
> 877-936-7554 - fax

[Morgans]

"PixieAviatrix" > wrote

> TugMan wrote:
>> Alright all you pilots, linemen and pseudo-engineers...I am in the
>> process of designing the perfect single engine aircraft tug!

Powerplant should be the cheap 4 cycle weedeater engine, like the ones Ryobi
makes. Attach on axle ends, with a pneumatic wheel (wheelbarrow size) gear
and chain driven that is forced to the pavement or grass by lever action of
the steering arm pressing it into the ground. It should be steerable by a
crank on the end of the handle turning a worm gear to pivot the driving
wheel, all the way around in a 360 degree circle, which will also give you
the forward or reverse function. Centrifugal clutch, with disk brake
holding it still while throttle lever is at idle, with the addition of a
parking brake lever to facilitate starting the engine. All up weight should
be no more than 40 pounds. Cost no more than 450 dollars. Foldable to no
more than 36 inches long.
--
Jim in NC

[Grumman-581]

On Fri, 02 Jun 2006 07:56:05 -0500, Ross Richardson
> wrote:
> It has one, but I never set it up that way. Makes it easier???
>
> I have seen cars and trucks pushing boat trailers that way because they
> couldn't back them up. I never had to do that. So, I thought I could
> succeed by backing up. It just didn't work that way. I'll try it next time.

With a free castering nosewheel, I believe it is even more difficult
to back it up than a stearable nosewheel... I use an ATV as a tug and
have hitches on the front and the rear... Most of the moves are just
in and out of the hangar, so I use the front hitch, but if I'm taking
it down to the mechanic or the wash rack, I use the rear hitch
(assuming I'm not going to need to back it into some place later)...
Care must be taken to ensure that you do not tow the aircraft too fast
with such a light vehicle or you will experience a case of the tail
wagging the dog... I've had it happen once and it was a a very
adrenaline inducing experience at the time...

[Tater Schuld]

"Grumman-581" > wrote in message
...
> On Fri, 02 Jun 2006 07:56:05 -0500, Ross Richardson
> > wrote:
> Care must be taken to ensure that you do not tow the aircraft too fast
> with such a light vehicle or you will experience a case of the tail
> wagging the dog... I've had it happen once and it was a a very
> adrenaline inducing experience at the time...

tell us more, we'd love to hear about the pilotless airborne airplane
pushing a panicked purveyor of an ATV

[[email protected]]

On Thu, 8 Jun 2006 15:04:34 -0500, "Tater Schuld"
> wrote:

>
>"Grumman-581" > wrote in message
...
>> On Fri, 02 Jun 2006 07:56:05 -0500, Ross Richardson
>> > wrote:
>> Care must be taken to ensure that you do not tow the aircraft too fast
>> with such a light vehicle or you will experience a case of the tail
>> wagging the dog... I've had it happen once and it was a a very
>> adrenaline inducing experience at the time...
>
>tell us more, we'd love to hear about the pilotless airborne airplane
>pushing a panicked purveyor of an ATV
>

How about alleged technician in a hurry to drag a 185 on amphib floats
up to the pumps using only the docking ropes and having the airplane
in question chasing him down a slight (but in hindsight seriously
rectum-clenching) decline in the taxiway/ramp?

TC