Hi all,
I've been researching aircraft tugs and towbars (both for single propeller GA use eg on the Cessna 152) and have come across a problem Google can't seem to answer for me, so was hoping someone here might be able to help.
Looking at shops like Transair, the towbars they sell are coded to specific manufacturers or aircraft families, eg. Cirrus or Cessna single engines. From my understanding of things, this is because the pins where the towbars connect to the aircraft are different, and each towbar needs a different adapter to fit that specific pin.
However, when I look at the tugs they sell, such as the 701 currently being sold on Transair, they fit a range of aircraft, including most of the Cessna single engines, Cirrus Sr20/22 etc.
My question is, how do they do this? Why do the towbars need specific adapters to fit a specific aircraft, whilst tugs seem to be universal?
Any help would be greatly appreciated with this burning question. Thanks!
PS: As you can probably tell, I'm not a pilot, though I am currently considering pilot training and aircraft ownership, hence my rather strange above question.
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Re: Tugs vs Towbars: Technical help?
From the Transair 701 web page "We will ask you which aircraft the tug is for and you recieve the adaptor for that plane included in the price. You can order additional adaptors for other aircraft at an additional cost of £155"
Re: Tugs vs Towbars: Technical help?
On the large tugs I have worked around, the connection was the same between the tug and different towbars. The connection between the tow bar and plane would be different between aircraft types.
N757KW
N757KW
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- GalaxyFlyer
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Re: Tugs vs Towbars: Technical help?
Nose gear tow bar attachments vary by OEM, specifics of the spacing etc. when I worked the line, we had Beech, Cessna and Piper tow bars just for pushing and pulling the plane in the hangar. The Global 6000 nose attachment is different than the new 7500 gear.
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- Tristarsteve
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Re: Tugs vs Towbars: Technical help?
Towbars are matched to aircraft so that if you turn them too far the shear pins in the towbar will break, and you won`t damage the nose gear of the aircraft.
The attachment between tug and towbar is nearly universal. A pin on the tug goes through a ring on the towbar. Bigger pins for bigger aircraft but most fit.
What you must be careful of is, has the tug enough braking capacity to stop the aircraft in an emergency. You will see small jeeps and landrovers towing aircraft. They are usually too small, too light to stop if the aircraft wants to move down a slope.
The big tugs you see on airliners weigh 20 to 55 tons, just to stop the aircraft.
Moderen towbarless tractors are the way to go. They are nearly universal in Europe, and pick the right size and it will move all small aircraft.
The attachment between tug and towbar is nearly universal. A pin on the tug goes through a ring on the towbar. Bigger pins for bigger aircraft but most fit.
What you must be careful of is, has the tug enough braking capacity to stop the aircraft in an emergency. You will see small jeeps and landrovers towing aircraft. They are usually too small, too light to stop if the aircraft wants to move down a slope.
The big tugs you see on airliners weigh 20 to 55 tons, just to stop the aircraft.
Moderen towbarless tractors are the way to go. They are nearly universal in Europe, and pick the right size and it will move all small aircraft.
Re: Tugs vs Towbars: Technical help?
On an airplane with a free castering nose wheel, like a Grumman Tiger, Cirrus or Diamond DA40, the best manufacturer for a hand tow bar is Bogie.