The International Cessna^® 170 Association

I'm toying with the thought of maybe buying a motorized tow bar, something like the Tail Dragger Dragger. They come in battery motor powered and gasoline engine powered versions, costing just under $1,000. Has anyone any experience with these ?
(Pushing my plane out of the hangar is getting harder- I think the airplane is gaining more weight than I am !)
Rudy

I have the unmotorized version for $125 and because it gives you leverage it is very easy to use and works well enough that I don't think I need the motor. To get my plane out I sometimes have to move three taildraggers.

How Ya Doin Rudy,

My hangar neighbors, 170 owner (Pat has one, Chuck does not use one on his 170 down at the end), Baron, 172 RG, etc all have the gas powered tow advertised in the mags and they all really like it. We have a small incline up into the T-hangars, some worse than others. I have the flyer and info at home if you are interested, can't recall the name right now, but it is the one I see in T-A-P etc. Comes in electric and gas, all of the people at GPM have elected to go with the gas version. Did you get your ground handling all taken care of? You flying in to Reklaw? Bring some of that hot sauce and we will throw it on some catfish.

I always get a chuckle from the ads for the motorized towbars...not from the machines themselves as they are of quite good design, but from the amusingly high prices they seem to bring. A small MIG welder, a supply of salvage steel angle and/or box tube stock, a couple of old utility wheels/tires and a used tiller engine or air compressor motor is about all it takes to coble together a nice one. Will not have to worry about this tough because somebody dumped an old Ford YT16 lawn tractor that I will refurbish for tow duty using a homemade Y bar and the tow brackets bolted to the bottom of the gear legs. Now if only I can get the supplier to call me back on the price of those tow brackets. But wait, these brackets could be welded up in a few minutes from scrap plate, a few more minutes for drilling of holes, finish filing of all surfaces, and then a good coat of white Hammerite and I am ready to go Boy that MIG welder was the best thing my ex-wife ever gave me

Pete Jones at Air Repair can sell you the official tow brackets for a couple bucks. They are standard L-19 parts. Direct bolt on, complete with Cessna picking tag. PN's 0641102-1 and -2 .
http://www.airrepairinc.com/cgi-airrepa ... ARPcat.cgi
JTACO sells them also: http://www.jtaco.com/

Thanks for the source George. It was JTACO that I tried to get a quote from, but they would not return my e-mails. I'll try Air Repair this week. If only a couple of bucks a piece as you say ( and you would not be leading me astray) then it will cost me more to manufacture my own.

I bought mine originally from JTACO, and the shipping was more than the parts. I think the whole enchilada was less than $25 including freight.

OK, I have to ask... what is the big deal about the tow bars? I bought one of the little cheap versions from Sportys for about 40 or 50 bucks. It just clamps on the tail wheel axle and I can easily move it around (in and out of the hangar, etc.). Do you guys have to move your airplanes a great distance? I plan on installing the BAS handles so I don't have to carry the tow bar, but other than that I have never had trouble horsing my 170 around (I'm not that big).
David

dacker

David,
Try pulling that SOB up hill into a hangar using a tail wheel towbar!!!

Joe, I'm still pushi' n' pullin', huffin' n' puffin'. My T-hangar has an up slope and I'm still using a simple manual tow bar which clips to the Scott tailwheel. What model engine-driven tow bar does your neighbor use on his 170 ?
I'd love to go to Reklaw but can't make it this year- but that Jamaican hot sauce is ready for you in Florida!
Rudy

You can always just pull the chocks and turn your back, it is guaranteed to start rolling!!! (Not that this has ever happened to me, though )
David

You could install an electric winch in the back of the hangar and use the winch to pull your plane into the hangar. You can also install a flush attachment point out in the apron in front of your plane, install a temporary pulley, and use the winch to reverse pull the plane out of the hangar. -- David

I enquired to JTACO about towing lugs a couple of days ago. Here is their reply:

Hello David,

0641102-1 $12.00 stk

0641102-2 $18.00 stk

Regards,

Franco Gaiga


I will be getting a set.

David
VH-CAS