Towbar

D

Dover

Member
Anybody have a good towbar idea? My hangar is close on either side of the horizontal. Its a real dance to get the tailwheel turned around and out the door with a rash.
 
I had this same problem, years ago with my 14-13. As I recall, I had maybe 8 inches either side of the stab. My solution was a channel for the tailwheel to ride in, fastened to the hangar floor. Push the tailwheel into the channel as you travel into the hangar. The channel should end when you are back far enough. Turn the tailwheel around so you can exit the hangar for the next flight. Worked for me.
 
I've been using a towbar a guy ordered from some outfit, like the 'towbuddy' or something like that from Aircraft Spruce. It works quite well. It picks the tailwheel up off the ground then you steer with the towbar and its own wheels. I needed something to get in and out of a t-hangar by myself, and this has allowed that. Very maneuverable as well, I only have 10" or so on either side of my tail and I have not had a problem. Another guy just made for me a towbar that is very inexpensive if you have access to a torch. It is basically a t-handle with two long bars extending out like scissors with a slider inbetween that when slid down closes the two bars together. At the end of them are two open sections that fit over the tailwheel attachment bolts in the center of the wheel, then just move the slider down until the bars squeeze onto the tailwheel bolts, and push/pull away on the aircraft's own wheel. I know, not great in description, but I'm not sure I can link/post pics here. It literally cost a few dollars at most in material and some acetalene. The towbar and a paint mark are working for me, but I like the idea of a channel or track if using the aircraft's tailwheel, would have to be paint with the 'towbuddy' bar.
 
I bought one of the Tail Dragger Draggers (http://www.dragger.com) when I got my 14-13-2. It's pretty handy when moving the plane around solo.
Gary
 
I did all of the above and then some. I have a channel in my hangar for the tailwheel to ride in. I also got a Viking (Brand name, not aircraft) tow bar that had modified to fit my tail wheel. I also installed a winch in the back of my hangar, and sunk an eyebolt into the ground where my hangar access enters the taxi lane. That way I can winch the plane in and out of the hangar. Truth is though that I usually end up winching out and using the towbar to pull it back in. Works for me! LL
 
I have a friend who is now 84 years old. He looked at the crate 5 years ago when I bought it and made me a tail wheel towbar to winch it into the hangar. He then made the neatest 1/4 turn fasteners to fit into the axle hubs to pull the crate out. This has been absolutely fantastic and if you are ever at a flyin that I'm at I use these also to tie the crate down . I should patent and market this but like everything I do I just pass it on to people who want to know. The recover job progesses tail covered and stitched, wings sanded and patched ,will pull them next week to get to the major job the fuselage. Lot's of undocumented fixes and repairs on this crate! Goes to show what you find when you open something like this up----full of surprises. Lynn N9818B :mrgreen: the crate
 
Lynn, this weekend I'm planning on devising something in the way of a towbar to extriate my Cuisair from its lair by myself. You wouldn't happen to have the capability to post any pictures of your fasteners would you? I also need to recover my bird one of these days. I'm glad you are moving foward with that job! Any chance of a photo history of the process? Stay with it!
Pete
Aztec, NM
 
Pete, will contact you via e-mail thru site and send pics when I get your address. Lynn, the crate N9818B :mrgreen:
 
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