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New tailwheel towbar: Interest feeler thread...

cjensen

Well Known Member
A friend of mine made this tow bar for me last fall, and after talking with him over the past few weeks, we wanted to see what the interest level would be in something like this. Several of you have PM'd or emailed me about the bar that has been seen in other pics, so we talked about it, and want to know if this is something that you would consider buying (obviously price would be a factor...working on that).

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It weighs no more than about five or six pounds, and could easily be made to fold up for baggage stow. It has a trolley that runs up and down the rails and is tightened with the ball on top.

I don't have an estimate on cost yet, but should have that soon. I just wanted to see if I could provide an economical tow bar for your hangar or to take on the road...

Thoughts? Interest??

:cool:
 
I like it, Chad. Do you think he could get it to fold?

Let me know if he moves forward with it.

Lance
 
Thanks Anyway...

I think one of the great advantages about the taildragger RV is that I spin around in front of the hanger door and shut down. I simply push on the horizontal and vertical stabs to move the plane back into the hanger.

Pushing out is just as simple, I hug the fuselage just behind the canopy on one of the rivet rows for a bulkhead and push out into the ramp area.

I don't have to worry about taking anything with me on a x-c flight.

(If I had a long, steep or icy ramp I might sing a different tune)

Jim
 
I like it, Chad. Do you think he could get it to fold?

Let me know if he moves forward with it.

Lance

In talking with my buddy that made it, he says he could make it easily foldable.

As soon as I can get a good gauge on the interest I'll talk to him again to take the next step if it seems like it would be worthwhile.
 
Requested feature...

I park my RV in the corner of a large hangar with the tail pointed to the corner. I leave the towbar attached to the wheel, and when it's time to get the plane out I place the handle of the bar in my waist and push with my body by walking forward. I'd estimate the handle to be 9" wide and is a 'T' configuration.

I walk my plane out by pushing this way, and think having a larger area that rests flat against your waist but also acts as a handle would be a popular model for tailwheel model owners. Worded another way I 'pull' the plane in but 'push' it out. Anything that would make both of those modes smoother would be something I would buy.

I think pushing with your buddy's model would damage me :D.
 
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Your towbar is interesting. I would think that its price point is key to being competitive. My old C-150 towbar, a lightweight design that is widely available works just fine and it breaks down for easy storage. Compete with that in both weight and cost and you may be on to something.

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Not to hijack the thread (guess I just did), but this Cessna towbar:

http://store.wagaero.com/product_info.php?products_id=1378

Works just fine on this type tailwheel fork:

http://shop.aviationtechproducts.co...B7A63B8B3A115E7854.qscstrfrnt04?categoryId=12

That will at least give you a price target.

Tony


Uh, I'd gladly pay 2 or 3 times that much for a good tow bar. The tow bar mentioned about works well for a while, but eventually gets "sprung" and pops off. I want something that "locks" on and won't come off until I release it.
 
...works well for a while, but eventually gets "sprung" and pops off. I want something that "locks" on and won't come off until I release it.
This comes up now and then but for newcomers I feel obliged to mention my "towbar" solution which is a hunk of rope about 7 or 8 feet long with loops on both ends. If you want to get real fancy you put a piece of PVC in one of the loops as a grip. The other loop goes around the tailwheel spring, ahead of the tailwheel. This works great for towing, but not for pushing. It will not come off until you release it.

Weight is a few ounces, bulk is a few cubic inches and cost is a buck or so. Works great for me!
 
A guy at our airport with a Cessna 140 just tried out his solution. He has had to push his plane out up a little grade that is wet and a little slippery in the winter.

He used two 2" nylon tow straps with loops on each end, sewing one to the middle of the other to form a "Y". Hooks loops from the top of the Y to the steps which stick out from each of the main gear legs and the leg of the Y hooks onto the back of an old riding lawn mower that he picked up for a song. I watched him tow it out of the hanger, up the slippery slope, turned it onto the taxiway, no problem. Slick! And light weight. And cheap. Doesn't work for the tailwheel, but it sure works great on the C-140 taildragger..
 
Did anyone else see the article in this month's Sport Aviation with a how-to for converting an old crutch into a lightweight, folding towbar? I bought my crutch for $7 at the local Frenchies. Will look at converting it this weekend.
 
Did anyone else see the article in this month's Sport Aviation with a how-to for converting an old crutch into a lightweight, folding towbar? I bought my crutch for $7 at the local Frenchies. Will look at converting it this weekend.

That's very helpful, thank you...:rolleyes:
 
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