Electric Tug

[Mark A]

Can anyone recommend an electric tug for the 170? I have an incline into my hanger that makes manual tugging difficult. Thanks

[Coolin170]

We use AC TrackTech T-Mini: Non- Wheel Fairing Economy Model, share for both tail wheel and nose wheel, have incline and grass, can walk around plane while using, no bending over, easy. Some low wing users sit on wing while driving it over to fuel up. https://acairtechnology.com/product-cat ... pact-tugs/
Have friend in nearby hangar that got run over pulling his plane down his incline, bought one of these and never looked back.

[GAHorn]

I’m sorry I can’t find it but I saw an interesting solution to a similar problem...moving an Airstream trailer using a dolly powered by cannibalizing a small Harbor Freight Winch motor to chain-drive a wheeled trailer-dolly. I can imagine doing that with a tail-wheel tow-bar.

For my own solution, ... I use a home made tow-bar attached to my main gear (which has L-19 tow-adaptors). I use my lawn tractor to move it in or out of the hangar.
The lawn tractor also moves the SkyHawk in/out as well.

[Mark A]

Thanks for the replies- The mini tug looks like a great tool and a winch is a good option also.

[cessna170bdriver]

I seem to remember someone (John Barrett?) demonstrating a remote control tailwheel dolly at the 2014 170 convention at Creve Coeur. I’m not sure if it was something he purchased or something he built himself.

[johneeb]

I seem to remember someone (John Barrett?) demonstrating a remote control tailwheel dolly at the 2014 170 convention at Creve Coeur. I’m not sure if it was something he purchased or something he built himself.

He built it himself and it is no where near as sophisticated as the "AC TrackTech T-Mini:"

[hilltop170]

If you are pulling the plane straight back into the hangar and are constrained by space behind the airplane such that towing by the tailwheel with anything will back you into the wall, Allen Machine Co.,

mhttp://allenmachineco.com/pages/data/airplane.ht

makes an airplane-specific winch that anchors on the floor or center structure of the building and works very well. Get the galvanized cable and 75’ remote control. The level wind doesn’t work all that well. With the remote, you can walk the airplane into the hangar and guide it easily with one hand.

And, if you need to pull the plane straight out, you can anchor a snatch-block in front on the ramp and run the cable around it back to the tailwheel. Kinda cumbersome but works well.

Another option is to order a 10’ Y-harness with a hook on each leg to catch the main gear tow lugs.