Posted for "Robert Pastusek"
<rpastusek@htii.com>:
Lynn, I bought a used battery-powered version of this tow for my
Lancair IV-P and it does a nice job of moving the airplane around. Rather than attach the tow to the normal towing “pins,” I
machined some Delrin pins that will fit into the hollow nose wheel axle. These pins need to be countersunk in the centers to fit
around the axle bolt head and nut, and they will engage only about ½” into the axle, but this has been adequate for
me. I’ve had the tow bar engagement pins “pop out” of the axle when trying to turn the nose wheel
using the tow bar a couple of times; this would probably not be an issue if the pins were made of aluminum. My fix has been to
start the airplane moving and then pivot the nose wheel slowly as the airplane moves. Also, it’s a lot easier to maneuver when going
forward than when going backward. The only better tow system I’ve seen is one that engages the
“standard” Lancair tow pins and presses a driving wheel against the nose tire. This rig allows you to turn the nose wheel
immediately within the pivot limits and push/pull around tight corners. This was a “custom built” unit; not in commercial
production, and I wasn’t willing to go to the trouble/expense… Within the above limitations, I think you’ll be
very happy with this unit. Your Legacy should be a bit lighter than my airplane, so there should be plenty of power in the unit to
move the aircraft up any reasonable slope. Bob
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