The engine driven tugs start every time that I’ve ever seen but thankfully cold weather starts have not been an issue, so that might be a good point if you live where its cold.
KISS Link works for me: no tug, no manual tow bar, no need for either.
The problem is that as planes get heavier they are harder to move. Almost anybody can move a Pitts, for example, on good flat tarmac. I can move the TB20 on a good surface, even with full tanks – just about. But the slightest incline makes it impossible.
Light Makes Right
(says the man who also stores a totally useless 12 cylinder car in the same hangar)
With the Cirrus and it’s free castering nose wheel it’s absolutely impossible, especially over the smallest step. I gave that up after the 3rd attempt … (and i have not mentioned my back pain yet …)
A friend of mine just had this guy make a custom version of this for his Lancair IV. I think its kind of neat being based on a large Milwaukee right angle drill and battery charger, keeping manufacturing cost down. Apparently the guy has a lot of drill carrying cases on hand if you need one
Plenty of these devices at AERO…
I played with something similar in the USA. Amazing bit of kit. You can actually sit in the aeroplane and drive yourself around to the fuel bowser with it !
You need to have a lot of confidence in the software
One hopes the thing stops dead if the radio link gets broken.
One hopes the thing stops dead if the radio link gets broken.
Idaally it should have an emergency stop button that transmits on a separate frequency. Otherwise I would not dare to use it in a hangar like ours where even the smallest collision will result in a six figure price tag.