BC12D Towing Question

[Tim Haake]

I downsized to a Taylorcraft last fall to continue flying so I wouldn't push my medical. I sure like my BC12D. My hangar is in a hole on our airpark and I needed a towbar arrangement to get my other larger plane up to the street/taxiway. I used a towbar and my garden tractor to do that. The BC12D is considerably easier to move around but still way to much for one person to get up on the street do to the angle of my ramp. There are several of us that have that issue with the placement of the hangar and the street.

Has anyone come up with an attachment point on the gear leg to attach a towbar or is the leg even safe to be used to tow from? My last plane a Cessna 195 had eyelets on the inside of the wheel axle mount which allowed for the towbar attach point.

Tim
NC5253M

[Ed O'Brien]

Re: BC12D Towing Question

Tim;
I once had a big tug for moving around an Aero Commander. At the same time I used the same tug to move my taildragger... at that time a Citabria. I took a taildragger-dragger (find them in Sporty's Catalogue) wrapped a chain around the tailwheel then the TD-D. Then
I mated female eyelet bolt 2.5inches if I remember correctly, on the front of the tug matched to the handles width of the TD-D. I'd chain up the tail and drop the handles in the eyelets and off we'd go. It worked great and I moved the Citabria anywhere with only a minor fuss. WIth regards;
ED OBRIEN

[fearofpavement]

Re: BC12D Towing Question

It was aluded to in the previous post but with a tailwheel airplane, the easiest way to tow it is tail first. There are a number of ways to do this depending on how much money you want to spend but I would think a small dolly that you could set the tailwheel on and secure it down by some method and then pull this dolly with a lawn tractor, vehicle or whatever would be the simplest and least expesive way.

Ie, visualize a kids wagon pulled by the handle attached to your riding mower with the tailwheel sitting in the wagon. (this wouldn't work well as the wagon is too unstable but that should give the idea...)

[mhorowit]

Re: BC12D Towing Question

Here's mine - MIke

[whake]

Re: BC12D Towing Question

Thats pretty clever Mike, I saw a commercial one that was similar and it cost $200....I think I will dupplicate yours..Walt

[mhorowit]

Re: BC12D Towing Question

Thats pretty clever Mike, I saw a commercial one that was similar and it cost $200....I think I will dupplicate yours..Walt

First, acquire a kid's tricycle; this may be dangerous if the kid is still using it; that forms the dolly part - Mike

[DanBrown]

Re: BC12D Towing Question

Great Design, Mike.
But, why not just tie the tailwheel to the back steps of the trike, and let the kid power the T-Cart. If he/she is operating on all 4, has high compression, a Continental K3.5 should generate at least 0.275 hp.

[VictorBravo]

Re: BC12D Towing Question

Make one like Mike's, then add a strap holding the fuselage down to the dolly by clipping a carabiner onto the rear fuselage hand-hold loops. Holding the tailwheel down into the cup is important because if it comes out the airplane can try and run you over. With it secure in the cup you can push or pull on the towbar with no risk. You could even rig up a trailer hitch on the end of the towbar like we did on the sailplanes... but it MUST be secure so if you stop the car the airplane's rudder doesn't get squashed.

[Carl Ellis]

Re: BC12D Towing Question

First, acquire a kid's tricycle; this may be dangerous if the kid is still using it; that forms the dolly part - Mike

"We used to steal the wheels, off baby buggies, to make go-carts ..."

[mhorowit]

Re: BC12D Towing Question

Great Design, Mike.
But, why not just tie the tailwheel to the back steps of the trike, and let the kid power the T-Cart. If he/she is operating on all 4, has high compression, a Continental K3.5 should generate at least 0.275 hp.

I can't take credit for the design; think I got the general idea off this forum;
I used wood 'cause that's what I had. - Mike

[Tim Haake]

Re: BC12D Towing Question

Well you guys gave me some good information. I guess I would like to try the tailwheel version IF the tailwheel mount is good for pushing as well as pulling. My Cessna had a shock mounted tailwheel which made it a bad choice to pull or push, thus the need for the main gear tow bar. I have not seen the tubing and steel inside the BC12D frame where the tail attaches and what I am seeing hear is that it is safe to pull and push with the wheel. Keep in mind that I have a steep grade to get up and down. It is all paved but steep.

Tim

[stormman]

Re: BC12D Towing Question

You could use a winch in the hanger and a pulley block at the other end of the ramp. Kinda like a clothes line setup or judging from your info a single line to the pulley because of the steep slope . The pulleyblock anchor could have a removable pulley and modern winches have wireless remotes.

[Forrest Barber]

Re: BC12D Towing Question

OR do it like we have done many times in the past.

First of all the tail-dragger tow bar thing that goes around the tail wheel axle nuts works good for towing backward. and pushing by hand forward. We have that here too. make sure you secure it with a wrapped around bungee if operating on slopes, it is shame to watch your ship get away.

You CAN replace the bolts that go thru the lower landing gear tie strut with ones that have an eye bolt on the front, OR put an angle plate with a
a 3/8 hole in it facing forward . Then use a solid two arm tow bar about ten foot long . this forms a triangle that has the two pins that insert into the eye bolt or angle fittings on the ship. On the other end(s) it has a ball hitch or even just a ring that slips onto the tow vehilcle, front of car, truck, 4 wheelers, powered tow bar, garden tractor, what ever you have around.
lazy Forrest