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Old 24th February 2009 | 20:33
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Pilot DAR
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The Cessna ones are crap
Well, not quite... Have you ever seen damaged nosewheel mounting structure, or steering mechanizm on a Cessna, because someone used an indestructable behemouth tow bar? I certainly have, a number of times - both in the fore aft direction, and the steering directions. (Recently a Rockwell 114 - $3500 damage, broken casting - by HAND!)

As the aircraft for the intended use is an RG, I would be extra vigilent to assure that a "crap" towbar is used. You would far rather pay to replace a tow bar than to repair nosewheel damage which resulted from the towbar not braking first when too much load was applied.

Consider this: you're pushing the aircraft backward on the grass, and things are going well. Then, a main wheel hits a bump. The plane pivots around that wheel, and because you were really pushing hard, before you can stop pushing, the plane has jack-knifed the nose wheel/towbar, you've over steered, and the steering stop tab on the nosewheel strut is sheared off.

I own crap Cessna towbars, and will not permit the use of anything else on my plane.

Pilot DAR
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