The International Cessna 170 Association

Ok, I’m getting along in years. Not as old as I hope to get, but starting to feel it, especially in my back. I need some advice on ground handling of my 170B. I’ve had it 3 years come May, and I’ve put about 320 hours on it in that time. I put a very low nap carpet on the floor of the hangar. The plane has the BAS tail handles. The apron has a very slight downgrade away from the door. I put the L-19 tow bar lugs (for lack of the proper term) on the main gear and occasionally use a garden tractor to pull it out, although it tends to bunch up the carpet and thus won’t work for putting it back in the hangar. I put the L-19 eye bolt on the tail with the circle up. I know the proper way is for the circle to be down, but that way it does no good for anybody. I feel I should be looking into either a powered tug to put on the rear Scott tail wheel or possibly going to a ground mounted winch to pull it back in using the eyebolt as the towing connection. Anybody got any thoughts or recommendations? I’d like to leave the carpet and don’t feel that it hinders the plane rolling across it very much.

I’m guessing that the combination of toe-in and pushing the plane backwards with the tug and L-19 towbar is spreading the gear such to act as “toe out” and grabbing the carpet?

I’m not sure that using a winch will change that situation.

One thing might be to install a “cross-bar” between the tow lugs to keep the gear from spreading when pushing it backwards. (never tried it…just trying to be inventive.)

I put mine in the hangar nose first. I use a towbar attached to the tailwheel to push it in/pull it out with a 1988 Ford Bronco ll. This probably won't work if you have a T hangar.

What about something like this?

https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/ ... ragger.php

Of course, if you really wanted to spend $$$$...I'd be remiss to not recommend Best Tugs!

https://www.besttugs.com/pages/alpha-tug-line

https://becomeawritertoday.com/hangar-v ... nbspHanger

I use a 12 v dc winch with remote control. Runs off a car battery or even a rider mower battery. Cable attaches to tailwheel bracket.
I was advised many years ago to always have a lightish line making the final connection from winch wire to tailwheel bracket. The idea is that if the remote ever fails to STOP then you have a Plan B: quick cut of the light line( sharp knife always handy) or kick the battery clamp connector off before you drag the tail or ailerons into the back wall. Cheers/ BW

cessna170bdriver wrote:https://becomeawritertoday.com/hangar-v ... nbspHanger

That's it. Much easier putting you airplane in a hangar than a hanger. I've made this mistake a time or two. But now I know what a Homophone is and it has nothing to do with making a phone call though I couldn't help getting tripped up on that reading the explanation.

If you can pull your plane into the hangar and not bunch the carpet but pushing it with the tow bar does. then George's ideal of the spreader bar or limiter such as a chain, hold merit. Otherwise I'd use a winch with a long cable on the control box so you can walk about the airframe monitoring it's progress as most hangars have close fitting points about the airframe.

hangar: a place to store an airplane.

Hangar Hanger it's so confsssing

I park outside all year long and sometimes pushing my 170 back into my spot is a huge pain when the snow and ice have built up before I have been able to clean it off. My solution is pretty low tech but it works well.

I use two mountaineering pulleys, a couple of carabiners, a short loop of webbing, and a rope. I secure a rope end by carabiner to my tail tie down anchor and then pull a loop back to my tail where I run the sling around my tail wheel spring and place another carabiner and pulley there.

Then I run the loop back back to the rear anchor and place the second pulley and lead from the rear pulley forward under the stab and wing and angled somewhat so the rope leads forward just to the outside of the main wheel. The pulley system gives me a mechanical advantage of 3X which is usually plenty and gives me latitude to find a spot for good footing. If conditions are really bad, can attach the rope to my front tow hook p on my 4Runner and gently ease the 170 to the rear when backing up. It’s slow, very controllable, and I am looking directly at the plane as I do this. If you need more mechanical advantage, it’s easy to add another pulley ot two depending on whether you can pull from the back or need to be in front.

The carabiners, pulleys, and the sling go on and off very quickly. It would work in a hangar too if you have a rear anchor point and are too cheap to install a winch or are too old to manhandle it.

Oh, how nice it would be to have a Hangar- Hanger and the problem of getting it in and out.................SIGH....................

Thanks so much for all of the suggestions and the time it took to write them out. Also, thanks for not dinging me too hard on my poor grammar (had to look up and make sure it wasn’t grammer) with respect to my hanger, er, hangar.

Mac

A little late to the party, but here's my set-up:
I made this bracket so that I can push the airplane out of the hangar (slight downhill slope) with an old broomstick, then pull it back in with the 12v winch that's bolted to the cement floor. There is a wooden "trench"imbedded in the floor that's just wide enough for the tailwheel - it prevents the tailwheel from 'wandering around' as it comes back into the hangar.
It also, when rotated 90 degrees up, allows the tail to be lifted using another winch that is bolted to the hangar wall with 1/8" cables routed to pulleys overhead the tail. There is an added bracket (attaches to the tail spring group) that prevents the wheel from rotating while it's being raised.