You put wheel pants on your airplane for the same reason you added that cool spoiler to your sports car. It streamlines the vehicle and looks sharp. Airplane wheel pants are large fairings that fit over the wheels of aircraft that have non-retractable (fixed) landing gear. Usually made of light-weight Fiberglas, their purpose is to reduce drag over the wheels by providing a more aerodynamic surface during flight. Wheel pants also “dress up” an airplane, giving it a more finished appearance. In other words, they just look sharp.
There’s nothing wrong with looking good, but wheel pants can present a problem when you’re using an aircraft tug to move your plane in or out of a hangar or maneuver it around an airport or FBO. Unlike Lindy’s unique aircraft towers, many airplane tugs don’t accommodate wheel pants, and others require complicated modifications. Lindy’s versatile Aircraft Tractor and Aircraft Tow easily accommodate aircraft both with and without wheel pants — no modifications required.
All Lindy’s aircraft towing equipment features our unique easy-on roller cradle. Push the tug against the plane’s nose wheel and the wheel rolls effortlessly into the cradle which captures and locks the wheel in place for transport. (Click here to watch a video showing how the cradle works.) Designed with fifth wheel-style turning capabilities, our aircraft tug cradle allows tugs to turn a full 180 degrees underneath the wheel of the airplane without turning the wheel or steering mechanism of the aircraft. The unique design of Lindy’s Aircraft Tow equipment allows a single operator to safely and easily move and maneuver aircraft on the ground.
To see Lindy’s Aircraft Tractor in action with and without wheel pants, click here and check out the three videos at the bottom right of the screen.
[...] tug work great on tail dragger aircraft and several models accommodate aircraft with and without wheel pants. Employing versatile equipment decreases equipment [...]