I'm posting this in Ownership because it is a subject that has never affected me until now: Reaching into my wallet in order to procure a tail wheel tow bar.

I brought my Citabria to it's new home and have managed to push it in by hand a couple of times. If the ground were perfectly flat I would have gone for months before bringing this up. The plane weighs within a few pounds of C152 fighting trim and the full swivel tail wheel makes it easier to push around than that doormat of aviation.

Well the ground isn't perfectly flat so it's a bit of a push right as I'm going through the door. A simple tail wheel tow bar is all I need though. Before I forget to mention, it appears I have a Scott 3200

Even if I cave in later and want a more robust (possibly powered) solution, I want a something I can put in the plane while traveling about.

As anyone who is asked to point out the shortcomings of the Citabria knows, the useful load is roughly equivalent to half tanks and a ham sandwich. So I'm going to take a sharp eye to everything going in the plane.

I was a bit surprised to do a web search for "lightest tail wheel tow bar" and come up empty. The hits I got were for units powered by a DeWalt drill and "only 33 pounds".

Seriously nobody wants to take my money for a compact titanium 4 oz solution I can stow away in the plane? I'm shocked.

So plan B:
Sporty's has two solutions I'm considering. The cheapest one may be the in-house brand Product ID 10278A is $64.95 plus shipping. The other is a Bogert 04M-TDG for $136.50. The Bogert is made in the US and appears to be made better. The weights aren't listed.

Is the cheapest one good enough for occasional use on a lightweight plane or am I just going to regret not buying the Bogert?

Any thoughts? Alternatives? DIY solutions? A trick with a piece of nylon rope and some beef jerky?

For occasional use, the cheap one will probably do you fine. I have the Bogert and it's fantastic, and I do like that the handle extends out so I'm not tits-to-prop trying to haul my 1700lb+ 182 around. It's also strong enough that I've been able to attach it to my ATV for powered towing - I made an adapter that connects the hitch tongue on the ATV to the airplane end of the Bogert, and just locks in using the same lock pin the pull handle uses. I don't know the total weight to be honest (it's a 182, I don't care), but it doesn't seem bad to me.

I don't know what you consider to be cheap or the limits of light, but I haul my Maule (Scott tailwheel) around with this. Due to body not performing as it did 30 years ago, I invested in a motorized tug.

For something as light as a Citabria on flat ground this should be good.

It is spring loaded and has cups that go around the bolt and nut of the Scott.

http://www.sportys.com/pilotshop/tailwh ... owbar.html

I will vote with TomD

Same one I carried in in my 170

Being able to shove it inside itself was a plus.

That settles it. The one TomD is linking is the cheap one from my original post.

Ordered.

Thanks for the input.

aftCG wrote:That settles it. The one TomD is linking is the cheap one from my original post.

Ordered.

Thanks for the input.

I have used these on Husky's and 185's, you will be happy with it. The tow bar Bushwheels used to sell was great also.

By the way, I like the scheme on your Citabria, I had a 1969 7ECA in high school, same colors.

Kurt

I use the same tow bar on my 185 as you have just ordered. You'll be pleased. The pin that holds the handle in is easily lost. Some light chain and a safety wire will keep it with the bar.

I used one I had for the 182 for short tows to the pump behind my pickup truck like colopilot does with his ATV. I found that I wore out the pin hole and had to switch to a different style pin so it wouldn't fall out all the time. I got one with a wire bail that wrapped around instead of the detent ball type.

The pin that holds the handle in is easily lost

Copy that.

I went to my local marine hardware shop (lots of those in Seattle) and bought about three. I think I am on my first spare now.

How about just a short length of tie-down rope, tied to the t/w?
Light, cheap, compact to carry, and easy to use.
You can also use it to tie down the tail -- you do carry tie-downs, don't you?
The only drawback to the rope is that the tailwheel swivels around backwards when you use it.
That's why I also have a tow bar, which I use to pull the plane into the hangar, but I don't pack it along with me.

hotrod180 wrote:How about just a short length of tie-down rope, tied to the t/w?
Light, cheap, compact to carry, and easy to use.
You can also use it to tie down the tail -- you do carry tie-downs, don't you?
The only drawback to the rope is that the tailwheel swivels around backwards when you use it.
That's why I also have a tow bar, which I use to pull the plane into the hangar, but I don't pack it along with me.

Well part of the reason I sort of joked about using a nylon rope is because I had already done that, and yes I carry three pieces of 1/4" nylon rope at all times and know how to use it. I also drag along my klunky wood chocks.

I have never carried anchors of any kind. The only places I've landed that didn't have tie downs were places we just walked around for a while and then left.

As an update I got the low cost tow bar from Sporty's. It seems comparable to Harbor Freight welding and paint standards and when you move the decimal one place to account for it being for an aircraft it seems about right. I've only hooked it up and pulled the plane once with it but it did work exactly like I need it to.

Damn shame there isn't an aluminum one to clip into somewhere in the plane though.