Scale Soaring UK

Can you place a tug tow hook mount on the side of the fuselage?

I’m hoping to modify a power model for tug duties, but the canopy extends back a long way and if placed on fuselage top (where I’ve seen all other tow mounts) it would be a long way from the C of G

Phill

Phil, hopefully others with more towing experience will answer your question but it occurs to me that a Y-harness is used on some gliders (Fauvel AV36 for example) so I imagine a similar approach could be used on the tug if the single side mounting is deemed unwise.

Phil

As Trevor mentions above I would go for a Y harness rather than towing from one side of the fuselage.

Pat

Sound advice, thanks gents

I have done quite a few tows with a 50cc Extreme Flight Extra 300. That has a tow release on the right hand fuselage side, and it tows just the same as my Porter with a central tow location. RH side will tend to help correct for prop torque at low speeds, which may just help slightly reduce any right rudder needed on slow climbs. Quite easy to do, with only a small tube visible on the side of the fuz.

Simon

Haven't done it myself, have looked into it for a mate and a large (42%) RV4 tug here now has a r/h side tow point although it hasn't flown yet. It has a very large canopy, so no way to top mount. In the end we decided a side point shouldn't make a difference for non eventful towing, in an upset it was one less release/attachment point to fail and one less length of line to whip around the tail compared to a harness. It was also easier to install. The location was the first viable strong area behind the CG above the wing cutout, which ended up being approximately 2/3rds wing chord from the leading edge.

So to your question, "Can you place a tug tow hook mount on the side of the fuselage?" Yes, you can. Whether you do so is up to you.

Here are some successful installations.
On Youtube channel I subscribe to, Aviation CZ, it has a number of aerotow videos showing side tow points. The tugs seem to tow quite well.
This is one. Video starts from the 4minute mark

Simon, Brian - thanks for your replies!

I am edging towards a single side mount as it seems easier to implement.

Brian, I’m also trying to use an RV-4 (Hangar 9) as a tug.

Let me know how your friend gets on.

Phill

Extra iinstallation:

Thanks Simon,

is that epoxy in an oversize tube drilled out for a rod?

Phill

It is a thick walled ali tube, about 1/4” diameter, with a wooden dowel glued inside, then bored out to take a snake outer. The V-groove where the towline loop will go is then machined/filed out. The rod is just a bike spoke connected to the servo on the far side of the fuselage. There is local strengthening, to ensure the tow forces are carried into the structure - obviously the force can be quite high if the towline snatches.

simon_t wrote: ↑01 Dec 2021, 18:43 It is a thick walled ali tube, about 1/4” diameter, with a wooden dowel glued inside, then bored out to take a snake outer. The V-groove where the towline loop will go is then machined/filed out. The rod is just a bike spoke connected to the servo on the far side of the fuselage. There is local strengthening, to ensure the tow forces are carried into the structure - obviously the force can be quite high if the towline snatches.

Thanks Simon