Tracked RC Tug Tows 5,000-Pound Airplanes

While you may travel by plane, unless you’re a private pilot, you likely give little thought to how they get from the hanger to wherever they’re needed, or assume the pilot just “pulls it in” as you would your daily driver. While certainly capable of ground navigation, planes also need to be towed from time to time. Rather than using a golf cart or small tractor — as originally seen here and written up on his blog in more detail — Anthony DiPilato built his own remote-controlled aircraft tug.

The tug takes the form of a small tracked vehicle that resembles a tank. However, instead of a turret, it features a recession that when it’s pushed under the front wheel of the plane — a 5,200-pound Cessna 310 — it’s mechanically locked into place for pulling, secured with an electromagnet. The mechanism is likely better seen than explained, so check it out in the first clip below.

DiPilato welded the frame for this mighty little device out of steel angle, and locomotion is provided by a pair of “Jazzy” wheelchair motors. This gives it the torque to pull the comparatively gigantic plane — like an ant maneuvering many multiples its own body weight. Control is accomplished by an onboard Arduino Mega, along with an HC-08 Bluetooth module that allows the operator to remotely pilot the tug using an iPhone.