Gettelman Lug Bug

[Marauder]

Somewhere back in my horse trading days I came to own a Gettelman Lug Bug Model 200. I never used it because it was configured for a Piper and my hangars were always flat and easy to get in. Now that I am based at an airport that has a nice hump at the entrance, I'm thinking about getting this gizmo working. My Google searches found Mr. Gettelman who passed away a few years back at the ripe old age of 96. The searches revealed that the company was sold to a Mr. Lohman who bought it in 1980 and retired from it in 1991. He subsequently was killed in an aviation accident in 1993: http://www.eaa.org/apps/obituaries/MemorialWall2.aspx?ID=971 Then the trail goes cold. I can't find any trace of the company. Did it get bought and a name change? Did it go away? I am trying to find parts to convert it over to a Mooney configuration. Anyone know anything about this company and product?

[Alan Fox]

I have one for a Beech , Seems to be a consortium of riding lawnmower parts and stuff you could make with a mig welder.... 

[Bob_Belville]

 Seems to be a consortium of riding lawnmower parts and stuff you could make with a mig welder.... 

I have a MIG welder... got a picture or 2?

[Marauder]

Here is what it looks like. It has an electric start on it. I need to redo the cables and work on the engine. In my shed I have the front end Piper bracket. Any suggestions?

[DaV8or]

Looks like you just remove the U shaped arch over the top, then line it up with the nose gear and shove a bar through the holes in the fork and the hole in the knee of the nose gear we tow with regularly. It's a starting point anyhow.

[Marauder]

Does anyone know the distance between the ends of our nose gear (where you place the tow bar)?

Sent using Tapatalk

[Hank]

Our nose tires are 5" wide . . . Make your part 6-7", and cut it down if it's too long.

[Marauder]

Our nose tires are 5" wide . . . Make your part 6-7", and cut it down if it's too long.

Thanks Hank. I have the original part that is 8" wide when fully closed without the adapter ends. I will need to put a couple of adapter ends on it to fit the Mooney, so that will take it to 6" inches wide when fully closed. It sounds like it might be okay, as long as the tow bar openings on our Mooneys are closer to 7" apart.

Sent using Tapatalk

[triple8s]

I just made this a few weeks ago. The yellow arms catch the nose gear and I have a locking pin on the arm that's hinged so it can't release accidentally. I had to buy an engine cause wifey wouldn't let me have her mower engine, lol. The tug works fine and I have about 120$ in it all total .

[triple8s]

[triple8s]

Well it should be in the gallery I tried posting the pic but no joy.

[triple8s]

JOY!

[Hank]

Thanks Hank. I have the original part that is 8" wide when fully closed without the adapter ends. I will need to put a couple of adapter ends on it to fit the Mooney, so that will take it to 6" inches wide when fully closed. It sounds like it might be okay, as long as the tow bar openings on our Mooneys are closer to 7" apart.

Sent using Tapatalk

 

I'm not real sure what this means. My tow bar goes clear through the front axle, stick it in one side and it barely protrudes from the other side. There's nothing to "close" and certainly no "adapter ends"—it's just a tube about 1" diameter. Now to look for pictures . . .

[Marauder]

I'm not real sure what this means. My tow bar goes clear through the front axle, stick it in one side and it barely protrudes from the other side. There's nothing to "close" and certainly no "adapter ends"—it's just a tube about 1" diameter. Now to look for pictures . . .

Hi Hank. My manual tow bar looks like this: http://www.sportys.com/PilotShop/product/14090

It goes into one side and goes maybe halfway into the nose gear. If you look at triple's picture above (thank you triple!), he has a gizmo that goes in on each side of the nose gear and closes on both sides of the nose gear. I'm trying to figure out how far apart the holes are on the nose gear without driving out there.

The adapter I have has no ends on it, but can tighten it to 8" fully closed. If I buy these adapters, I am wondering if I can close it tight enough. At this point, there is nothing to fasten these adapters to the brackets, so I was hoping that just closing them on the nose gear would work.

Sent using Tapatalk

[Marauder]

I just made this a few weeks ago. The yellow arms catch the nose gear and I have a locking pin on the arm that's hinged so it can't release accidentally. I had to buy an engine cause wifey wouldn't let me have her mower engine, lol. The tug works fine and I have about 120$ in it all total .

So this is a "FrankenTow". What did you use for a gear box?

Sent using Tapatalk

[triple8s]

I had a craftsman manual shift lawn tractor. 15 hp I used the engine from it to replace an engine on my wife's riding mower, this left me with wheels tires, frame gearbox and the rest of the mower I stripped what was left. Used the seat on a compact tractor the deck I gave away along with the front wheels ( mistake I had to buy new wheels for tug later). Once the frame was stripped I cut it in two and removed about 24 inches from the center section. I originally planned on a tug that cradled the nose gear tire on a swivel so there would be no worries with exceeding turn radius limits and such but I had to unexpectedly move to another hangar which required a tug before I move in so I had a time constraint. Basically I threw it together on a couple of weekends, only things I had to purchase were two wheels and tires from tractor supply then the engine from harbor freight so I have about 120$ in the thing. One thing I did was to make the clutch interconnected to the brakes. I wanted it to come to a stop immediately if the controls were released, a spring applies the brake and when the clutch is engaged the brakes release, still have to put a light on it to illuminate the turn radius indicator for night time use. I'd like to make a different tug sometime hydro static would be cool, I've been gathering parts/junk for that.

[RocketAviator]

Marauder I have a machine shop and welding equipment and I owe u a favor is there something I can do to help? I just converted an EZ tow to fit my Rocket can send Picts but not exactly same as your unit. My unit has collapse able arms that insert the tubes I constructed into nose wheel.

Let me know,

[triple8s]

I'm going to give an idea away, I have been thinking about a lightweight towing device that could be folded and placed in the baggage compartment. Something along the lines of a carbon fiber unicycle that pins onto the nose gear has a gear reduction and very good brakes and a way to steer, and powered by pedal power. Could be made of titanium, composite or other strong lightweight material. Would be cool if it could be convertible between a bicycle and tug so one would have transportation once the plane was parked. Wouldn't that be sweet? Ok someone take the ball and run with it!

[carusoam]

Erik's turn to take up the cycle/tug idea. He has email-order Ti tube experience as well!

Best regards,

-a-

[RocketAviator]

I'm going to give an idea away, I have been thinking about a lightweight towing device that could be folded and placed in the baggage compartment. Something along the lines of a carbon fiber unicycle that pins onto the nose gear has a gear reduction and very good brakes and a way to steer, and powered by pedal power. Could be made of titanium, composite or other strong lightweight material. Would be cool if it could be convertible between a bicycle and tug so one would have transportation once the plane was parked. Wouldn't that be sweet? Ok someone take the ball and run with it!

Better have multiple gear ratios..... if you can tug a Mooney by pedal power I don't think you will want to ride something that slow!  Also a lightweight person on a tire the width of a bicycle will require a significant amount of coefficient from the tire to the pavement or ground etc....  Might be a little more difficult than one might imagine... oh there I go again system integrating.... as has been my living and career for over 30 years now....

 

Now the last problem I see is getting my wife to pedal it while I supervise!!!  

Oh and if I want her to know what I said I will tell her, thank you very much!

 

One last think, all kidding aside I like the idea, as we say around here may need a Sanity Check to see if we can get any traction for it!

[triple8s]

Maybe if it turned the nose gear tire????? Plenty of weight for traction. Just need a way together the pedal power to the nose gear wheel.

[Marauder]

Marauder I have a machine shop and welding equipment and I owe u a favor is there something I can do to help? I just converted an EZ tow to fit my Rocket can send Picts but not exactly same as your unit. My unit has collapse able arms that insert the tubes I constructed into nose wheel.

Let me know,

Thanks. I will keep you posted. Ordered some parts from PowerTow. Hopefully they will work. BTW: the opening to opening width on my F nose gear is 7 5/8" and the opening is 1".

[bnicolette]

Chris this is how ours is set up

[Marauder]

Chris this is how ours is set up

Holy crap Brett! What I thought was specially fabicrated is on your unit. I think I need to see more of your tug. Trying to figure out how to reconfigure it.

Sent using Tapatalk

[bnicolette]

Holy crap Brett! What I thought was specially fabicrated is on your unit. I think I need to see more of your tug. Trying to figure out how to reconfigure it.

Sent using Tapatalk

 

I'll see if I can get Mike to snag some more pics of it for you.  I'm not going to be near the airport at all today and heading out of town tomorrow.  I'll get them for you though.