diamondaviators.net

Don wrote: ↑Sun Jan 12, 2020 6:18 pm I have been very happy with my AC Air Technology robot tug. It has a wireless remote with joystick and speed control. You can walk around aircraft when in motion to check clearance. Also, the bright LED lights make hook up at night easy.
http://acairtechnology.com/

How do you get the nose wheel onto and off the tug?

CBeak wrote: ↑Mon Jan 13, 2020 12:20 am

Don wrote: ↑Sun Jan 12, 2020 6:18 pm I have been very happy with my AC Air Technology robot tug. It has a wireless remote with joystick and speed control. You can walk around aircraft when in motion to check clearance. Also, the bright LED lights make hook up at night easy.
http://acairtechnology.com/
TingNEW TUG.JPG

Interesting. There are several models on their site. Which one are you using?

This Model. http://acairtechnology.com/product/ac-tracktech-t1v2-2/
You can see in the description it is recommended for DA40's. BTW, my Diamond Star was the first DA 40 they had built a tug for. They are located near Chino Airport, (KCNO) which is about a 20 minute flight from my base airport. I flew out there and they took measurements of the nose wheel and nose pant. A week later I returned to Chino and they tested the DA40 prototype on my plane which is the one shown in earlier photo. I also had them add LED lights which is not shown in photo. A week or so later they shipped me the tug.

Boatguy wrote: ↑Mon Jan 13, 2020 12:42 am

Don wrote: ↑Sun Jan 12, 2020 6:18 pm I have been very happy with my AC Air Technology robot tug. It has a wireless remote with joystick and speed control. You can walk around aircraft when in motion to check clearance. Also, the bright LED lights make hook up at night easy.
http://acairtechnology.com/

How do you get the nose wheel onto and off the tug?

You push a button on the remote and on the very back of the robot a gate opens and lowers creating a ramp. Then you slowly back the robot and it lifts the nose wheel up. That said, it is best to set parking brake first. The robot is so powerful it will push the aircraft back if parking brake is not set. Once wheel is positioned properly on the robot, you release gate button on the remote and the gate and ramp goes up automatically. Then insert side stabilizes into nose pants, release parking brake and you are ready to go.
Here is a video when factory was testing DA40 prototype on my plane.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xE0_Zw2XanM

Boatguy wrote: ↑Sat Jan 11, 2020 5:59 pm I use a Best Tugs Alpha 3. It's a well built unit and works well.

A little off topic here. I transferred funds for an Alpha 3 almost a month ago, but they seem to be ignoring my email inquiries about the order status. How long did it take to get yours and when should I start to worry? lol

CKC wrote: ↑Thu May 13, 2021 11:27 pm

Boatguy wrote: ↑Sat Jan 11, 2020 5:59 pm I use a Best Tugs Alpha 3. It's a well built unit and works well.

A little off topic here. I transferred funds for an Alpha 3 almost a month ago, but they seem to be ignoring my email inquiries about the order status. How long did it take to get yours and when should I start to worry? lol

I purchased at a show for the discount and delayed the delivery while waiting for a hangar. They've always been responsive to my support phone calls. I would call them. 800.914.2003

Boatguy wrote: ↑Fri May 14, 2021 3:53 pm

CKC wrote: ↑Thu May 13, 2021 11:27 pm

Boatguy wrote: ↑Sat Jan 11, 2020 5:59 pm I use a Best Tugs Alpha 3. It's a well built unit and works well.

A little off topic here. I transferred funds for an Alpha 3 almost a month ago, but they seem to be ignoring my email inquiries about the order status. How long did it take to get yours and when should I start to worry? lol

I purchased at a show for the discount and delayed the delivery while waiting for a hangar. They've always been responsive to my support phone calls. I would call them. 800.914.2003

I'm not sure what's going on at Best Tugs. When I paid them up front for an alpha3 6 weeks ago, they said it would take 3-4 weeks to ship. When I called them at 4 weeks, they said it would ship in another week. When I called them yesterday they said it would be assembled in a day or two. It looks like a good product from the videos, but I'm not sure that I trust them now that they're having production problems.

Not to defend Best Tugs (I have one, they've been very responsive to me), but all manufacturers seem to have supply chain issues for component parts right now.

CFIDave wrote: ↑Tue May 25, 2021 2:37 pm Not to defend Best Tugs (I have one, they've been very responsive to me), but all manufacturers seem to have supply chain issues for component parts right now.

Yep, I work in manufacturing also and we are experiencing long delays in our supply chain from vendors of electronics to raw materials such as chemicals and custom aluminum extrusions.

I love my Best Tug. I bought mine last May. It was the best purchase experience I have had in a very long time. Very responsive, helpful beyond belief. This is a family business with very high standards. This is definitely not a typical problem with Best Tug. Covid has presented everyone with challenges never dreamed of before. I always look to be part of a solution rather than the problem.
Be patient but keep communicating; be kind and considerate.
Just my opinion

I've had a Sidewinder for my DA42NG for about 3 months. I've really liked it and used it a lot. Unfortunately last week as I was pushing the plane back into the hangar, smoke started emanating from the Milwaukee drill unit. I stopped immediately but it became clear that the drill had seized.

I'm curious if anyone else has had this experience? I spoke the Redline, the manufacturer, and they said for the drill I needed to work with Milwaukee. I live near a Milwaukee service center and they took it for a warranty repair no questions asked. They said that the turn-around at the moment is 3 weeks. We'll see how it goes. I decided to purchase another new drill unit. It was only $270. This will give me a back-up as well.

Hopefully I get more than 3 months average life on these drills. I have a small slope up to my hangar and a 1/2 lip. The motor does seem like it is working hard but the scenario is not outside of a normal hangar situation.

I'm curious if any other Sidewinder users have had this experience. Hopefully I just had bad luck with the drill unit but I really need a tug to move my DA42 in and out of its current hangar. I am wondering if I should look at a more powerful unit like a BestTugs etc.