Pullin' Yer Own Weight (- & THEN SOME!!!)
A good aircraft Tow Tractor Tug vehicle is an essential required item to complete any well-heeled Unlimited Air Race Team's equipment list.
Over the years, a variety of tug types have appeared at air racing events to provide ready & reliable movement of their crew's airplane(s) to & from their assigned pit stall out onto the ramp for fuel servicing, testing, & spotting/retrieval during events, whenever needed.
From restored WW2-surplus Clarks, to vintage Clarktors, Harlans, Northwesterns, Uniteds & other types, these seasoned veterans of many years' faithful military & commercial duty- enjoy extended lives humbly moving racers around the field. Some get 'spiffed-up' w/flashy matching racer color schemes & fancy appointments, or remain in their basic utility white or yellow.
For those less-concerned about 'classic style' who simply require facility & functionality- a good pickup truck fitted w/a hitch will do nicely. P/U's are much more adept at hauling loads of support equipment, gear and people than their small but stout & strong purpose-built towing counterparts.
Here's a casual look at aircraft tow tug vehicles used by various teams during race week in the past. (Note: I'm hoping this subject might be of some interest, & a bit of fun viewing by race team owners & crews in particular. Now I don't pretend to know much at all about these neat machines, so I'm sorry I can't ID makes & models for those who might want to know such info
DBD
Top row (L-R):
1. & 2. Thurs. 9/11/80 - For those who were there, who could ever forget the 'El Camino Years' of Lyle Shelton's #77 Rare Bear Air Race Team? That mid-1970s white Chevy had a funky flair that was totally cool for a tow vehicle adaptation, and looked 'rugged-but-right' for The Bear & crew at that point in their history. "And, away we GO!......"
3. Sat. 9/12/87 - Scott Sherman's #84 Stiletto team may have been possibly trying to emulate Rare Bear's 'El Camino mystique', by utilizing this late-70s LTD-style Ford Ranchero, but it was way 'too pristine' for comparison...
4. Sun. 9/20/81 - Traditionally, pickup trucks (like this Ford towing Wiley Sanders' #69 Jeannie w/Dave Zeuschel & crew after their Gold win) have been the dominant force in applied tow vehicles to date at the air races, and the choice for official Reno NCAR ramp opns.
5. Sun. 9/7/03 - WW2 Willys Jeeps moved countless warbirds around airfields around the world, and over 2,000 Jeep Mod. CJ-10A flightline tow tractors adapted from the original were built. This modern Jeep gets Rare Bear in line for the fuel truck at Reno.
Middle row (L-R) - Various classic tugs on duty:
1. Reno '82 - #4 Dago Red
2. Mon. 9/8/86 - #84 Stiletto
3. Tue. 9/13/94 - #77 Rare Bear
4. Wed. 9/12/01 - #22 Merlin's Magic
5. Mon. 9/20/99 - #5 Voodoo
Bottom row (L-R):
1. Mon. 9/16/96 - Museum of Flying's restored tug (w/#49 Cottonmouth) was donated by Lockheed Corp., & truly exemplifies the term- "Classic".
2. Fri. 9/12/97 - 'HOT ROD TUG' (w/crew chief extraordinaire- Bill Kerchenfaut at the wheel) moves #7 Strega back to her pit stall in style, taking aircraft tug types up to the highest level: "RADICAL"!!!
3. Sun. 9/15/85 - 'The Agricultural Approach'...#4 Dago Red heads for the Unlimited Gold Race entries' lineup in front of the Reno grandstands.
4. Wed. 9/10/86 - 'The Agricultural Approach... 'Size LARGE' - John Deere tractor moves the big P&W R-4360 corncob-engined Super Corsair Corsair out to the Stead Field ramp.
5. Sun. 9/11/94 - And then there's- Bill 'Tiger' Destefani- 'Doin' it his way' (to borrow a line from- 'Ole' Blue Eyes') - hitchin' up his heavy metal thoroughbred- #7 Strega, at Reno. How can ya top Tiger?!?
Over the years, a variety of tug types have appeared at air racing events to provide ready & reliable movement of their crew's airplane(s) to & from their assigned pit stall out onto the ramp for fuel servicing, testing, & spotting/retrieval during events, whenever needed.
From restored WW2-surplus Clarks, to vintage Clarktors, Harlans, Northwesterns, Uniteds & other types, these seasoned veterans of many years' faithful military & commercial duty- enjoy extended lives humbly moving racers around the field. Some get 'spiffed-up' w/flashy matching racer color schemes & fancy appointments, or remain in their basic utility white or yellow.
For those less-concerned about 'classic style' who simply require facility & functionality- a good pickup truck fitted w/a hitch will do nicely. P/U's are much more adept at hauling loads of support equipment, gear and people than their small but stout & strong purpose-built towing counterparts.
Here's a casual look at aircraft tow tug vehicles used by various teams during race week in the past. (Note: I'm hoping this subject might be of some interest, & a bit of fun viewing by race team owners & crews in particular. Now I don't pretend to know much at all about these neat machines, so I'm sorry I can't ID makes & models for those who might want to know such info
DBD Top row (L-R):
1. & 2. Thurs. 9/11/80 - For those who were there, who could ever forget the 'El Camino Years' of Lyle Shelton's #77 Rare Bear Air Race Team? That mid-1970s white Chevy had a funky flair that was totally cool for a tow vehicle adaptation, and looked 'rugged-but-right' for The Bear & crew at that point in their history. "And, away we GO!......"
3. Sat. 9/12/87 - Scott Sherman's #84 Stiletto team may have been possibly trying to emulate Rare Bear's 'El Camino mystique', by utilizing this late-70s LTD-style Ford Ranchero, but it was way 'too pristine' for comparison...
4. Sun. 9/20/81 - Traditionally, pickup trucks (like this Ford towing Wiley Sanders' #69 Jeannie w/Dave Zeuschel & crew after their Gold win) have been the dominant force in applied tow vehicles to date at the air races, and the choice for official Reno NCAR ramp opns.
5. Sun. 9/7/03 - WW2 Willys Jeeps moved countless warbirds around airfields around the world, and over 2,000 Jeep Mod. CJ-10A flightline tow tractors adapted from the original were built. This modern Jeep gets Rare Bear in line for the fuel truck at Reno.
Middle row (L-R) - Various classic tugs on duty:
1. Reno '82 - #4 Dago Red
2. Mon. 9/8/86 - #84 Stiletto
3. Tue. 9/13/94 - #77 Rare Bear
4. Wed. 9/12/01 - #22 Merlin's Magic
5. Mon. 9/20/99 - #5 Voodoo
Bottom row (L-R):
1. Mon. 9/16/96 - Museum of Flying's restored tug (w/#49 Cottonmouth) was donated by Lockheed Corp., & truly exemplifies the term- "Classic".
2. Fri. 9/12/97 - 'HOT ROD TUG' (w/crew chief extraordinaire- Bill Kerchenfaut at the wheel) moves #7 Strega back to her pit stall in style, taking aircraft tug types up to the highest level: "RADICAL"!!!
3. Sun. 9/15/85 - 'The Agricultural Approach'...#4 Dago Red heads for the Unlimited Gold Race entries' lineup in front of the Reno grandstands.
4. Wed. 9/10/86 - 'The Agricultural Approach... 'Size LARGE' - John Deere tractor moves the big P&W R-4360 corncob-engined Super Corsair Corsair out to the Stead Field ramp.
5. Sun. 9/11/94 - And then there's- Bill 'Tiger' Destefani- 'Doin' it his way' (to borrow a line from- 'Ole' Blue Eyes') - hitchin' up his heavy metal thoroughbred- #7 Strega, at Reno. How can ya top Tiger?!?
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