Aircraft Towbars and Their Use

As aircraft are often subject to a number of extreme conditions during flight operations and may be flown numerous times over a given period, it is critical that they are well maintained to ensure safety and efficiency of all components. When conducting maintenance on an aircraft, the towbar serves as one of the most important yet overlooked pieces of Ground Support Equipment as they are used for the transportation of the aircraft to a maintenance area for work. Depending on the type of aircraft in question, a number of towbar assembly types may be used, ranging from small hand operated equipment pieces to robust vehicle operated assemblies.

Whether the aircraft is a small trainer or a large commercial airliner, moving aircraft by themselves can be an extremely difficult procedure, thus Ground Support Equipment such as towbars are used to safely manuever aircraft to where they need to be for maintenance. To conduct such a procedure, the Aviation Towbar and Head Components are attached to the nose landing gear of the aircraft, and a ring on the other end allows for an attachment to a tug for the means of pulling the weight of the aircraft. Depending on the aircraft size, weight, and other factors, a variety of aircraft towbar assembly types may be used. If the aircraft that needs maintenance has damaged nose landing gear, one can Latch Towbar Equipment to each of the main landing gear sections in order to move the aircraft.

Regardless of the type of towbar that you may own, one should always ensure that their aircraft towbar parts are well maintained and inspected periodically as to avoid any risks, accidents, and harm to the aircraft, equipment, or workers. One of the most important towbar components is the shear bolt, which is a small fastener that serves as the first protectional device between the Towbar Assembly and the aircraft. When the pulling force exceeds set safety limits, the shear bolt will snap in order to separate the components, preventing damages to the aircraft and ground support equipment. The shear bolt should always be inspected before utilizing the towbar as well as replaced on set time intervals for optimal performance.

Beyond the shearbolt, general Aircraft Towbar parts and the body should always be inspected before each use to spot any dents, cracks, deformations, or other damages that may pose a risk to the integrity of the towbar. While a small issue may not seem important, the stress of operation may be applied to the area during use, causing it to worsen and possibly fail. Because of this, damaged towbars should never be operated for the safety of workers and for the wellbeing of the aircraft. The towhead in particular is one area that should be thoroughly inspected, as it is the area at which the Aviation Towbar and Head Components make direct contact with the structure of the aircraft. For the towhead, one should be wary of any signs of corrosion, as corrosion may spread to the aircraft structure itself if one is not careful, leading to a lower service life for affected aircraft parts and components.

When it comes time to begin sourcing the pin towbar, key towbar, latch towbar, and Support Towbar Parts that you need for your maintenance operations, let the experts at Expedited Quoting help you procure everything that you are searching for with ease. Expedited Quoting is a top supplier of aircraft parts that cater to civil and defense applications, offering customers access to over 2 billion items across our robust part catalogues. Get started on the purchasing process today by filling out and submitting an Instant RFQ and receive a personalized quote in 15 minutes or less.