# Travel >> Transportation >> Small Aircraft

How to Build an Airplane Tow

Because many small airplanes lack suitable maneuverability on the ground, it is necessary to have a way of pushing them in and out of hangars, or around the tarmac. Most pilots keep a two bar in the storage hatch of the aircraft for such purposes. Unlike the airplanes themselves, a tow bar is not built to any set code or standard, as it is only used to push and pull the airplane by hand. Make one of these simple tools in a home workshop if you are familiar with welding and its procedures.

5 feet of 1-inch metal tubing
Welding work table
Bench vise
10-inch lengths of 1-inch metal tubing, 2
1-inch lugs, 2
Welding torch
Duct tape

Instructions

- 1
  Place the 5-foot length of the the tubing into the bench vise on the welding table. Keep it parallel to the ground.
- 2
  Put on your welding goggles, gloves and apron. Heat the one end of the tubing. This prepares to for the welds that hold the fork and lugs.
- 3
  Weld the 10-inch lengths of tubing onto the heated end of the main tube so they form a fork coming out from the end of the main tube.
- 4
  Weld one 1-inch lug to the inside bottom of each branch of the welded fork on the bottom of the main tube. It should look like a two-pronged pitchfork with lugs on the inside of the prongs.
- 5
  Wrap the top of the main tube with duct tape to use as a grip. Let the metal cool and the welds solidify for at least 30 minutes. Remove the tow bar from the vise.

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Small Aircraft