A pushback tug is a small truck- still it can push/pull an aircraft which is much heavier than the small truck. the aircraft naturally requires a large force even for ground movement (just for its weight), while flying the high powered jet engines are used. How such a force is generated by a tug without using high power engines like those in the aircraft ? Please explain the technical aspects in brief. Address of a suitable website may please be given if available.
2007-12-23 04:09:28 · 7 answers · asked by sbs_cu 1 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Aircraft
In order to move the aircraft, you don't have to overcome its weight, you only have to overcome friction (assuming a level ramp of course). Naturally, the heavier the aircraft, the more friction there will be to overcome, but this is significantly less than the weight of the aircraft.
The tug is plenty powerful enough to overcome the friction opposing it.
The airplane itself needs a lot more power because it needs a lot more speed to fly. Higher speeds mean more friction to oppose due to wind resistance (drag).
The aircraft, when it's on the ground, doesn't need any more power to move than the tug has, as long as it doesn't try to go any faster than the tug can push it.
Once you've overcome the friction of the wheels, the weight of the airplane comes into play again, but only in terms of how quickly the airplane accelerates. Think of a mouse and a pig on iceskates. If you push the mouse with all of your might, the mouse will go zipping off into the snowbank on the other end of the rink. You were able to accelerate the mouse a lot due to it's small mass. Now, you push the pig with the same force, and it only glides forward, much slower than the mouse, and stops a few meters in front of you. You weren't able to accelerate the pig as much, because it had more mass. But, you were able to move both, because your push overcame the friction of the ice skates against the ice.
2007-12-23 07:36:07 · answer #1 · answered by Flug 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Look at it this way. A 140# person can push a car that's run out of gas off the road.
Through gear reduction, and the addition of dead weight, pushbacks have a mechanical advantage over the inertia of an that's either parked or in motion.
Drawbar rating is usually around 60% of the tractor's weight. The aircraft that can safely be handled by the tractor is 10 times the drawbar rating. So an International T300, with a gross weight of 50,000#'s has a drawbar rating of 30,000#'s, meaning it can handle an aircraft weighing 300,000#'s.
Big engines, with lots of torque, mass of weight, gear reduction to the drive wheels, and enormous brakes again combined with the weight tractor, make it not only capable of pulling the much heavier aircraft, but more importantly, stopping it.
2007-12-25 23:02:22 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Pushback Tug
2016-10-20 05:19:44 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The requirement of power needed between moving the aircraft along the ground and actually flying are obviously very different. I am able to push/pull an aircraft with a five-hundred pound tug because of the low resistance. It does not need a large force for this parameter. You are confusing the need for aircraft using its engine to move itself. Without a tow, this is the only way, though it is an "overkill". Please refer to Newton's law of motion for study. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newton's_laws_of_motion
2007-12-25 06:54:56 · answer #4 · answered by d_battino 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Same principle as a transport truck, do you think the cab weighs more than the backend. inertia and force all come inot effect here.
2007-12-23 04:17:01 · answer #5 · answered by l p 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Torque and gear ratios.
Moving things on wheels doesn't take as much effort as you would think once the initial inertia is overcome. Then, momentum is your friend.
2007-12-23 04:13:20 · answer #6 · answered by terrellfastball 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Same way a bull dozer moves mountians, gearing.
2007-12-23 13:48:55 · answer #7 · answered by walt554 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋