Moving Airplanes And Turning Heads - Super Tug tow tractor - Brief Article

Diesel Progress North American Edition, Dec, 2000 by Brent Haight

600 hp Super Tug tow tractor can pull 230,000 lb. and hit 60 mph; "it works all day long"

Every airport has a fleet of tow tractors to move aircraft where they need to be. In most cases, they tend to be squat, nondescript vehicles easy to overlook in the general hubbub that surrounds aviation operations. But it's not easy to overlook the Super Tug.

Combining his years of tarmac experience with his years of racing, Bill Newman created the 600 hp Super Tug tow tractor to move airplanes and turn heads.

"I was going after uniqueness with this, with this engine in this vehicle," said Newman. "I thought it should be an eye catcher and a head turner, but it's so much more. It's dependable. It starts every time. It works all day long and stays cool. It's built to last."

The Super Tug tow tractor is powered by a Chevrolet small block 350 gasoline engine with a Roots 6-71 blower, stock Chevy heads and Hooker block hugger headers. Other accessories include twin Holly 600 cfm carburetors and an MSD ignition system providing six spark pulses per second.

"Right now, the engine is under-driven," said Newman. "The blower is under-driven 15 percent, making the engine 600 hp."

The cooling system is made up of a Tornado fan and a radiator taken out of a baggage cart conveyer loader. "The cooling system is a little oversized for the vehicle," said Newman. "The electric fan is bolted right to the radiator. The fan moves 2200 cu.ft. of air per minute."

The engine drives a two-speed Power-glide short kit transmission from New Venture Gear. The tractor body is a 1972 Korhing airport tow tractor with a Clarke industrial truck rear end. The vehicle weights 5000 lb. Top speed for the Super Tug tractor is 60 mph at 8000 rpm and it can pull a rolling weight up to 230,000 lb.

"The center of gravity is right behind the driver's seat, so anything heavier and the rear tires just spin," said Newman. "The drawbar pull on the vehicle is around 7000 lb. The motor generates between 600 and 700 lb.ft. of torque. Through the gear reduction (22:1) and everything else, we calculate that the torque at the tires is right around 1600 lb.ft.

"We went the opposite way of a race vehicle," added Newman. "We went high torque and low rpm. In racing, you do high torque, high rpm."

The Super Tug is based in Salinas, Calif., and is currently making its rounds at air shows in the western U.S.