Ground Support Equipment in Aviation Museums

Noha307 · **Posted:** Mon Jan 06, 2020 12:34 am

ZRX61 wrote:

I really like that tug

I remember seeing that type of tug before, it's the same as the one owned by Stallion 51 and the Pima Air and Space Museum. Apparently, it's made by the Motor Generator Company.

In the process of looking for information about the Stallion 51 tug, I found out that they have another matching called "Little Witch" tug to go with their other P-51:

(Source: Flickr)

I don't know if it really counts, but they also have a black Jeep Wrangler TJ:

(Source: Flickr)

I came across a picture of the yellow tug the Museum of Flying uses:

(Source: Google Maps)

Finally, I've covered the Brooklands Museum in a previous post, but some of the vehicle entries didn't have pictures uploaded. However, I came across pictures for two of the ones that were missing. One is a 1956 Mercury Airport Tractor:

(Source: Flickr)

The other, which's type was profiled in a previous post, is a 1937 Thompson Brothers P505 "Mobile Refuelling Tender":

(Source: Flickr)

Scott Rose · **Posted:** Mon Jan 06, 2020 2:12 pm

ZRX61 wrote:

Looks military... possible ramp truck/mobile workshop?

That would be a cool WIX HQ van at airshows... Now I just need a winning lottery ticket :lol:

Noha307 · **Posted:** Sun Jan 12, 2020 10:40 am

Vintage Wings of Canada did a pretty good custom light blue paint job on their United Tractor SML-series tug:

(Source: Warbirds News)

(Source: Flickr)

Noha307 · **Posted:** Sun Jan 26, 2020 11:12 pm

The San Diego Air & Space Museum may use the white United Tractor tug in the right side of this picture at their Gillespie Field annex:

(Source: Flickr)

I found two pages with some information about the TA-75A tug and NC-8A GPU at the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum mentioned in a previous post. According to the information on the accompanying sign:

Patuxent River Naval Air Museum wrote:

Moving Naval Aircraft Powered by a Ford 302 V-8 gasoline engine, the United Tractor TA-75A was designed to tow aircraft weighing up to 75,000 pounds. The rear deck could mount a gas turbine for starting jet aircraft engines. TA-75As were used on shore facilities, including austere operating sites. However, they were not used on aircraft carriers because of the fire hazard associated with gasoline.

The Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) at NAS Patuxent River manages the development, testing, and life cycle support of tow tractors and all other aviation support equipment used by the Navy and Marine Corps.

Our Display Tractor PRNAM's tow tractor was used at NAS Patuxent River until it was delivered to the museum in the early 2000s.

Patuxent River Naval Air Museum wrote:

Powering Naval Aircraft Mobile electric power plants (MEPPs) are used on the flight decks of aircraft carriers and on shore facilities. MEPPs supply regulated electrical power for aircraft servicing, starting, maintenance, and testing. The NC-8A MEPP is electrically propelled, with front-wheel steering and rear-wheel drive. Its liquid-cooled diesel engine provides 115/200-volt, 3-phase, 400-hertz AC power and 28 volts DC power. All propulsion and electrical controls are located on two panels in the driver's compartment.

(Note: All current ground support—so-called "yellow gear"—equipment is now painted white due to environmental contamination issues associated with the yellow paint pigment.)

The Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) at NAS Patuxent River manages the development, testing, and life cycle support of MEPPs and all other aviation support equipment used by the Navy and Marine Corps.

Our Display MEPP PRNAM's NC-8A MEPP served at NAS Patuxent River until it was delivered to the museum in the early 2000s.

Finally, I came across a relevant WIX thread about WWII aircraft tug paint colors: Paint info for WWII Tug needed.

Noha307 · **Posted:** Sun Feb 02, 2020 1:06 am

It seems my last post may have stirred up some interest in tugs as the Vintage Wings of Canada is apparently thinking of restoring an International I-4 as one! :wink:

ErrolC · **Posted:** Wed Feb 05, 2020 1:10 am

Taken at Temora Aviation Museum, NSW during Warbirds Downunder 2018

Workhorses by Errol Cavit, on Flickr

Noha307 · **Posted:** Sun Feb 23, 2020 9:43 pm

ErrolC wrote:

Taken at Temora Aviation Museum, NSW during Warbirds Downunder 2018

Thanks for sharing!

Apparently, the Reynolds-Alberta Museum (mentioned in two previous posts: 1, 2) has updated their website - and with it added a short list of their aircraft tugs as part of a larger listing of their aviation collection. Here's what they have:

1942 David Brown VIG.1/C
1942 W.F. Hebard L 233
1943 Clark Clarkat
c. 1951 Unitow Model 18
c. 1957 Paymover T-120F

It's worth noting that the museum has a large agricultural tractor collection as well, so it isn't surprising that they would have multiple aircraft tugs.

Also, in the process of looking for information about the tractors at the museum, I came across an excellent website with the story of the David Brown VTK1 and VIG1 as well as the company's later involvement in "airfield towing tractors". It is well worth checking out.

ZRX61 · **Joined:** Tue Jun 14, 2005 10:16 am **Posts:** 2303

Any ideas? Spotted today in StL.

Noha307 · **Posted:** Sun Mar 08, 2020 4:25 pm

ZRX61 wrote:

Any ideas? Spotted today in StL.

Not sure. Thanks for sharing though!

An olive drab tug and two other trucks at the Historic Aircraft Restoration Project:

(Source: Google Maps)

Noha307 · **Posted:** Wed Mar 11, 2020 10:22 pm

The Museo del Aire in Madrid, Spain has a number of ground vehicles on display, including a black and yellow mobile control tower trailer, license plate EA R 571; a Land Rover/Santana crash truck, license plate EA 1843 3; and a Henschel Hs 33 truck in Condor Legion colors, license plate LC-25724:

(Source: Google Maps)

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

EBRO F 108 ambulance:

(Source: Myn Transport Blog)

Mercedes-Benz chemical testing laboratory truck, license plate EA 11926:

(Source: Flickr)

Tanker truck, license plate EA 0156 3

(Source: Flickr)

Armored car, license plate EA 1837 3

(Source: Flickr)

JLP crash truck, license plate M 8516 NZ

(Source: Flickr)

Mercedes-Benz 407D ambulance, license plate M 5749 OF

(Source: Flickr)

Aircraft tug, license plate EA 0427 3

(Source: Flickr)

Pegaso 515 fuel tanker, license plate EA 2750 3

(Source: Flickr)

Pegaso 1065 fuel tanker

(Source: Flickr)

Finally, there is some sort of autogyro car:

(Source: Flickr)

pjpahs · **Posted:** Thu Mar 12, 2020 9:47 am

Behind the photo of the EBRO F108 ambulance isn’t that a 3 engine Dornier DO 24 flying boat?

Noha307 · **Posted:** Sat Mar 21, 2020 6:13 pm

pjpahs wrote:

Behind the photo of the EBRO F108 ambulance isn’t that a 3 engine Dornier DO 24 flying boat?

Yep, it is.

The Qantas Founders Museum moved their Constellation under its new airpark roof earlier this month and in the process used a "vintage aircraft tug" - and may I say I like its looks:

(Source: Qantas Founders Museum)

(Source: Warbirds News)

They also have a non-GSE Ford Model T:

(Source: Flickr)

While the QFM hasn't been mentioned in this thread before, a number of other former QANTAS tugs and other GSE at the Australian Aviation Heritage Center, Queensland Air Museum (1, 2) have.

Also, while the Bentwaters Cold War Museum was mentioned previously, this yellow vehicle wasn't:

(Source: Bentwaters Cold War Museum)

It can also be seen in a YouTube video:

(Source: YouTube)

Noha307 · **Posted:** Mon Mar 30, 2020 8:13 pm

Planes of Fame, mentioned in a few previous posts, put up a video the other day showing Steve restacking the hangar that had some good shots of one of their tugs:

Attachment:

Attachment:

Attachment:

(Source: YouTube)

Noha307 · **Posted:** Fri Apr 10, 2020 9:16 pm

I came across an article on the Hungarian Museum of Science, Technology and Transport's website today that Budapest Airport was donating a bunch of artifacts to the museum. Apparently, one of them is a six-wheel crash truck:

(Source: The Hungarian Museum of Science, Technology and Transport)

The "Aeropark" at the airport, which is associated with the museum, also includes a number of other GSE:

Noha307 · **Posted:** Thu May 07, 2020 2:19 pm

According to a thread on the Aviarestorer forum, the Central Air Force Museum, which was mentioned in a previous post, uses a KrAZ, GAZ-66, ZiL-157, and T-40.

ZiL-157:

(Source: Aviarestorer)
Link to Oversize Picture
(Source: Aviarestorer)

In the above thread I found a link to another forum thread with pictures of Soviet/Russian GSE. Check it out if you're interested in some less familiar vehicles.

Also, although it's not exactly GSE, the Alberta Aviation Museum received a new Kubota tractor in 2017 for snow removal:

(Source: Alberta Aviation Museum)

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Ground Support Equipment in Aviation Museums

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