MossRoad
Super Moderator
- Joined
- Aug 31, 2001
- Messages
- 58,044
- Location
- South Bend, Indiana (near)
- Tractor
- Power Trac PT425 2001 Model Year
Why I\'m Hooked on Hydraulic Articulation
This is an explaination on why I'm hooked on hydraulic articualtion. When I was 17 I got a job at an airport painting hangars and mowing the lawn. Then I got promoted to work on the line fueling and moving aircraft. This is the machine that we used to move them with.
It is called an Air Horse. They took a Wheel Horse tractor and attached a large joint sandwiched between two plates to the rear axle. It was similar to the mid joint on our Power Tracs. On the other side of the joint was a heavy fork arrangement with tires on the outside of the forks(go look at the pictures). It had a couple of jaws that would open and go around an airplane tire similar to the tree hugger attachment that Power Trac sells, and lift the front tire of the plane off the ground. Then they removed the front axle and put hdraulic rams between the fork and the tractor. It was now hydraulically articulated. They slapped a seat on the hood and you sat on top with the steering wheel between your legs. Your toes rested on the foot pads and you used your heel to stop the unit. You controlled speed with a hand lever. As you went faster, the brake pedal would come up. If you stepped on the brake, the hand lever would move back. Very similar to our treadles. I drove those machines(we had two) for 6 years with very few problems. I moved everything from little 2 seaters to large turbo props. That's why I'm sold on hydraulic articulation and hydraulics in general.
Anyway, it was a blast to drive, highly maneuverable and just an all around great machine. It is good to see that the company is still in business. Hope you enjoy the pictures. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
This is an explaination on why I'm hooked on hydraulic articualtion. When I was 17 I got a job at an airport painting hangars and mowing the lawn. Then I got promoted to work on the line fueling and moving aircraft. This is the machine that we used to move them with.
It is called an Air Horse. They took a Wheel Horse tractor and attached a large joint sandwiched between two plates to the rear axle. It was similar to the mid joint on our Power Tracs. On the other side of the joint was a heavy fork arrangement with tires on the outside of the forks(go look at the pictures). It had a couple of jaws that would open and go around an airplane tire similar to the tree hugger attachment that Power Trac sells, and lift the front tire of the plane off the ground. Then they removed the front axle and put hdraulic rams between the fork and the tractor. It was now hydraulically articulated. They slapped a seat on the hood and you sat on top with the steering wheel between your legs. Your toes rested on the foot pads and you used your heel to stop the unit. You controlled speed with a hand lever. As you went faster, the brake pedal would come up. If you stepped on the brake, the hand lever would move back. Very similar to our treadles. I drove those machines(we had two) for 6 years with very few problems. I moved everything from little 2 seaters to large turbo props. That's why I'm sold on hydraulic articulation and hydraulics in general.
Anyway, it was a blast to drive, highly maneuverable and just an all around great machine. It is good to see that the company is still in business. Hope you enjoy the pictures. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
