With the much higher costs in Europe for gas, parts and maintenance, many clubs over there are searching for a replacement for their tow planes. The Danes have a good article on their website in English. Interestingly, they can buy this Eurofox as a kit
that they plan to assemble themselves. https://nordicgliding-com.translate.goog/eurofox-erstatning-for-pawnee/?_x_tr_sl=da&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=da&fbclid=IwAR0O-LburJaODgb8j8sIHJ34W1wNR9A9bwq_vHFJoxmq2BEGXN0lyT0kGa0

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On Wednesday, May 17, 2023 at 1:52:07 PM UTC-4, Herbert Kilian wrote:

With the much higher costs in Europe for gas, parts and maintenance, many clubs over there are searching for a replacement for their tow planes. The Danes have a good article on their website in English. Interestingly, they can buy this Eurofox as a

kit that they plan to assemble themselves.

https://nordicgliding-com.translate.goog/eurofox-erstatning-for-pawnee/?_x_tr_sl=da&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=da&fbclid=IwAR0O-LburJaODgb8j8sIHJ34W1wNR9A9bwq_vHFJoxmq2BEGXN0lyT0kGa0

Herbert, I have been very skeptical about the Eurofox being a suitable replacement for the Pawnee. Will the EF tow , yes, will it take the punishment of the Pawnee??? Will that 235-275 hp Pawnee get the job done day in and day out, YES! There is no
substitute for HP, I wish there was a substitute for the Pawnee, but simply stated, the Pawnee is the best tug ever! Bob

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I've towed with a Maule, L-19, 180 Super Cub, 180 Citabria, 235 and 260 Pawnees, 290 Call Air, and 300 Ag Wagon. The Ag Wagon had a roomy
cockpit and cabin heat! The Call Air was a pain to fly (literally,
shoulder pain) but the easiest of all to land smoothly.

I think flying a light sport tow plain in the kind of lift we have in
the western US would be very tiring.

Dan
5J

On 5/17/23 17:07, [email protected] wrote:

On Wednesday, May 17, 2023 at 1:52:07 PM UTC-4, Herbert Kilian wrote:

With the much higher costs in Europe for gas, parts and maintenance, many clubs over there are searching for a replacement for their tow planes. The Danes have a good article on their website in English. Interestingly, they can buy this Eurofox as a

kit that they plan to assemble themselves.

https://nordicgliding-com.translate.goog/eurofox-erstatning-for-pawnee/?_x_tr_sl=da&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=da&fbclid=IwAR0O-LburJaODgb8j8sIHJ34W1wNR9A9bwq_vHFJoxmq2BEGXN0lyT0kGa0

Herbert, I have been very skeptical about the Eurofox being a suitable replacement for the Pawnee. Will the EF tow , yes, will it take the punishment of the Pawnee??? Will that 235-275 hp Pawnee get the job done day in and day out, YES! There is no

substitute for HP, I wish there was a substitute for the Pawnee, but simply stated, the Pawnee is the best tug ever! Bob

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There is a privately-owned Eurofox on our airfield at Toronto Soaring Club in Ontario, Canada, fitted with a retracting tow system. It can tow a Perkoz 2-seater with two people from a grass runway at 1650’ asl, but our newish 180hp High Country
Explorer (Citabria) does a better job. The 180hp Citabria has plenty of grunt and is simple with it’s fixed prop. Prior to picking that up, we used a 150hp Citabria for 45 years. At our density altitude, I can’t imagine us needing any more hp than we
have now.

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I watched the video on the nordicgliding website and it looks quite
capable! I don't know about towing in the US with an experimental or
light sport aircraft (don't know how the Kitfox is registered), but I
still think it would be quite a rough ride in our energetic southwest
climate.

Dan
5J

On 5/17/23 17:32, Dan Marotta wrote:

I've towed with a Maule, L-19, 180 Super Cub, 180 Citabria, 235 and 260 Pawnees, 290 Call Air, and 300 Ag Wagon.  The Ag Wagon had a roomy
cockpit and cabin heat!  The Call Air was a pain to fly (literally,
shoulder pain) but the easiest of all to land smoothly.

I think flying a light sport tow plain in the kind of lift we have in
the western US would be very tiring.

Dan
5J

On 5/17/23 17:07, [email protected] wrote:

On Wednesday, May 17, 2023 at 1:52:07 PM UTC-4, Herbert Kilian wrote:

With the much higher costs in Europe for gas, parts and maintenance,
many clubs over there are searching for a replacement for their tow
planes. The Danes have a good article on their website in English.
Interestingly, they can buy this Eurofox as a kit that they plan to
assemble themselves.
https://nordicgliding-com.translate.goog/eurofox-erstatning-for-pawnee/?_x_tr_sl=da&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=da&fbclid=IwAR0O-LburJaODgb8j8sIHJ34W1wNR9A9bwq_vHFJoxmq2BEGXN0lyT0kGa0

Herbert, I have been very skeptical about the Eurofox being a suitable
replacement for the Pawnee. Will the EF tow , yes, will it take the
punishment of the Pawnee??? Will that 235-275 hp Pawnee get the job
done day in and day out, YES! There is no substitute for HP, I wish
there was a substitute for the Pawnee, but simply stated, the Pawnee
is the best tug ever! Bob

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

I think prop pitch on the Rotax 915iS is controlled by the same lever as
the RPM.

Dan
5J

On 5/17/23 17:58, [email protected] wrote:

There is a privately-owned Eurofox on our airfield at Toronto Soaring Club in Ontario, Canada, fitted with a retracting tow system. It can tow a Perkoz 2-seater with two people from a grass runway at 1650’ asl, but our newish 180hp High Country

Explorer (Citabria) does a better job. The 180hp Citabria has plenty of grunt and is simple with it’s fixed prop. Prior to picking that up, we used a 150hp Citabria for 45 years. At our density altitude, I can’t imagine us needing any more hp than we
have now.

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* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On Thursday, May 18, 2023 at 10:48:11 AM UTC-7, Dan Marotta wrote:

I think prop pitch on the Rotax 915iS is controlled by the same lever as
the RPM.

Dan
5J
On 5/17/23 17:58, [email protected] wrote:

There is a privately-owned Eurofox on our airfield at Toronto Soaring Club in Ontario, Canada, fitted with a retracting tow system. It can tow a Perkoz 2-seater with two people from a grass runway at 1650’ asl, but our newish 180hp High Country

Explorer (Citabria) does a better job. The 180hp Citabria has plenty of grunt and is simple with it’s fixed prop. Prior to picking that up, we used a 150hp Citabria for 45 years. At our density altitude, I can’t imagine us needing any more hp than we
have now.

Maybe Boobie can reveal the REAL cost of operating a Pawnee (purchase cost, fuel, maintenance, insurance, hangar, etc.).

Tom 2G

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The biggest hurdle to even trying to tow with a Light Sport Aircraft in the US is regulatory. The FAA rules only allow Light Sport Airplanes to tow Light Sport Gliders. There are several airframes that would likely do just find but I don't know of very
many light sport gliders and the ones I do know of are all motorgliders.......

In other news Deltahawk has finally received FAA certification on their turbo diesel engine. If they can hurry up and get a 200HP+ derivative approved that could make for a better engine to tow with on many of the tried and true airframes currently in
use. With a critical altitude in excess of 17,500' it would sure be nice on the hotter days in the Southwest! It's a much simpler engine than other aircraft diesels and has something like 40% fewer moving parts and no magnetos or FADEC.

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