Description / Abstract:
Purpose:
This SAE Aerospace Standard (AS) specifies the interface requirements
for towbar attachment
fittings on the nose gear (when towing operations are performed from
the nose gear) of conventional
tricycle type landing gears of commercial civil transport aircraft
with a maximum ramp weight
between 8600 kg (19 000 lb) and 50 000 kg (110 000 lb), commonly
designated as "regional aircraft".
Its purpose is to achieve towbar attachment fittings interface
standardization by aircraft weight
category (which determines towbar forces) in order to ensure that one
single type of towbar with a
standard connection can be used for all aircraft types within or near
that weight category, so as
to assist operators and airport handling companies in reducing the
number of different towbar types
used.
Field of Application:
This Aerospace Standard is intended to be applicable to all new models
of regional aircraft within
the specified maximum ramp weight range, entering service or designed
after its date of
publication. See Section 3, Effectivity, hereafter.
It is not its intent to apply to previously in service regional
aircraft models, which present a
considerable variety of towbar attachment fittings, However, where
deemed appropriate in order to
facilitate operation of such aircraft types at airports, simple
retrofit modifications are
described that may be considered to bring certain in service fittings
to be compatible with a
towbar head meeting this Aerospace Standard.