So me and a few friends did a kind of Top Gear review for 2 different airport tugs. The Ripley and the Airtug in order to pick which was more fun to drive and which was more useful. Mckimi Mcraikkonen is the facebook page I own and posted this on so yeah. Enjoy the review.
Tom (TC)- Hello, me and my good friend Callum (me) have been having a bit of an argument lately. It surrounds the best way to tug a plane round the airport.
Callum (CJ)- yes, the damn fool Tom likes the god awful Airtug. I prefer the Ripley for obvious reasons including the fact it's superior in every way.
TC- Yeah like getting down a narrow alleyway... Oh sorry no.
CJ- No more like not being left in the open to be shot at by police if you get in a chase...
TC- you're unbearable.
CJ- as are you. Now, because we are so biased on either side, we decided to get Alex (AT) to try them as he is pretty impartial to either. Prefers the Forklift or something. I don't know.
AT- Normally I get to review an Adder vs a Cheetah or something, you know, exciting. Or I take part in their 3-way races but no. I have... These. The Ripley and the Airtug.
Now, to start with, I'm going to put them against the clock, on our point A-B-A course. So lets go...
I line to the Ripley first, and set off slowly towards the first corner. The front washes wide forcing me to use the brakes and lose precious time. The next part is the very tight-Esse... I approach fairly cautiously after the first corner problem. But manage to not hit the large pillar and make it through with decent speed. The next turn is 90 right, a right turn onto the straight. I run off the road and have to fight to get it back for what's next. The supertight Paperclip hairpin is a test of understeer which also requires some bravery in order to carry enough speed through the small gaps in the walls, known as Mirror-wreckers to us guys. We make the tight turn with massive speed scrubbing. On the way out I begin the reverse. The only difference is the pace through the Esse, it being much quicker without as thin a road.
Across the line with a time of 1:11.4. For comparison a fully tuned Roosevelt can do 48.6.
The next is the much more small Airtug. The size should give it an advantage in the thinner sections. So this should be close.
At least that's the belief until I start. The first corner comes agonisingly slowly with all the power of 5 harnesses infants. Then it arrives, and oh my lord it understeers. More than the Ripley. Odd. Another agonising wait to the Esse. This is where it comes good right?
Nope. It understeers a lot, I slam on the brakes and lose a lot of speed to that. I just make it through and then there's another agonising wait to the 90 right. Under steering worse than the Ripley. See a theme? I manage more speed into Paperclip, but manage roughly the same speed on the way back. Going back to A, the real difference is my driving style. I cope more with the understeer but even so, it still exists.
Man, this run has been long. How long? 1:38.1. I could walk the track faster...
CJ- well I sort of rest my case.
TC- no. What you've done is judged it on speed. The Airtug is-
CJ- slow as hell. Not to mention awful to drive.
TC- The Ripley is no Lotus Elise...
CJ- but it is at least sort of fun. The Airtug needs space to be any fun at all, and it's minimal.
TC- but it does its job well.
CJ- tugging baggage isn't hard. A plane however...
TC- so...? I still maintain my position.
CJ- right. Agree to disagree?
TC- this was worthless then?
CJ- well hopefully all the guys who bother reading McKimi's posts will have enjoyed it.
.
