Anyone Have Information on these Aerobonus Aircraft Tractors/Tugs?

[Bill Cross]

Does anyone know the timelines for the many Aerobonus tractors? There are at least 11 different ones, and I wanted to know when and where they were used. Thanks in advance.

 

1.) DLA United Tractor GC-340-4 A9

 

2.) Minneapolis-Moline MT-40 Tow Tractor US Navy/US Army/Civilian

 

3.) United Tractor GC-340-4/SM340 Tow Tractor (Basic) US Navy/US Army

 

4.) GC-340 / SM-340 Tow Tractor with Cab US Navy / DLA

 

5.) United Tractor G-40 LPG Tow Tractor

Edited July 23, 2023 by Bill Cross
tagging

[Bill Cross]

No one? Surely there must be some information on these vehicles, both when and where they served.

[Oldbaldguy]

Ask Aires.  They made the kits so they ought to know.  If that doesn’t work, google united tractor/Clarke - they built the big ones so they ought to know when they built which ones.  If that doesn’t work start combing the internet for period photos.  You include photos of five tugs.  If you are trying to model a flight deck scenario, then you don’t want the ones with the attached roof.  If you’re looking for a Navy tug, it will be yellow.  These things were pretty universal.  

[Bill Cross]

Thanks, I have googled these to death and very little specific comes up. I will try asking Aerobonus who made them (are they the same as Aires?).

 

I'm working on both carrier and land-based planes, so a tug next to each one would add something to the mix.

[Finn]

Here is one variation in Vietnam:

 

 

Jari

[Oldbaldguy]

Just went thru my dad’s 64-65 WESTPAC cruise book from USS Ranger.  None of the tugs in your photos showed up on the flight deck in any of the photos in the book.  All were the flatter version.

[Finn]

Some Korean War Navy ones:

 

 

the brackets on the side were for toe bars:

 

 

Jari

[Bill Cross]

Thanks to @Oldbaldguy for pointing me in the direction of a 10+ year-old post from another forum in 1/72 that has some information about the growth of Navy tugs/tractors as the planes got bigger and needed "huffing."

 

https://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com/Gal12/11901-12000/gal11948-Tractors-Suvorov/00.shtm

[Bill Cross]

4 hours ago, Oldbaldguy said:

Just went thru my dad’s 64-65 WESTPAC cruise book from USS Ranger.  None of the tugs in your photos showed up on the flight deck in any of the photos in the book.  All were the flatter version.

Would you mind posting those photos here so I can see if there are other tractors besides these? The MD-3 (the pancake on wheels) seems to be very common, but there might be others.

[Oldbaldguy]

10 hours ago, Bill Cross said:

Would you mind posting those photos here so I can see if there are other tractors besides these? The MD-3 (the pancake on wheels) seems to be very common, but there might be others.

Too much trouble to try to post the photos right now.  All the carrier cruise books from that era are available on line.  All the tugs in the photos on the Ranger in 64/65 were MD-3s.

[thierry laurent]

Hi Bill, 

 

I can only give you info out of my memory as I'm not close to my laptop or books. Most of Aerobonus tractors are air base ones. You will typically see them on USAF bases or on large Navy ones. Chronologically, I think the MT-40 is the oldest one (mid-fifties onwards). Then the 340 series appeared (early sixties up to early eighties?). The G40 is the most recent one (end of cold war). The carriers used other types, even if I'm wondering if I've not seen somewhere a picture of a cabless 340 on a wood deck, close to a Skyray...

Please double check as my memory is not always perfect...

 

Hth at least a little bit to go further.

 

Thierry 

[Bill Cross]

Merci, mon ami.