The Airbus A380, the largest civil aircraft in the world, takes off with a service weight of almost 600 t. First, however, the aircraft has to be loaded, refuelled and towed to an apron, where the engines are started and from where the aircraft can move itself to the runway.

Until a few years ago, this was done with aircraft movers which required the nosewheel landing gear to be coupled via a towbar to the tractor. Given the dimensions and weights of the A380, such a tractor would have to weigh around 70 t, to allow for safe braking and acceleration of the aircraft. This means the vehicle always has to be moved with a massive weight, whether loaded or not.

GHH Fahrzeuge has come up with an innovative solution to this problem. The nosewheel is no longer coupled, but simply lifted and placed on a platform on the tractor. This additional 50 t nosewheel load on the vehicle provides the required traction for acceration and braking. When not loaded, however, the vehicle weight is only half that of a comparable tractor with towbar.

The first towbarless aircraft mover for the A380, produced in Gelsenkirchen, is now being handed over to the customer at Schiphol/Amsterdam airport. A 650 HP diesel engine is used to drive the vehicle and to pick up the nosewheel, a second 170 HP diesel engine operates an onboard generator for the power supply of the aircraft.

In spite of the aircraft’s enormous dimensions (9.5m long and 4.5m wide), the AM500XL moves like a toy under the gigantic Airbus. It is hard to believe that this power pack from Gelsenkirchen is capable of moving such a giant airplane at speeds of up to 30 km/h.

Aircraft movers from Gelsenkirchen-based GHH are to be found in operation at many airports around the world. Because of their manoeuvrability and performance, GHH aircraft movers are also used for special occasions. At last year’s G8 summit, for example, the Airforce One of the American president was for the first time towed by a towbarless aircraft mover, as were all the other government aircraft from China, Japan, France, England and Italy.

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