Aircraft

WheelTug is looking to secure US Federal Aviation Administration approval for its electric wheel drive for ground manoeuvring of Boeing 737 aircraft by the end of 2009.

A unit of European manufacturer Chorus Motors, WheelTug has contracted certification specialist Newport Aeronautical Development to assist it in meeting FAA standards for a supplemental type certificate covering Boeing 737-600, -700, -800 and -900 aircraft.

WheelTug chief executive Isiah Cox says the firm plans to have an FAA-approved project-specific certification plan within six months and a completely certified product by December 2009.

The company is looking to lease WheelTug units to operators, instead of selling them outright, he says.

Electric nosewheel drive allows the pilot to back away from gates and taxi without the use of the aircraft's engines or a tug. WheelTug has been testing the equipment with US launch customer Delta Air Lines, which invested in the company last May. Delta's TechOps maintenance, repair and overhaul division has first refusal on all installation and maintenance services within the USA once the system is certificated and deployed.

In July the company also formed an alliance with a French group, Association pour le Developpement Durable dans l'Aviation Civile (ADDAC), to develop and certify the WheelTug system for the Airbus A320 family.