WheelTug is developing in-wheel electric motors that let commercial aircraft taxi without using their jet engines or airport tugs. The company’s system is backed by letters of intent from more than 25 airlines representing over 2,000 aircraft, with final assembly and system kitting planned at its 37,000-square-foot WheelTug Works facility in Baltimore. Its engineering and quality plans have been accepted by the FAA as it advances toward certification and manufacturing approval.
FAA acceptance of engineering and quality plans
Compliance program
TowFLEXXTowFLEXX grew from Hanns Schickling’s home-built solution for moving his own aircraft into a globally operating manufacturer led by his son, Axel Schickling. Based in Visbek, Germany, the company develops and builds electric aircraft tugs for aviation operators, with additional production and service capacity in the United States. Its defining engineering feature is a 360-degree turntable designed to help protect an aircraft’s nose gear during maneuvering.BROOKHAVEN, PA
Cleveland Wheel & Brake SystemsFounded in a basement factory by WWI veteran and former commercial pilot Elmer VanSickle in 1936, Cleveland Wheel & Brake Systems makes aircraft wheels, braking systems and related components. The Avon, Ohio company manufactures its wheel and brake assemblies in the USA and supports aircraft ranging from Cessna 172s and Pilatus PC-12s to Black Hawk and Apache helicopters. Now part of the Signia Aerospace family, Cleveland serves aviation and defense customers through a global distributor network.AVON, OH
Meggitt Aircraft Braking SystemsSince 2008, Meggitt Aircraft Braking Systems has brought together the former Aircraft Braking Systems Corporation and Dunlop Aerospace Braking Systems to make aircraft wheels, brakes, and integrated braking systems. Its experience spans the invention of multi-disc steel aircraft brakes in the 1930s, more than 20 years of carbon-brake service, and brake-control development dating back over 50 years. Based in facilities across North America, Europe, and Asia, the company supports equipment used on more than 160 aircraft platforms and operates FAA/EASA-certified repair stations.AKRON, OH
Cleveland Wheel & Brake SystemsBorn in 1936 in Elmer VanSickle’s basement factory, Cleveland Wheel & Brake Systems has carried its aircraft-braking heritage from general aviation into military and rotorcraft programs. The Signia Aerospace company still manufactures its wheel and brake assemblies in the USA at its Avon, Ohio, factory while supporting aircraft operators through a global distributor network.AVON, OH