Cub Cadet Original Prototype ?
 

Hello
I'm Eric and I'm from a little town called New Paris in Bedford county Pennsylvania. I've been a member here for around 7 years and I injoy reading every ones posts but I don't post much myself.


I found this CCO? in an auction site and it looks way way to well put together to be a home made contraption.

It appears to have a Muncie or Saginaw transmission bolted in it and a Magneto ignition Wisconsin engine with gear reduction? The narrowed rear end and Torque tube looks very similar to the one in dads old AMC Rambler. Front axle is different and it has what looks like trailer fenders on it. The thing that gets me is that the rear section of the Frame does not look modified and it has a serial number tag on it.

It's way to far away from me to go see it in person. I thought someone here would be interested in it.

It's way down in Troy, Texas 76579

https://www.proxibid.com/aspr/Cub-Ca...p?lid=42841667

https://images.proxibid.com/AuctionI...lSize/52-1.jpg

https://images.proxibid.com/AuctionI...ullSize/52.jpg

Thanks guys,gals.

Eric

Was thought out pretty well and alot of work put into it if it is home made.

Gear reduction on the engine and it's using the 1st/2nd gear leaver. must have another leaver on the reverse selector.

Maybe it was used as a Tug at a small airport or something? I've seen some strange looking airport tugs before.

I would agree with Jon. The only thing I can see that is Cub Cadet is, the Dash Tower, Hood, front half of the Frame, and the Grill.

It looks like a fun project to restore.


:bigthink:

It's not aviation related. I see nothing there that looks like it would be used for that purpose. If it were it would only move very small planes but also it has nothing installed in front for a towbar. For single engine and even double engine prop jobs most any GT of the day would move them but you would need some heavy steel across the front to weld or bolt the E or D hitch on it.

I would say it is a 3 speed and the shifter is connected to 1st/Rev fork, it appears nothing connected to 2nd/3rd fork
Also appears to be a hand clutch as was used in the self powered, pull combines as well as balers back in the day before live power.
as light as it is, I doubt it pulled anything like a plane, even a small one on a grassy strip.
The engine does look like a Wisconsin.
Somebody took time to build it with thought/craftsmanship not a cobbled glob of welded cow chit like we so often see.

:beerchug:

That’s pretty cool thing there. I like the hand clutch. :beerchug:

Very well thought out regardless of home-built or not. It would be a fun conversation piece to restore and take to a show.

A late model Cessna single engine only weighs 2500 pounds.. The Piper PA-18 Super weighs just 845 pounds empty. That tractor would pull it but I doubt that was the builders intention. Today we base tractors on 10% weight factor, Meaning a 100,000 pound aircraft needs a tractor base weight of 10,000 pounds. A Boeing 747 depending on configuration has a max take off weight of 1,010,000 about a million pounds. So we use a 110,000 pound tractor. Of course weight means nothing without proper torque and horsepower combination. Nice to have ample brakes to stop that sucker once ya get it rolling also. Most airports ramps have a under a 3% grade but still a lot to get it stopped. The pilot must disengage steering and brakes during push back.

That is a really neat job. As the doc mentioned it would be a great resto project. Thanks for sharing it.

Interesting to see that serial tag on the driver's LHS by the footrest...….Why would that be put on the machine that was Frankenstein'd up, when it wasn't originally there. The pulley out the front was set up to work on something. It would be neat to see what attachments were used on that machine.

Cub Cadet 123