COBRA Trailer & AL-KO deliver quality for aircraft on the road

Wings in the wind, head in the clouds: glider pilots live this dream on a regular basis. But before they can feel the freedom of flying, the aircraft first has to get to the take-off site in that most down-to-earth of transport methods: by road. AL-KO and COBRA trailers make this endeavor easy.

Facts on the COBRA Trailer & AL-KO collaboration

COBRA Trailer produces glider trailers for the global market
AL-KO manufactures customized parts especially for COBRA Trailer, such as enlarged axle brackets, axles and jockey wheels.
The MAMMUT manoeuvring system from AL-KO enables gliders to be easily steered: a welcome help for total weights of up to 1,800 kg.

COBRA Trailer: the innovative market leader for aircraft transport trailers

Quality workmanship since 1980

The company A. Spindelberger Fahrzeugtechnik GmbH (COBRA Trailer), based in Edermünde-Grifte near Kassel in Germany, has been producing transport trailers for gliders since 1980. Their range even includes trailers for the growing microlight aircraft market. The industry expert builds around 200 trailers a year. In total, over 11,000 trailers from COBRA Trailer are in use worldwide, transporting aircraft safely from A to B. The main markets are Europe and the USA.

In contrast to the classic steel chassis, COBRA Trailer uses a self-supporting geometry consisting of aluminum side walls and a sandwich floor. The corresponding fixtures are in-house developments. The upper part of the trailer is made of lightweight aluminum or plastic. This latter option is double-walled and therefore highly insulating. A COBRA trailer can be thought of as a precisely fitting transport box for a glider, to which the axle brackets, towbar, jockey wheels etc. are attached directly.

Tailor-made trailers for gliders

Can be driven with a normal driver's license thanks to its lightweight construction

The challenge in designing the trailers lies in each aircraft’s unique features. Depending on the type of aircraft, the different spans of the fuselage, wing and outer wing play a role in the design of the trailer. The same goes for the winglets. These are the upwardly curved wingtips at the ends of the wings that reduce the plane’s air resistance. Last but not least, the required equipment can weigh up to 150 kilograms.

Solar systems for charging aircraft batteries are now increasingly being installed in trailers. The shape and positioning of the respective components and equipment have a significant impact on the trailer’s center of gravity and thus where the axle is positioned. Manoeuvring systems or a cable winch in the trailer may also need to be taken into account. The trailers can reach lengths of up to twelve meters. Handling the trailers requires a certain amount of sensitivity and experience.

Felix Hoffmann on trailers from COBRA Trailer

“Each of our trailers has a different axle position depending on the aircraft type. There are also special customer requests. Our job is to design a trailer for our customers that can transport the aircraft and its equipment safely,” explains Felix Hoffmann of COBRA Trailer management.

Thanks to the lightweight construction without a steel chassis, the permissible total weight of the most common trailer variants is between 1,000 and 1,800 kilograms, consisting of the equipment (approx. 150 kg), the aircraft (200 kg to 750 kg, depending on the type) and the trailer (450 kg to 900 kg, depending on the type). This means the trailer can also be driven to the airfield with a normal driver’s license.

AL-KO on board

Flexible with standard deviations

The market leader for glider trailers needs customized parts to suit its customized approach. This is why AL-KO components – precisely fitting axle stands, axles, and jockey wheels – are always part of the package, as they have been for almost the entire history of Cobra Trailer since 1980.

“AL-KO manufactures customized enlarged axle brackets for us. We need these to achieve the same stability in our trailers without the usual steel chassis. Even the jockey wheels are manufactured individually to our requirements. AL-KO is very flexible when it comes to supplying more than just standard products,” says Hoffmann.

“We have a very long and particularly strong relationship with COBRA Trailer. Transporting valuable goods like gliders often requires a high degree of customization,” says Joachim Götzl, Area Sales Manager Central Germany at AL-KO Vehicle Technology. “COBRA Trailer has mastered customization and precision fits for 40 years. I am particularly pleased that we have been part of this success story for so long,” Götzl continued.

AL-KO MAMMUT

Trailer manoeuvring made easy

The MAMMUT fully automatic manoeuvring system from AL-KO is also used by COBRA Trailer. This makes it easy to move and steer trailers independently. The narrowest gaps, obstacles up to a height of four centimeters, and gradients of up to 28 percent are no problem. This is particularly practical as the trailers are often also used to store the aircraft and have to be fully manoeuvred into garages or parking spaces. When the total weight can reach 1,800 kilograms, all help is welcome.