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Penetration Skis question

volant95

Registered User
Rockford IL
Ok, I know this has to be already covered but I can?t find the answer anywhere so here it goes.

What is the census on Penetration Skis? Now, please take into account I live in Northern Illinois where snow runs in fits, 90% of the time very little and 10% way too much. I am also running a SC with a 150HP engine. They seem to be a great trade off where I can operate on a hard surface runway 80% of the time and the rest on the hinter land.

Thanks,

Jeff

Hello Wilbur!
 
Jeff,

All skis are a compromise. You have to choose what will work for you under the circumstances you face most frequently.

Penetration skis aren't the best skis around, particularly in deep snow. But, then again, if you don't feel like paying $15,000 for a set of retractable wheel skis, penetration skis may be your only real choice.

Just be prepared to get stuck every once in a while.

Which, by the way, is the best advice for ANY ski pilot.

It's a lot of fun, but sometimes the work part gets a little overwhelming.

Mike Vivion
 
This did get a lot of play last year and I think the general consensus was to run with Landis/Airglas if you wanted a decent wheel-penetration ski. Dave Calkins wrote up a deal about them in an NP mag past.

Brad
 
Is there any characteristic differences in the different brands of wheel ski's out there? And what do they generally go for new? I can't remember ever seeing any used ones for sale.

Thanks, Wilbur
 
Anyone have experience with Aero's wheel ski? Locked up it had wheel penetration. release pin and spring would let ski down. You could taxi out on wheel and takeoff on pavement or taxi out to the snow and release ski to takeoff on snow. Only problem I could see is once you released it, you couldnt retract it and you had to land on snow. But you could then taxi up to the pavement and get out and raise skiis to taxi in on pavement.
 
Penetration skis suck. Period. There's no other part you'd put on your plane that isn't good at anything, so why start now. If you want to go play in the snow, straights are the best, hands down.
SB
 
There's no doubt that straight skis perform better than any other type ski, but if you don't have a place where you can routinely work straight skis, but still want to do some ski flying, then penetration skis are the least expensive option. If you are just landing in shallow snow, or on ice with some snow, of unknown depth, they are better than tires.

As to the Aeros, they make great straight skis, but their "retractable" skis are really pretty bad. Worse performance in snow than penetration skis.

There are also ways to improve performance of penetration skis, like landes. For one thing, remove the tailwheels. In deep snow, it's hard to believe how much drag those little guys make.

Mike V
 
Wheel Skis

The only wheel skis that impress me are the Federal 2500 AWB skis that are modified to run a 26" Gar Areo tire and have 1/4" UHMW bottoms extended out about 4" all the way around. Set up like this they'll give a set of straight skis a run for their money. I found a set like this for $11K but my wallet got stuck in my pocket so I had to pass. Used to be able to find them for around $5K. Anyone know of a good set??? Crash
 
I used a set of Lw2500 last year and for my use they were a great compermise being able to land on hard surface and then back home on the river or strip. Due to the lack of winter in SC AK it made my life a lot easer. 8)
 
One thing that's worth pointing out is that all these things are very HEAVY. The AWB 2500's are over 120 pounds additional weight. That's pretty ugly if you are trying to operate light.

My experience with the AWB 2500s isn't all that great, but everything is a compromise, and clearly straight skis are the best deal around.

The lightest wheel skis around are now made in Germany, the old Fernandez wheel skis. These skis have a total additional weight of 76 pounds, and my understanding is that they perform well in even deep snow. Problem is that I don't think there are any stc's in this country.

A set was just approved on a C 180 in Anchorage FSDO, though under a field approval.

I know, all you Alaskans, these skis don't hold up, but remember that the old skis had fiberglass bottoms, the new ones have kevlar composite. Further, all the problems I've heard about on the old ones were on heavy airplanes, ie-C206, 185. The new ones have a long history on cubs and huskys in Europe.

They cost $11,000 delivered in Alaska.

And, no, I don't get a commission, and I haven't flown them, either, so this is all second hand.

Mike V
 
I've never flown in Illinois, but here's something to consider. In wet, sticky snow, there is nothing worse than penetration skis. I've seen days where planes with penetration skis literally could not get enough speed to fly, and they had a mile to try (Hewitt Lake). If you have overflow, (not that it's fun with ANY skis,) again, penetrations lose by a wide margin. You'll just have to be more careful than with straight skis. And your plane won't perform near as well as it would with straight skis. And they'll cost more than straight skis. Other than that.....

But, if you've ever had to park on a frozen lake, and chip your plane out of the overflow, and move it when the ice gets soft in the freak storms, and tote fuel to the plane in jerry cans, any wheel skis start to look good.

So if you want skis that fly good....go straights. If you want convenience on the ground, go with wheel skis. Neither is perfect. Pick your poison.
SB
 
wheel skis

Jeff,

I live in Northern IL also, (Wonder Lake by Galt airport). I have used the Aero strait skii and it worked well with the plastic bottoms. I simpithise with the lack of snow. I often packed the skis in the back of my Pacer and flew to Northern WI and changed to the skis there and changed back to wheel on my trip home.

Northern Pilot magazine Feb/March 2002 had a big series of articles about the wheel penetration skiis. You can buy back copies from them (www.northernpilot.com)
 
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