cubdriver2
FRIEND
upstate NY
MTV has been advising wide ski for years. I just bought a like new set of Aero 3000 with plastic bottoms. Has anyone else run this wide " 16 " on a C90/0200 powered pa11 or 18-95 Cub?
Glenn
Glenn
Ski Question
- Thread starter cubdriver2
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cubdriver2
FRIEND
upstate NY
RaisedByWolves
FRIEND
Tx
cubdriver2
FRIEND
upstate NY
Now that your throttle knob is a little smaller you think your new broom has enough husk to push them thru some wet stuff?
Glenn
I ran Federal 1500 skis that I put 16" bottoms on with my 90 Cub and they worked very well in the deep powder snow in Central Alaska. A tail ski is really helpful when the snow is deep as you have to fly out of the snow like in water and a tail wheel adds a lot of drag. Lifting one ski out will help accelerate, hit a bump at near flying speed will also get you out quicker in the deep fluff.
mvivion
SPONSOR
Bozeman,MT
Glenn,
as always, when it comes to ski flying, it all depends on the consistency of the snow you're working in that day.
In general, larger skis help you float up to the top of whatever stuff you're in, but your suggestion regards sloppy wet snow, I'm guessing. There comes a point where NOTHING works, of course, but in answer to your question, yes, I'd still prefer the bigger skis to help get me on top.
A case in point: I landed in a long slough off the Yukon River one spring morning, at the request of my biologist partner. I extracted a promise from him that he would not take over a half hour to complete his task. Temps were freezing overnight, but warming rapidly during the day, and we were in perhaps three or four feet of snow. That spring snow didn't compact for beans, so snowshoeing out a track was pointless, though I did so anyway.
Well, two and a half hours (and about twenty degrees warmer) later.....we saddled up in that Husky on Aero 3000s. The airplane mushed along, but gradually climbed up till thrust could overcome drag, and we flew after a long takeoff run. Granted, the 180 hp and CS prop had a lot to do with that launch, but while the plane moved fine, it was those big skis that finally forced the airplane up on top of that crappy snow. With smaller skis, we'd have been out there a month later, changing to floats.....
if you're really concerned, I'll bet there's someone out there who would trade a set of Aero 2000s for those 3000s. But I think the 3000s are great skis for any Cub size plane.
but, that said, there is snow, and then there's snow, and I'm not familiar with your part of the globe.
And, I too am a big fan of tail skis....in difficult conditions, they can really make a difference.
MTV
green horn
Registered User
new jersey
Hello Glenn..Put a set of Aero 3000s on my 18 this year...Lots of floatation. Took a bit moore room for turns but that had more to do with snow depth...wish I had run a tail ski but didnt have it ready in time...Bottom line...Yes on those....Damian
cubdriver2
FRIEND
upstate NY
You turned me on to SC-2s ten years ago, 12" wide and shorter then most Federals, great turning radius. My strip is only 50' at its widest. If I can't do the turns at home I'll sell them and look into buying Datums or a set of SC-2s
Gkenn
RaisedByWolves
FRIEND
Tx
Make a set of wide sc-2's
courierguy
MEMBER
Inkom, Idaho
Speaking of turns.... I about ruptured myself on this turn around. Just as I touched down ( a pretty good slope uphill about 20% grade, hard to tell from the picture though) I realized my intended leftie turnaround was also side sloped to the side I was turning into, I hate it when that happens. I got real motivated to make the turnaround ASAP and actually got a charley horse in my right calf as I whipped it around with left rudder and then corrected with the right. The ski tracks look routine and don't really show the drama in the cockpit that went on! Datum skis, including a tail ski. This is the kind of nonsense a 19 year snowboarder gets into when he puts skis on the airplane. 
Another pointless exercise in turning capability, pointless, but fun. 
Another pointless exercise in turning capability, pointless, but fun. 
TurboBeaver
Registered User
Northern Maine
Aero 3000 skiis on a PA 18 is a very common combo in Alaska, most folks like them alot cause generally they turn so much better, I had a set of Landes 3000s on my PA 12 and they work fantastic straight ahead, but the Aero skiis will turn around easily inside the Landis skiis,
Lots of guys have lept out and started to try to turn a cub by hand only to find with all that leverage back at fuselage handles they are twisting the axles right around in the clusters! Lots of skis work good straight ahead, but how do they turn? I tore the tails off two sets of Fernandes skiis years ago, on 185s...The Maine Warden service also had them on cubs back then,and they also cracked the tails on em , most of that circa Fernandez (spelling probably wrong) were blue in color and
When you looked them over,most have been patched, with fiberglass, right where the tails start.......
I really question that there is much ski flying going on outside of interior Alaska ,were you need that big a ski? Sorta like running 35" tires when 29" will already do everything you will ever do.
Of course big skiis like big tires always look "cool", one thing to note:: huge skiis with that much surface area, if they are rigged with tips to high ( here we go again) they will slow your j3 down so much , you will have trouble keeping up with a
Caribou walking uphill..........lol
Ps. Glen that J3 is a very nice looking cub!
Lots of guys have lept out and started to try to turn a cub by hand only to find with all that leverage back at fuselage handles they are twisting the axles right around in the clusters! Lots of skis work good straight ahead, but how do they turn? I tore the tails off two sets of Fernandes skiis years ago, on 185s...The Maine Warden service also had them on cubs back then,and they also cracked the tails on em , most of that circa Fernandez (spelling probably wrong) were blue in color and
When you looked them over,most have been patched, with fiberglass, right where the tails start.......
I really question that there is much ski flying going on outside of interior Alaska ,were you need that big a ski? Sorta like running 35" tires when 29" will already do everything you will ever do.
Of course big skiis like big tires always look "cool", one thing to note:: huge skiis with that much surface area, if they are rigged with tips to high ( here we go again) they will slow your j3 down so much , you will have trouble keeping up with a
Caribou walking uphill..........lol
Ps. Glen that J3 is a very nice looking cub!
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cubdriver2
FRIEND
upstate NY
skywagon8a
MEMBER
SE Mass MA6
What do the numbers on a ski mean 2000, 3000 etc? Other than an implied gross weight application do the numbers signify a certain amount of square inches or what? Generally the numbers for a set of floats signify the amount of displacement in fresh water. But what about skis?
My understanding is that model designations are loosely based on G/W. Of course, higher gross would require more flotation (read: surface area) so yes and yes. I guess a person could measure different manufacturers' skis and see if there is a direct correlation, ie: a 2000 series ski from several makes, see if they have equivalent areas.
mvivion
SPONSOR
Bozeman,MT
Pete, I think at one time, the model designations may have meant something related to the weight of aircraft recommended, but much like floats these days, I'm not sure those model numbers mean very much these days.
Maybe.
MTV
skywagon8a
MEMBER
SE Mass MA6
That's sort of what I thought Mike. Every once in a while I toy with making a wooden set of wheel skis to fit around a set of 26" Goodyear blimp tires and have wondered how many square inches that I should plan on. This is sort of a back burner project as I think that it would be easy to get in trouble on my pond if I had skis.
