I did once witness a Super 18 almost get beached while going over a drift headed for pavement (to put dollies on). It was kind of comical to see the head-scratching going on in the cockpit (I took the long way around to shallower snow) but it could have been a real pain in the butt. The airplane did not have a pod on it. I wonder if that would beach you worse or if maybe you'd just slide over?
John, I have the AK bushpod, and just put on the Federal 2200 Skis. The only problem I can see with them (except for Amy's beached whale phenomenon is that the side door will not be able to be used due to the cabling. The rear door works, though.
A buddy put a fuel pod on his Cub, then we were going to start checkout. A quick weight and balance showed that we were well over gross, so he got to drain the belly first.
The caveat, of course, is that his weight and balance document had been incorrectly done, and we managed to save him 70 lbs or so by re-computing. But be careful when turning your Cub in to a cargo hauler. It will do it easily, but often not legally.
Yea...you aren't going to beach yourself in deep snow just because you have a belly pod.
On another note, if you are landing in drifts big enough to beach your airplane because you have a belly pod, chances are you should be carrying an extra gear leg or two with ya.
Maybe I'm wrong, but until I hear a first-hand story of someone getting beached in their cub because of a belly pod...it didn't happen.
On another note, if you are landing in drifts big enough to beach your airplane because you have a belly pod, chances are you should be carrying an extra gear leg or two with ya. .....
Now that's what I was really thinking....but also length of prop. If the snow is soft enough to be up to the belly pod, maybe you have another lifting agent. BUT, wouldn't there be some "snail/prop tracks" in that snow as your prop swings through it? I gotta figure that prop is mighty close or in the fluff if your belly pod is snowplowing. Again, if your skis are sunk that deep and you're up to the pod, that has GOT to be some really, really light powder that would make a UTAH powder skier sick with jealousy.