Making a new set of skis

[1avidflyer 2006]

Went for a short flight today, if the snow gets much deeper on my runway, I'll have to put the skis on. Smaller lakes are froze over.  Good thing I almost am done with another set of skis.  I forgot how much work went into a set of these!  If a guy could bend and weld 4130, it would probably be easier to make them that way, even if they weren't wheel penetration skis.    JImChuk

 

[dholly 718]

Jim - are you making a second set for the KF? Kinda surprised you don't have a tubing bender or torch to reproduce the original Avid wheel penetration style, seems they might be alot easier than your slide system for putting the plane away. I would love to try ski flying, shoulda bot the set I found in the OSH Flymart this year.

[1avidflyer 2006]

No these are for the Avid I recently rebuilt.  I sold the old set a while back when I wasn't using them.  I've got about a half of the parts for skis for the Kitfox, I should have picked up the rest of the stuff, and built them at the same time.  I've probably built 7 or 8 sets of these over the years,  I don't trust my welding skills enough to use 4130.  Only welder I don't have is a tig, but am also lacking the skills to be confident in the welds. If I was using 1/4" plate, and the stick welder, I would be good to go, but that would present other problems (like weight)   JImChuk

[TJay 1042]

they look good as always Jim. Keep on building

[1avidflyer 2006]

Thanks, TJay,  seems like it takes a lot longer to get anything done these days.   You doing anything on the Kitfox?  Ran the Jabiru a bit today, but was getting mist on the windscreen at 1000', and it was about +27F so I came back and saved the fuel for a better day.   JImChuk

[TJay 1042]

Thanks, TJay,  seems like it takes a lot longer to get anything done these days.   You doing anything on the Kitfox?  Ran the Jabiru a bit today, but was getting mist on the windscreen at 1000', and it was about +27F so I came back and saved the fuel for a better day.   JImChuk

No haven't touched it yet its still above 20 degrees most days around here when it gets cold outside I will start taking the weekends off and try to finish it up.

[zadwit 105]

These are photos of skis installs I have or found on the internet...This Avid  has a 503 Model IV "Bandit"This is a Skyraider 1 and the skis are smaller....than the Avid  or Kitfox one...

I wonder if anyone has the original jigs for the skis?????????for Avids or Kits????

[zadwit 105]

On the Avid the skis are bolted to a drilled and tapped axles hole.

 

On the Skyraider, the axle is driller thru and a 5/16" rod pins the skis on 

[zadwit 105]

In Kotzebue the sea ice would  get so  rough one eskimo had a super cub with wood and galvanized bottoms skis that had a nitrogenshock strut built onto it off of a SIngle engine  otter. He said he cojuld land on the roughes ice and itwas like landing on powder...

[1avidflyer 2006]

The fourth picture down from the top, wheel penetration Avid skis sitting on a wood cabnit with blue paint on it were mine.  I got them with a project, and ended up selling them to a guy way up in Canada.  I had a set like the ones I'm building, and didn't mind staying away from cleared runways, so I had no need for them.  Actually had a hard time selling them.  Got $450 finally, and then the shipping ended up being $160 cause he was way up north in Canada.  UPS didn't go that far, and he got burned by the second shipper that took them the final 100 miles or.  I think they tacked on $60.  Maybe should have kept them.....  Got this set ready to mount on the plane, I'll make up the limiter cables then.  JImChuk

[EDMO 1078]

I used to water ski in the swamps and on the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers - Drowned once - Still cant swim!  Ha!  Helped build a tri-gear non-flying, Harley-powered snowplane sled in Michigan, and drove it,  but never snowskied on my own two legs or in a plane.   Just remembering.   EDMO

Edited 16 Nov 2017 by EDMO

[zadwit 105]

Generally straight skis are best for performance esp in deep snow plus you are removing the weight of the wheels when you install straight skis.

Out where i live there is 3 months of deep wind drifted snow, the airport is plowed mostly but no place for straight skis plus having wheels under it allows me to fold the wings and take it  home... A hangar would be ideal but the city here wants $250 a month to store in this hangar with  4 other planes and there are quesitons about working on the plane in the hangar.....so thats not such a good deal, the only other option is lease the ground and build a hangar but not sure I want to do that.. .I might get a wild hair and drag up and move someplace nicer to fly, less wind, the damn wind here reminds me of the north slope of AK in the winter......Davenport, Washington  30 sm west of Spokane in the wheatfield country...

no cover.....mark

[Cloud Dancer 69]

Anyone wanting to make a set of skis out of plywood? Maybe make a tail wheel ski? Maybe make a wooden tail wheel spring? I found this method and thought somebody here may get some use out of it. https://www.instructables.com/id/Bent-Wood-Lamp-With-3D-Printed-Tool/

[mcsmarket 0]

Just received my UHMW-PE shipment to build a set of skis. Working on getting the plane ready for testing and would really like to test it on the combination type I'm building kinda like training wheels.  

Edited 14 Jan 2023 by mcsmarket