Ski Time!

The Little Clipper ready for ski action!

Finally! Got the Clipper out Saturday as the sun warmed the snow to forty degrees. Had a little trouble running last time out, but it was 24 degrees. In the photo she's ready for a test-run, hence the missing cowl. Fired up the O.S. 40 four-stroke and throttled on--- and she sank in the four inches of wet snow.

Okay, well, my Dad gave me his old Arctic Cat Jag which hasn't run in ten years. I'd been thinking about some kind of groomer for winter runways, and the snowmobile would be perfect! So I had some work to do to get the "Zamboni" running, and by afternoon I was running it up & down the main east-west runway.

The Zamboni

So, after a couple of hours we were back at the runway, and it was packed down a bit between ski grooves, but enough to give it the old Bush Pilot Academy try.

Clippy's view of the runway

It doesn't take much for the little Cub to get airborne, and this little plane was eager! After ten feet she took to the air and we had a sweet flight over the snowy fields and pines. Brought her in to the lower end of the North-South runway where the snow was smooth and undisturbed. Thought she might just sink into the snow, but she shushed down on one ski, then the other, and settled to a stop at the edge of the first snowmobile berm, idling!

Not straight- but smooth!

She came to a stop at the berm, idling.

Sunday I had hopes of doing t all again, but this time breaking out big sister Scarlett, the 68" Decathlon with the .70 four-stroke. She was fitted with Maiden USA Skis last year, yet flew just once off the broad expanse of Engleville Pond. She hadn't been out on her skis this winter, and the runway was "groomed"!

Alas, the wind gods had other plans, and by the time we had a chance to make the airfield, the wind was blowing 10-12 mph. We made it outside, but had to settle for a photo shoot.

Scarlett and her Maiden USA skis

Here are a few pix of the Maiden skis.
They're really a nice product, and quite an improvement over the plastic DuBro SnoBird skis. The DuBro skis are nice, and inexpensive, but the mechanism to lock the ski to the axle leaves a bit to be desired (and often failed, leaving a ski hanging down) The suspension system, too, could stand a little improvement, but they're good for $15 skis.

Maidens cost $40 a pair, but they're well worth it. Hopefully these photos will show you enough, and if you're interested you can see them in person sometime. They use two lock bolts opposed at 60 degrees to positively grip the axle, and a simple spring gives them some suspension flexibility. Even if the spring pops off, the travel of the ski is limited to about 5 degrees either side of level, so you'll never have an "unintended air brake" and can still land. (See "Ski Club", 3/6/13).

Anyone else get any ski-flying in this season?

Wheels...er...skis down!

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