OK,
So I bought a set of skis for my Nexstar on Thursday and wanted to try them out. I got the MaidenMp skis for the trike. They are all aluminum and very sturdy. I went out to the local lake and tried my best to avoid overflying any of the local ice fishermen. I managed to get the engine started and warmed up, tuned. I taxiid out and forgot my ground check, so I taxiid back and did a quick visual of the surfaces. I taxiid out and began the takeoff roll. Holy Smokes it is so smooth. We have been getting a few clippers here in the last days and the ice is nice and smooth underneath, but I had no idea how smooth the takeoff and landings would go so nicely. I haven't been in this hobby too long, but I have now flown off of water and ice and I gotta say, I love them both. Now I just need that RCMitt to keep the hands warm and some more clearer days so I don't get disoriented on the final leg of landing (scary).

Also, does anyone know of any official or unofficial ski flies in the TC in this winter? If not, I would like to hold an unofficial one sometime in Jan, maybe on some weedy bay of a large lake so we can avoid flying over ice fishermen and such.
All the best,
Curtis

I know that my club has an all season ama meetings, where if you fly at least once a month with a witness, you get an ama patch, or first meeting of next year is Jan 3 with a 10/10/ 10 rule (above 10 degrees with less then 10 mph wind at 10 am, orsomething like that, go to www.tcrconline.com for more info. I am going to get my patch for 2009 . Otherwise, shoot me an e-mail and I will try to go fly with you.

Jon

beau,

May I ask where you got your skis from? How much? And got a link? I only know of the
ones by Dubro.com bought thru TowerHobbies and they're plastic. Very interested in skis
for my Electristar and Alpha 40.

Thanks
Hemicuda

At our club some 6 years ago we made our own skis from laminated pieces of 1/32" ply made in a wooden mold

I bought them from a local hobby shop, the skis are made here in the Twin Cities for about $50 for any set. The website is http://www.maidenusammp.com/ You can buy them from their website too.
I also contemplated using plywood and building my own, I know that I could design a good ski, but I don't think I could have ever built something so durable. Excellent value.
Regards,
Curtis

I have a set of these for the tri-cycle setup they work great. I was flying with them yesterday tiger 60 with ASP 75. Worked good on the ground, good steerability. They also track very good. A little pricey$50.00 + $6.00 shipping.

Curtis,

Thanks for the info and link. Those look very durable compared to the plastic ones. I've read the plastic
snap, break or crack do the cold temps while aluminum skis would definitely be tougher. They don't
list the weights on them though, just that they're for 4 - 12 lbs planes. They're twice the price of
plastic but I think they'd be worth it.[8D]

Thanks
Hemicuda

Around here most of us use floats instead of skis...IMO they are more versatile, especially in fluffy powder.

I also use floats in the powder but in Michigan powder is defined as 1/2 ice. I fly off the lakes alot and it has a tendency to tear up the bottom of the floats. but yes, I do use both. I even fly my SeaDancer and SeaMaster off the snow. 60 acre hay field at the end of my driveway. Nice runway. [8D]

I fly a Sea Monster flying boat, and a Sea Hawk on Gee Bee floats...[8D]
Every once-in-awhile we get an ice storm, and that leaves a thick crust...so we can use wheels...
Trying to steer on glare ice sure is "fun"

Is that the Morey Monster?

No...I got it from Hobby People...IIRC it's ModelTech...
Looks like a Seamaster but with a V bottomed ('glass ) hull.

There's these http://cgi.ebay.com/airplane-skis_W0...3A1%7C294%3A50
Want to build your own? http://www.stenulson.net/rcflight/skikits.htm

Congratulation on you first snow fly. It is a wonderful time of year to do some flying. There is only three of us in my club that flys this time of year. So we have the field to our selves. It is awesome. If you get into trouble you can land nearly anywhere there is flat snow. Have fun and enjoy your winter flying.

If we got more snow, then I would probably stick to flying my Sealane, but like Irish, but even more so, MN snow is mostly ice. I know that at least 90% of the time I will be out on hard pack or glare ice on the frozen lakes.
I don't know how much they weigh, if I get a chance tonight, I will pull them off and weigh them. I think they are around 12 oz for the trike set.
I'll report back.
Curtis

As a set for Trikes they are 12 oz. The front is 3.5 oz (2.5"W x 9"L), and the two rears are 4.25 oz (2.5"W x 13"L). They have a center spine and track really well. It was actually very fun just sprinting around on the snow with these things. They ride a bit higher than my 2.75" foam wheels to avoid prop strikes, but are very stable.
I would really recommend them, I think you would have pretty good floatation in just about any snow if you are using a 40 or smaller 60 sized bird. We have had very light, dry "clipper" snow here in the TC and they ride right up on top of it with my NexStar, which is pushing 7 pounds without these things on it.
Curtis

Thanks Curtis, if I go with those for my Electristar I'll have to wait until I get my LIPO's, It barely gets
off the ground now the the Ni-mh's...6-6 1/2 lbs!

Proptop: I was stationed @ Griffiss AFB 1985-1995. Beautiful area, lots to do, lots of lakes for your
floats so I see why you got them. I also worked part time @ FRIC n FRACS while there...send wings please!
[sm=thumbs_up.gif][sm=thumbs_up.gif][sm=thumbs_up.gif]

Hemicuda

Hi Hemicuda!

Yeah...a few of us fly off Lake Delta both Summer and Winter...[8D]

Louie and Mark grew up on the other end of my street...they're a few yrs. younger than me...and I remember Fric -n -Frac's Flying Food Factory... I think they closed down though?

Griffiss was a fantastic place to fly model airplanes from...10,000' long x 150' wide concrete...unfortunately we got the bums rush in '05 due to Griffiss being turned into a "Business and Technology Park". (good for business/bad for us...)


Curtis...do you get a lot of "Lake Effect" snow there? Most of ours is either light dusty powder or a dense, damp (good for snow men and snowballs ) packing snow.

Hey Proptop,
No we don't get any lake effect here in MN, unless you live on the northern shore of Lake Superior. We're on the western side of all of the great lakes, so we either get Alberta clippers from the NW, or rarely (especially in the last 10 years) we get moisture pushed up from the Gulf of Mexico. Most of our snow is light, or else it is very dense and then melts quickly and turns to crust or solid ice.

We are the land of 10,000 lakes though, so as long as it's cold, I can find dozens of lakes to fly from within 10-15 miuntes of my house, so no complaints here.
All the best,
Curtis

no ski flying todayraining hard darn, and the temp. is almost 40*. Guess I will have to put my mud floats on. Probably freeze tonight then I will have to put my skates on my planes. Geeze,,, why am I complaining. I have 3 models on the board being built, might as well do that. [&o][&o]

Proptop,

Sorry to hear about the base finally closing and Fric n Fracs closing that's just killer. We were last up
there in summer '04 and ate there, as well as drove thru what's left of the base. Sad times.
I remember people flying R/C off the old flightline/ tarmat, by the golf course. I'd just watch back
then, the hobby was really expentsive to get into back then and I'm not into kits. Now I'm
older and some spare entertainment cash to get into the hobby. Really miss the snow from up there
too, people around here panic if we get 2 - 4 in of snow. Where we lived in NY, I'd throw our XMAS
tree out to the curb in Jan and you'd finally see it agin in Apr when the snow finally melted.

Sorry for rambling
Hemicuda

I have been flying with skis for many years ,live in the north wear we know all about snow, and winter flying I would recommend to check this web page.


http://www.members.shaw.ca/jaydeeen/

You have any pictures of them?

Tis the season,
To share ski plans! Happy New Year! Ithink you could make these as fast as you could drive to a hobby shop

Here's a couple pictures of Jay Dee's skis. If you would like to see more about them, have a look at the web page: www.jaydeeskis.com