tail ski

[freightpilot27]

Has anyone used or are using a tail ski on their Taylorcraft? Looking for some input and what type are/were used and how well they worked- on any light airplane.

ALSO....
Out of curiosity, who makes wheel penetration ski's? Has anyone ever used them on a Taylorcraft? Has there even ever been a set manufactured for aircraft of similar size to the Taylorcraft?

Thanks,

[Dan Michaels]

Re: tail ski

There are a couple of penetration skis just google it. They are rather expensive.

I have a tail ski but have not used it yet. Some old guy said not to put it on too heavy and more trouble than it's worth.

Taking the plane back to the airport today to get the wings back on, looks like a good ski year!

Dan

[cropduster]

Re: tail ski

I am just putting the skis on my f-21. I have had skis on a pacer and a maule over the years, and only once put on the tail ski. If the snow is real deep and powdery, it works best to keep the tail up and from dragging you down on takeoff. Otherwise without the tail ski the tailwheel is a great brake.

[Dick Smith]

Re: tail ski

For the sake of information regarding tailski sources:

http://www.airglas.com/light_aircraft/l250.html

http://www.airglas.com/photo_album/la40.html

http://www.spoonfrogclients.com/burl/Tailski.html

http://www.cs-ent.ca/6619.htm

[n6346m]

Re: tail ski

It all depends on your snow conditions whether you use a tail ski or not. If you have nothing but ice or powder I guess you would never need one. Once installed the tail ski does not require any maintenance and the weight is negligible. I always use a tail ski because the snow conditions vary greatly where I live. If you have crusty snow on top and soft snow underneath you can rip the fabric on the bottom like my neighbor did when the tailwheel broke through the crust. The sharp edges of the crust can do quite a bit of damage depending on your speed and thickness of crust. If you have crusty snow and you taxi with your tail up you may pick up more speed than you like, and when you reduce power, your tail comes down and pokes a hole in the crust and stops you. One of my neighbors tried to go one season without a tail ski on his PA14. After hop-scotching down the taxiway he came back and put the tail ski on. I find that the biggest advantage of having a tail ski is that if you ever have to get out and push your tail around to get your airplane out of a tigh spot or aligned with your chosen runway it will make life a lot easier for you, especially in deep snow.

[Carrieve]

Re: tail ski

Believe it or not I made my tail ski out of an aluminum stop sign. I know it is not FAA conforming but what the hey. My front skis have 11" of teflon from grain elevator chutes rivited to the bottoms. I fly in deep loose snow here in Wisconsin and I just did not like the idea of my rudder dragging down in the snow and hitting things.

[M Jones]

Re: tail ski

Believe it or not I made my tail ski out of an aluminum stop sign.

Any snowmobile/car incidents at that intersection yet?