Ski-equipped aircraft

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Member for

18 years 5 months

Posts: 761

O.K. Forumites, just for a laugh - If the current weather in the U.K. doesn't improve between now and the first Duxford show, what aircraft from the present and from history (i.e. those aircraft that have actually used/are using ski undercarriges) would you like to see participating ? - pics if possible please

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Member for

14 years 3 months

Posts: 1,205

Off the top of my head:

Norwegian DC-3 (or maybe the floatplane DC-3 when the snow all melts!)
Auster T7 Antarctic as per Fuchs expedition
Ford Trimotor as used on that earlier exploration trip (was that Peary?)
Norwegian Gloster Gladiator (both, in formation)
Finnish: Bulldog IVA
Gauntlet (could actually do this one with some effort and planning!)
Radial Hart
Twin Otter, I suppose, if you have to.

How about P-38 "Glacier Girl" (OK, no skis, but counts anyway, no?)

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 3,652

An-2.....

http://www.flankers-site.co.uk/moscow_2004_files/day03_11.jpg

.....and skis......

http://www.flankers-site.co.uk/moscow_2004_files/day03_13.jpg

Ken

Member for

18 years 10 months

Posts: 2,757

Not just the pretty orange Auster T7's - Auster had previous experience with ski aircraft, when conditions in WW2 meant that within 2 weeks of a request being made, skiis were designed, tested, built and sent to Europe for use on Auster squadrons in NW Europe

http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk256/RobLangham/a2-23.jpg

Here's a photo of the T7 at Cosford anyway. Pretty!

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 10,029

Tasman Glacier on the way down to Wanaka in 2006.

Mark

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/Mark12/Img_2186-1.jpg

..and Mount Cook, NZ, 2008.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/Mark12/Img_2946a.jpg

Member for

17 years 7 months

Posts: 275

I have a mint condition set of Auster MK 6 skis if anyone is interested
now that England has more snow than much of Canada:)

Member for

18 years 1 month

Posts: 894

I have a mint condition set of Auster MK 6 skis if anyone is interested
now that England has more snow than much of Canada:)

I'm still interested fleet, if the price were right...
Any chance of some photos when you get a minute...

Member for

16 years 5 months

Posts: 564

Or This PA-12 CF-TSY.

Brings back great memories of RAF time at Goose Bay, Labrador, Canada at the time of V-bombers Visits. This is April 1972 and as a member of Goose Bay Flying Club, got to fly PA-12 CF-TSY ( Piper Super Cruiser ) a lot.

Yee-ow !! Wonder where she is now ? this aircraft featured in some epic activities at the time. Then owner Howard Mercer digging out a downed Cessna 150 Cf-UEF.

Who could go trout fishing through the ice here in UK ??? If you are quick this month, you might ---lol :D:D

Bill T.

Member for

20 years

Posts: 278

Hi,

Don't forget the Finnish airforce!
Fokker D.XXI
Fokker C.V
Fokker C.X
Blenheim
and a few more I guess.

Regards,

Mathieu.

Member for

15 years 6 months

Posts: 562

LC-130R Hercules. Possibly the largest aircraft to be fitted with skis, unless someone knows better?

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Member for

16 years 9 months

Posts: 84

Ski-equipped aircraft

Gents:
The late Don Luscombe developed a an ingenious set of retractable/fully faired skis for the P-51 which I have a photo of somewhere. They were tested in Alaska I believe and worked well. I will post a photo if I can find it on my other computer.
Mk1

Member for

16 years 3 months

Posts: 1,813

I seem to recall the Tiger Club have operated one or two of their aircraft on skis, particularly remember seeing photos of a Turbulent on skis......maybe in Popular Flying ???

Planemike

Member for

17 years 7 months

Posts: 275

Gents:
The late Don Luscombe developed a an ingenious set of retractable/fully faired skis for the P-51 which I have a photo of somewhere. They were tested in Alaska I believe and worked well. I will post a photo if I can find it on my other computer.
Mk1

I would be interested in seeing pictures of the P-51 skis as I have a set of skis in my ski collection that I am told are from a P51

My ski collection

1918 Curtis JN4 with tail ski
1920's Fairchild
1928 Waco 10
Norseman
Tigermoth
1940 wooden J3 Canadian cub ( 2 sets)
Tigermoth 1 set mains 5 sets tail skis plus a set of "nos" pedastals never used yet
Heath skis
TUBE Skis for landing on slushy lakes
P51 Skis ?
15 sets of Federal metal skis
Various wood or metal skis that I don't know the history of.

Member for

18 years 1 month

Posts: 1,405

I have seen photos of Polikarpov I-15/ I-53 and I-15.

Dave

Member for

16 years 7 months

Posts: 10,647

For me it has to be the Lockheed LP-2J Neptune on skis.
Though a ski equiped Grumman Albatross (only type to easily operate from water, land and ice?) would run a close second

Photo credited to Jay Slagle and from the P2VNEPTUNEORG site

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Member for

20 years 3 months

Posts: 1,099

Can't believe nobody (Mark 12 in particular) mentioned the Spitfire! Especially so, as TZ138 (the ski-equipped Spitfire) is a survivor.

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 10,029

Can't believe nobody (Mark 12 in particular) mentioned the Spitfire! Especially so, as TZ138 (the ski-equipped Spitfire) is a survivor.

:) I am saving the images for the book!

Mark