Mel, Keep the old single nose fork for the nose ski. The single fork gos down into the pedastal of the nose ski so it can't come up into the prop. I had the duel fork on my coupes so I was going to have to put cables on it. They look cool on skis in the air and on the ground. gene
mbn wrote: > Gene: Thanks loads. My son wants to give it a try.We have about 4.5 months > of snow in this part of Idahoand we have a private strip so its either shut > her down for the winter,move her to Council airport, they don't keep that > runway clean all the time ,or put ski's on her. The coupe has the single on > the front, but we are thinking about changeing it to the double fork. > Thanks again Mel > ----- Original Message ----- > From: V. Childs <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: mbn <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Tuesday, October 19, 1999 8:33 PM > Subject: Re: slippery stuff and hangar talk > > > Hi Mel, I bought a set of main skis from a Cessna 140, they where model > > Federal 1500. The nose ski came from a man in Lady Smith, WI.. It to was > a > > Federal 1500 ski but it had a big pedestal for the nose fork to keep the > prop > > out of the snow. It was made in the 40s just for the Ercoupe single nose > > fork. I had a duel fork so I would have had to modify it. The Federal > Ski > > Co. was I think from from Minneapolis, MN. I don't know if their still > in > > business or got bought out by someone. Some of the WI or MN coupers would > > know. I think alot of them have been around skis. The Champ was fun on > > skis. You could land on lakes and fields. Skis are alot of work, you > need > > people around to help you move the plane on the ground when you land. > They > > are hard on the airplane also. You have no cushion when you land on hard > > packed snow or ice like you do with tires. You blow alot of snow and ice > on > > the tail surfaces. I don't think the Ercoupe or any low wing plane is a > > good plane to put skis on. With deep snow you may hit the wings with a > drift > > on take off or landing. You would be putting alot of pressure on the nose > > fork and controls with side load in a turn with that big nose ski and even > if > > you pull the plane out for take off with out turning it you may get side > load > > on the nose ski when landing with a crosswind. Even the champ was hard to > > turn on skis, you have no brakes with skis so you had to use rudder to > blow > > the tail around. To blow the tail around you would put full stick forward > and > > full power the tail would raise and when you pushed the rudder it would > kick > > it around. Even doing it this way you needed a couple hundred feet to > turn > > around. I sold the skis to a man with a Ercoupe in WI. If you want a > set of > > skis check Trade-Plane, run a want ad in the coupe capers and check with > the > > WI wing. I think the man I sold them to was in it. Theres some nose > skis > > still around and like I said the mains where Federal 1500. You could > check > > Wag-Aero they may have a ski like the 1500. The 1500 stand for the gross > > weight of the plane. So a 1500 ski would hold 1500 pounds on snow a > Federal > > model ski 2500 would hold 2500 pounds on snow. A set of skis now days > should > > sell for $1500 - $2000. gene > > > > mbn wrote: > > > > > Gene: Where did you get the ski's for the coupe? Thanks Mel > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > From: V. Childs <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > Sent: Monday, October 18, 1999 10:22 PM > > > Subject: slippery stuff and hangar talk > > > > > > > I agree, the take off is much more work than the landing in a strong > > > > crosswind. The ercoupe is no good on ice. You can't keep it strait > with > > > > the nose wheel on ice. If it starts to go of center you have no rudder > > > > to bring it back and the nose wheel will slid. I almost lost one that > > > > way. I had a champ on skis and it was ok on ice but you have rudder > to > > > > keep it centered. I had skis for the ercoupes but I sold them. I was > > > > afraid the nose ski would be to hard on the controls if you turned and > > > > you might hit the prop if it came up to high (Like if the cable > broke). > > > > The aircoupe is good on snow with out skis anyway. I landed on a > > > > mountain pipe line airstrip west of Albquerque, NM 5000' paved at > 5900' > > > > elevation just ahead of a snow storm. There were no buildings on the > > > > airstrip when but I saw a office trailer about a half mile away so I > > > > walked there. It got dark and started to snow about one hour after I > > > > landed. There was a Indian in the trailer who worked for the pipe > > > > line. I told him I had to put down because the snow and spend the > > > > night. He said I could sleep on the couch. I knew it was to cold to > > > > start the plane in the morning if I just left it so I got up every > hour > > > > and half, walked the half mi in the light snow and start the plane, > let > > > > it run for 10 min., (to keep the oil thin). Walk back to the trailer > try > > > > to sleep (light sleep). I did this over & over till morning. It was a > > > > cold clear morning. It only snowed about 3''. I brushed the snow > off > > > > the wings, and thought, I have less then half fuel, I'm by myself, > Its > > > > about 5 degrees out here I'm going to try and take off. If I don't > get > > > > speed fast enough by half way I'll abort and try to get someone with a > > > > plow to make a path. That would not have been a easy task. I'm in > the > > > > middle of nowhere low on money coming back from Vegas!!! I took off. > > > > The Alon got us off in about 4000'. We had breakfast in Albquerque. > I > > > > bought this plane in 1979. I put over 2500 hours on this one. I will > > > > have this plane till I die. With memories like these I could never > sell > > > > it. gene > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
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