Winter/arctic markings & colours (was Let It Snow thread)

[nev]

Alternate Luftwaffe has crept up a bit & is currently equal on 17, SCW is on 15 & Navalise it on 14.  The Quimby vote has slowed recentley, which has allowed others to catch up so we're not guaranteed yet....

Vote Quimby, vote often!

[Mossie]

Hi Simon,
Thanks a lot for the nordic profiles. Really useful for my project

Sorry, a second abuse, suggested by your Saab profile:
photos or drawngs of ski undercarriage devices??

Here you go Carlos, abuse away!

Plenty more on Airliners.net, here's the search for 'ski equipped'.  You can probably find more with other searches.
'Ski Equipped' search on Airliners.net

Alouette III


Auster AOP


DC-3


Twin Otter


Vinka

[youngtiger1]

Wow, those skies on the DC-3 Bush Air Cargo are interesting. I would love to see some close up shots of the skies on it. This whole thread is awesome!!

Mike

[nev]

Y'know Simon, I'm pretty sure I posted my own pic of that said same Auster earlier in the thread....

[Mossie]

Found it, page 4.  Thread is getting quite big now, forgetting what's on it without checking through nine pages!

There's also a pic that I posted on page 1 of a ski equipped C-130.  Nearly posted that twice too!

[ysi_maniac]

You can see that, with possible exception of DC-3, all these ski devices are fixed. What about retractable skis?
I know that Swedes proposed skis for their tiny FFSV J-22. In fact the Saab example you posted as a profile looks retractable.
Anyone has info about retractable skis? design issues and difficulties?

[Mossie]

The C-130 is only aircraft I know of that have fully retractable ski undercarriage, the skis form a fairing on the underside of the aircraft.  Have a look at the C-130 on the first page Carlos.
More pics here of ski Equipped Hercules on Airliners.net here, clicky

The DC-3's skis appear to semi retract, see here:
http://www.airliners.net/photo/Bush-Air-Cargo/Douglas-DC-3C/1542717/L/

The Messrchmitt Me-163's skid retracted into a fairing on the underside, not quite a ski, but close enough.  Although the Me-163 didn't have wheels, this is how they might be accomodated, similar to the Hercules above.


The Convair Sead Dart had ski undercarriage (if not for snow).  If you wanted an aircraft permanantly fitted for skis, they could retract flush with the underside in a similar way. 
Sea Dart Walkaround here, clicky.

[Weaver]

On ski-equipped I-153s, they retracted flush to the underside of the wing. They really were flush too: modified skin panels and everything.

[Mossie]

Thanks Weave!  Found a pic, grainy, but useful.  There's a clearly visible recess for the ski.  The recess for the original undercarriage seems to remain too.  They're clearly attached to the existing oleos with a pushrod for the ski.

[Weaver]

I've got the SMER Hi-Tech Plus I-153 with resin skis and etch: IIRC part of the etch is covers for the u/c bays which let the legs retract whilst providing a "trough-shaped" recess for the skis, rather than the round bays for the wheels.

[McGreig]

Anyone has info about retractable skis? design issues and difficulties?

And then there was the ski equipped Su-7, where the skis were designed for unpaved/grass surfaces as well as snow.

[Mossie]

Nice find!  While we're on undercarriage, here's some pics of aircraft with tracked landing gear.  Might be adopted for snow to distribute weight beter?

B-36


A-20 Havoc

[batmancustoms]

awesome!

[nev]

Since I picked up a nice Hasegawa "Soya" icebreaker today, here is a pic of the real thing

[Mossie]

Giving us a hint Nev???