skis for Winter flying

Materials needed; .010" aluminum step flashing (x2 pcs. 6"L. x 3/4"W.) 2 popsicle sticks, 2 short lengths of sm. alloy tubing for axle tubes to fit your main gear axles, 2 sm. screw-eyes, double-stick foam tape and epoxy. Assembled weight per pr. is 8 gr.

Start by cutting (with scissors) the aluminum flashing to size, putting a radius on BOTH ends. For better "tracking" on soft snow; I chose to make "creases" in my skis using firm pressure with a scratch-awl/straight-edge, on alternate sides... I.E. "one" crease/ bottom-center and "two" creases on the top side, approx. 1/4" apart... FROM THE REAR FORWARD, approx. 5"... The remaining 1" of ski at the FRONT, will be "curled" slightly upward, for the tip.

The popsicle stick "beam" has an axle tube affixed with a blob of epoxy, slightly forward of the center. Drill a pilot hole at the REAR, approx. 3/8" from the end, and install the sm. screw eye. Cut x4 pcs. of foam tape to 3/8"W. x 3/4"L. and stick 2 pr. together to make 2 double thickness "pads"... (leave the protective liner on, until you're ready to stick the pads on the ski components, and clean areas where they will be applied, with an alcohol wipe) Stick one pad to the BOTTOM rear end of the beam and the same for the frt. The beam can now be mounted "on-center" to the ski.

This design provides some shock-absorbing action, and the "screw-eyes" are for attaching a string with a rubber-band looped around the planes tail-hook or tail-wheel bracket (or install a sm. notched dowel at the rear-bottom of the fuse. This keeps the skis from flopping around while flying.