The International Cessna 170 Association

Thinking of selling Federal AWB 2500 Hydraulic wheel skiis on 2526D and going to straight Aero 3000 or Landis. Any opinions on the two. Here in Fairbanks just think straights skiis better and can afford other goodies like tires.

I'd be interested in your Federals. My airport is plowed so the only easy way to get from the hanger to the snow is wheel skis.

I have a set of Aero Ski 2000's that I used on my PA12. They are really nicely built skis, tough, and light. They worked good in the powder on the PA12, so I'd imagine the bigger 3000's would work good on a the heavier 170. Product support from Aero Ski is great as long as you remember how to use one of those old fashioned telephone thingies as apparently they don't have the internet in northern Minnesota yet.

DEM

I spent four years in Fairbanks with Cold Weather Teat at Ladd AFB. We always had straight skis on the Norseman and on the first Beaver we got for service test.
I had them on my personal Stinson L-5G at Weeks Field, the Fairbanks Mjunicipal Airport, and everyone there also used straight skis. In fact, the only "Wheel Skis" I ever saw were the ones on our military C-47s ( DC-3s").
The Navy did send a P2V, "Neptune" up there one winter to be tested with some wheel skis. I think they were planning on using it down in Antarctica. Yhey did a lot of flying out at Blair Lake until they found that the snow had insulated the ice and it was really too thin for safety with a heavy airplane.

I use the Airglas (Landis) 2500 in southcentral AK and think it is a good ski for the C170B. I recommend you run a tail ski too to keep your tailfeathers out of the snow in soft conditions. I have the Airglas dish, which is comparable weight to the tailwheel it replaces. Pray for snow and enjoy your time on skis, it is some of the best flying we get in AK.

Thanks for the info. i just picked up a brocure from the Army base on the Cold Weather test unit. Landed once in 2001 at the crash of B-25 I believe way up the charlie river from that unit in like 1944. One survivor that walked to cabin way dowm river dead of winter. Quite the story. Plane still flat on side of mtn. Looks new from air. Flat spin in one guy jumped. With temps here in Fairbanks in mid 40's for last several days not sure how long I'm going to have snow to play on. We had great snow but lots of overflow as not very cold yet and now balmy spring wx.

I have used the Landis and the Aero skis and both are a great ski and will work well for you. I am running the Aero 3000's on my 170B. The Aero 3000 is comparable to the Landis 2500 in foot print for floatation. I chose the Aero's for a couple of reasons. The Aero's get that foot print by being wider and shorter than the Landis. This puts a lot less twisting force on the gear legs as you turn, especially in deep snow. They are also slightly dished in shape, side to side and front to rear. That helps it turn easier too. They also have the extra axle hole for a dolly for pushing it in and out of a hanger or even taxiing down the ramp to the ski strip. You can do that with the Landis too but its just not as convenient because you have to go inside of the aircraft axle with the dolly requiring you to secure your axle nut with something other than a cotter key. Not trying to bad mouth Landis in any way, like I say they are a great ski too. This is just why I chose Aero.
Shawn

Thanks for all the info. Got a nice price on set of Aero 3000 going on this week.

You'll like the aero 3000 they ground handle better then the Landes 2500 or 3000. I make mostly left hand turns with the Landis 2500s. Even with the 180hp and constant speed prop (light tail) it's hard to turn right. The Landis do well in deep snow though.
Paul

@419a, what is needed paperwork wise for landis 2500 or 3000's on 170b's?

The landis/airglas 2500 and 3000 are stc'd for the 170b. SA224AL.

Thx