The International Cessna^® 170 Association

Well skis season is rapidly approaching here in interior Alaska, and it time to drag out the two sheets of UHMW and figure the best way to attach it to the bottom of my skis. I have Landis Airglass 2500 skis and they were barely used when I got them with the air plane. After putting a hundred or so hours on them last winter I learned that the black crap they put on the bottom sucks and it’s not thick enough to protect the fiberglass ski bottom (lots of big gouges probably from taxiing down the road to my house from the airstrip). So, two questions.
1- Are the existing holes every 5 in. around the perimeter enough to hold the UHMW securely?

2- A friend recommends removing the two steel skegs (runners) and replacing them with thicker UHMW strips?

Any advise, incite or experience is appreciated.
Thanks, Paul

Pardon my ignorance, but what the heck is UHMW?

UHMW- Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene, aka P-tex. Well one ski done. Would post a picture but not sure how.

N419A wrote: 1- Are the existing holes every 5 in. around the perimeter enough to hold the UHMW securely?

Yes. (just looked at a spare set of bottoms in the garage) Spacing's a little tighter at the nose.

N419A wrote: 2- A friend recommends removing the two steel skegs (runners) and replacing them with thicker UHMW strips?

I wouldn't. On ice you'll need the minimal control the steel skegs give you. Trying to taxi crosswind on glare ice can be interesting even with steel. OEM Landes configuration is one bolt head protruding from the bottom of each skeg for additional control on ice.

- paul