Friday, July 10, 2020

Kingcobra on skis


Larry Milberry, 60 Years, CanAv books, 1984

During 1941 and '42, the US did some R&D tests in Canada involving fitting skis to fighter planes. Several configurations were tried on the Kingcobra, it tended to run in a broad curve due to engine torque.  Experiments with runner length on the skis cured most of the taxiing and takeoff maneuverability issues but upon landing, the right ski tended to dig in. Eventually the idea was given up as being impractical. 

National Museum of the USAF



1 comment:

Graham Clayton said...

It seems that in regard to non-wheeled WW2 aircraft, the Japanese used the most floatplanes, while the Soviet Union and the Scandinavian countries made the greatest use of skis.