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Old 4th Feb 2015, 21:00
  #25 (permalink)  
NickLappos
 
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: USA
Age: 75
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Skids have only one advantage - easier maintenance. The myth that skids are superior to wheels for off-site landings has been dispelled by the thousands of military helicopters bought and used since soldiers discovered how crappy skids are.
The dsadvantage of skids? Many - have to hover to move, which means they park you in the south 40 when you have to discharge passengers. You can't roll up to the passengers as they wait, without blowing them to kingdom come. You have to get tricky platforms or jacks to perform basic ground handling, and that stuff is only at home base when you need it somewhere else.

I took a Colonel out one time to show him the fibs the skid salesmen had fed him were pure myth (wheels can't land on slopes....") by picking the worst slope I could find and landing him on it - about 13 degrees. He was mighty nervous as we settled onto the slope, and had trouble sitting square in his seat. I asked him if he wanted to get out and walk around, he said it was too steep. I said maybe he should get wheels instead of feet next time, and he laughed all the way home.

Seriously, skids on a VIP helicopter is like screen doors on a submarine, seems like a good idea until you try them.
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