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Main Discussion > Do skid stops serve a valuable purpose?
 
 
2tall
Heliman
Location: Crystal Lake, Illinois, USA

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I'm not sure if "Skid Stop" is the correct terminology. I'm referring to the short rubber-like sleeves seen installed over the front and rear end of each skid. My question is, what purpose do they serve? Is it possible that they can do more harm than good?

On the positive side, I know that without them my fleet would be banned from resting on most furniture surfaces in the house. However, with them I would think that -

1 - There would be a greater tendency for the heli to tip over on a landing with sideways inertia since the skid stops do just what the name says - stop (prevent) skidding.

2 - On lift off the skid stops would prevent early indications of rotation tendencies around the mast axis - when the ship is "light on the skids." Only once truly airborne would the heli be free to exhibit any initial instability tendencies. At least for beginners, that would seem to be undesirable.

Are skid stops just more bling, or have I missed something?

"Don't worry, I crash better than anyone else I know."
11-02-2009 04:08 AM
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george0079
Elite Veteran
Location: Tired of the politics

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You pretty-much covered it......

I can please 1 person a day.
It's NOT your day.
Tomorrow's not lookin good, either
11-02-2009 04:09 AM
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Carey
Veteran
Location: Allentown, NJ USA

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The skid stops are there for you to use on your simulator gimbals.


You will see them on at least 1 in 50 helis though!
11-02-2009 04:12 AM
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ttsingram
Veteran
Location: Lincoln, Ne

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I know other people will dissagree because this has come up before. But I will say it again. The origional purpose of those "skid stops" was to keep the struts where the skidd go through from wareing out from the asphalt or concrete when doing sliding autos. They started using them years ago (about the time the first Raptors came out).
11-02-2009 04:20 AM
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2tall
Heliman
Location: Crystal Lake, Illinois, USA

My Posts This: Topic  Forum
I have seen some that were made of a hardened nylon-like material that also had a rounded contour. That version would serve as protection for the struts but still allow - almost facilitate skidding as necessary.

"Don't worry, I crash better than anyone else I know."
11-02-2009 04:34 AM
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ch-47c
Key Veteran
Location: san jose, ca

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I started using them in 1986 to prevent wear of my skids on asphalt. I made my own from rubber hose until Aerotrend sold them.
11-02-2009 07:11 AM
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biglahou
Senior Heliman
Location: Idaho, the potato land, with better looking women.

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A pair of landing gear last way longer buy using them, also for working on the heli on the work bench the heli dont slide around as much.
As for a newbie I feel it would be better to use them,, but to each his own.
Only have them to stop the wear on the skids.
My skids look like new.

OK,,,SO WHAT, IM ADDICTED, WHATS YOUR POINT?
11-02-2009 07:23 AM
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TachyonDriver
Key Veteran
Location: Chipping, Lancs, UK

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+1 for biglahou

Tach.

Little Spinning Bundle of Joy® DON'T DISS THE DINO!!
11-02-2009 01:33 PM
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Mutt
Key Veteran
Location: M ca usa

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Quote 
Do skid stops serve a valuable purpose?
For me nope. Never had a reason to use them. I fly off of grass and one in a blue moon off of concrete. I dont do slides with my helis so for me nope worthless.
11-02-2009 01:33 PM
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cub2000
Veteran
Location: Massachusetts

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I put them on my larger birds like 50 and 90 size, because with the weight, the chance to slide on the setup table is more. My Outrage 550 and other 450 sizes don't have the skid stops.
11-02-2009 02:17 PM
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Foz
Senior Heliman
Location: USA

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I find them helpful on 450 and smaller birds when flown or spooled up indoors. It has been my experience that on a smooth surface the tail wash alone will send the heli skidding sideways. Stops prevent this and the tail wash is not enough to cause the heli to tip over.
11-02-2009 02:58 PM
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Alpine
Veteran
Location: Lexington, Ky

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Doing autos in grass with rubber skid protectors is lots of FUN !!
They look real nice with all the colors made by KSJ !
I took them off long ago.

Roberto.

Roberto Munoz
IRCHA #344
11-02-2009 03:02 PM
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jschenck
Elite Veteran
Location: La Vista, NE.

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Quote 
The origional purpose of those "skid stops" was to keep the struts where the skidd go through from wareing out from the asphalt or concrete when doing sliding autos.

If you try a sliding auto with skid stops it'll cart-wheel down the runway. The skid stops prevent the heli from moving around as you spool up/down on smooth surface - period. The bad thing about them is they also prevent you from sliding when you need to, say at the bottom of an auto. I'd rather have some worn out skids. Easy to fix to, just put a screw through the skids and struts to keep the skids in place once the struts are worn down that far.

.. P-gas, T700, V50c/u, R50T, T4/250 and a Cricket ..
11-02-2009 03:40 PM
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rcjon
Senior Heliman
Location: Macon, GA

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I use skids stops when I fly at the location near my house. There I take off from loose sand and/or gravel. Without skid stops, during spool up the skids will wallow into the loose substrait and the tail rotor will soon be flinging gravel. They also prevent the heli from sliding around in the back of the pick-up truck.

It's like a metaphor.
11-02-2009 03:45 PM
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Bundian
Senior Heliman
Location: Miami, FL USA

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Usually they fly off after 2 flights for me so I've quit putting them back on.
However after a year I had to change my skids, since sliding on concrete did a nice job on them

Fly it like you stole it!!!
11-02-2009 09:57 PM
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jackheli
Elite Veteran
Location: Vancouver - Canada

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Basically they prevent the heli from slipping away while being transported in the trunk...

Also, while starting and servicing the heli they prevent it from slipping off the table.



Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new
Albert Einstein
11-02-2009 10:57 PM
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bkervaski
Key Veteran
Location: Birmingham, AL, USA

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I used to put skid stops on my helis until I started doing autos... Once I had a $3000 heli tip over due to a $5 set of skid stops catching the grass I reconsidered using them. Landing skids are cheap! ;p
11-02-2009 10:58 PM
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Furious Predator
rrProfessor
Location: Kitchener, Ontario, Canada

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i actually dont like using skid stops. mainly because i do a LOT of auto's. at our field we have a 4x4 concrete pad with a target in the center. so when you come in on an auto, you can slide around to get the heli where you want it. cant do that with skid stops.

Shawn
Team Leisure-Tech
Team HelixRC
11-02-2009 11:00 PM
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Ed1955
Senior Heliman
Location: Pocono Mountains, PA USA

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Being a little creative.........

I plan on using CA to glue some additional plastic pads or half pipes of plastic tubing right on the bottom of the skids. This will slow down the "Wear Through Time" that is bound to happen if you like doing autos where you land on pavement. You can easily build up the bottom of the skids with a number of plastic parts that have the a little larger radius than the original skids. I've worn through a pair recently and it won't happen again, I assure you. I also found that when I did use the rubbers on my Trex 600 Nitros, I had to put the rear rubbers between the front and back skid and if I didn't, even CA'd I would be looking for them on the landing pad. It's all about the slime factor! Just a thought........
Ed

Progression of Addiction, CX2, T-Rex 450's (2) & finally a T-Rex 600E, Electric Bliss!
11-02-2009 11:48 PM
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human213
Veteran
Location: malibu

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I have

a teflon strip down the center of mine, .5 mm thick.
The heli is 15 years old, over 2300 flights.

m

Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.
11-03-2009 03:46 AM
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