American Legend Aircraft Co. has received approval for its Cub to operate on skis.
“A ski-equipped Legend Cub provides owners the opportunity for snow and ice landings, and scenic wintertime flying,” company officials said. “A wheeled version of a Legend Cub is simply not enough for some owners.”
Shortly after certifying its Legend Cub, the company introduced the Legend FloatCub. The FloatCub was first flown in March 2005, and made its debut at the 2005 Splash-In at Sun ‘n Fun. In 2006, Best Float Fabric Seaplane was awarded at Sun ‘n Fun to the FloatCub.
Next priority, according to company officials, was putting the Legend Cub on skis.
“The winters in the northeast seem to last forever, especially if you have a Legend Cub in the hangar and snow piled up against the door,” said Dave Finger, a Legend Cub owner. “The addition of TrickAir skis has made winter fun again, extending our flying season by four months. The benefit of wheel penetration skis are that we can fly them off our grass field with or without snow, making the Legend an everyday airplane all year round.”
With approval of a ski-equipped Legend Cub, American Legend becomes the first among fixed-wing LSA producers to offer the optional skis by TrickAir of Weyauwega, Wisconsin. TrickAir’s owner has been manufacturing fiberglass components for 30 years for a wide variety of industrial and product manufacturing companies, including many in aviation. The TrickAir ski, a wheel penetration design, proved to be a practical and optimally performing choice for the ski-equipped Legend Cub, according to Legend officials.
“Our model 1500, a follow-on design to a larger model, can be installed without lifting your airplane,” explained Rich Disher, TrickAir president. “This design not only simplifies installation as it skirts the wheel, it is shaped like a wing to reduce drag.”
The ski is a composite of materials, including vinyl resin, carbon fiber, an expanded PVC core, a structural chromoly frame and replaceable wear strips, Disher continued. “The ski rides approximately one-half inch off the ground, so your airplane can be rolled on its own wheels out of the hangar.”
In other news, Legend also announced that installation of a BRS whole-airplane parachute is now available as an option. Manufacturerd by Ballistic Recovery Systems, Inc. of South St. Paul, Minnesota, the parachute system, which is ASTM compliant, is designed for LSAs. Installed on a Legend Cub, the parachute adds 29 pounds.
For more information: 903-885-7000