SandroMag From Portugal, joined Nov 2007, 42 posts, RR: 0 Posted (2 years 8 months 3 weeks 5 hours ago) and read 3927 times:
I have this question for some time and decided to put it here to know some opinions. What’s the main difference in operating a wheeled or a choper equipped with skids?
HaveBlue From United States of America, joined Jan 2004, 2069 posts, RR: 1 Reply 1, posted (2 years 8 months 3 weeks 3 hours ago) and read 3852 times:
I know others will answer your question a lot better, but here's just one example of a difference. The wheeled helo can taxi better. One flight I did with my dad in the Huey he was flying, he was asked to come to a pretty confined area to get to the avionics hangar we were going to. Lots of light aircraft around, and he was very, very heavy so he didn't want to load up the rotors by hover taxiing. So he taxied with the skids dragging a bit, enough to move easily but not having to fully load the rotors which may have flipped or damaged nearby fixed wings. Makes a helluva lot of noise too. And I would just guess that would be more important when you get to some of the larger helo's that are wheeled such as the Sea Stallions, Sea Kings and Chinooks not to mention the huge Russian beasts (Mi-6/26).
bikerthai From United States of America, joined Apr 2010, 1601 posts, RR: 4 Reply 2, posted (2 years 8 months 2 weeks 6 days 11 hours ago) and read 3699 times:
One benefit of wheeled is that you can obtained higher lift with a rolling take off. The blades would be moving into undisturbed air. Wheels can be retracted for better aero performance.
Skid will offer you more surface area when landing on soft ground. No maintenance.
KELPkid From United States of America, joined Nov 2005, 5936 posts, RR: 4 Reply 3, posted (2 years 8 months 2 weeks 6 days 11 hours ago) and read 3696 times:
Quoting HaveBlue (Reply 1): One flight I did with my dad in the Huey he was flying, he was asked to come to a pretty confined area to get to the avionics hangar we were going to.
Must not have had a dolly he could land on That's how larger helicopters are usually ground-handled in confined spaces...some lighter helicopters also have small wheels that can be attached for ground handling (once they are on terra firma). The 141 school/135 charter operator I got my instrument at also handled the Jet Rangers/Long Rangers for all of the local TV and radio stations. They would hover them onto dollies when they were done flying for the day, and the lineboys would then cart the helicopters into the hangar for the night.
[Edited 2010-09-08 07:58:18]
Celebrating the birth of KELPkidJR on August 5, 2009 :-)
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From Portugal, joined Nov 2007, 42 posts, 
From United States of America, joined Jan 2004, 2069 posts, 
That's how larger helicopters are usually ground-handled in confined spaces...some lighter helicopters also have small wheels that can be attached for ground handling (once they are on terra firma). The 141 school/135 charter operator I got my instrument at also handled the Jet Rangers/Long Rangers for all of the local TV and radio stations. They would hover them onto dollies when they were done flying for the day, and the lineboys would then cart the helicopters into the hangar for the night.
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