When winter rolls in and temperatures drop, many RC pilots think it’s time to pack up their airplanes and wait for spring. But cold weather doesn’t mean flying season has to end. With DU-BRO’s innovative snow skis, you can take advantage of snowy runways and enjoy a completely different flying experience. Instead of storing your model for months, all you need to do is swap your wheels for skis—and DU-BRO makes that process incredibly simple and reliable.
DU-BRO offers two main types of RC airplane snow skis: Park Flyer Snow Skis and Snowbird Snow Skis. Both are designed for easy installation, smooth takeoffs, and stable landings on snow-covered surfaces. The Park Flyer skis are ideal for aircraft up to about 30 ounces, while the Snowbird skis work great for models ranging from 20 ounces to 8 pounds. This gives RC pilots plenty of flexibility depending on the aircraft they fly.
Mounting the Park Flyer Snow Skis
Inside the Park Flyer ski kit, you’ll find skis, springs, and wheel collars designed for 1/16" axles. If your model uses larger axles—as in the example using 3mm bolts—you can substitute DU-BRO’s correctly sized wheel collars.
The installation begins with drilling out the ski hubs to match your axle diameter. Convenient molded dimples help you center the holes perfectly. After removing your wheels for winter storage, you’ll replace the standard set screws on two wheel collars with 4-40 bolts included in the kit. These bolts work with the springs to set each ski’s angle.
One essential detail: the springs are mirror images of one another. The U-shaped curve goes on the inside of the axle, and the long arm should point forward. Once the ski is placed on the axle, tighten your wheel collar or lock nut to secure it. After both skis are mounted, rotate the wheel collar to fine-tune the ski angle. Ideally, the skis should sit parallel to the wing—or slightly nose-up—for proper flight attitude.
Installing the Larger Snowbird Snow Skis
The Snowbird skis work similarly but include extra versatility. They come in several colors—black, blue, red, green, and yellow—and are sold in pairs for main gear or as singles for tricycle-gear nose wheels.
Snowbird skis are pre-drilled for 5/32" axles, but if your axles differ, you can drill the holes or build up smaller axles with aluminum, brass, or heat-shrink tubing. After installing the inner wheel collars, slide heat-shrink tubing over undersized axles and shrink it for a snug fit.
Once the skis, springs, and collars are in place, adjust each ski’s orientation just like with the Park Flyer skis. Add thread locker to bolts to prevent loosening during cold-weather flying.
Ready for Winter Flying
Before heading to the field, check your prop clearance and center of gravity. With DU-BRO snow skis installed, your model is ready to carve across snowy runways and take flight with ease. Don’t let winter keep you grounded—DU-BRO makes it easy to enjoy RC flying all year long.
You can find the snow skis on our site at the link below:
https://www.dubro.com/products/snowbird-snow-skis?_pos=1&_sid=c051ba738&_ss=r
