All-

I'm looking at buying some AWB2500 hydraulic skis used. According to the owner, they are the "military contract" model "without the placard."

Not sure what that means, but I see that both the AWB2500 and AWB2500a are listed on the TCDS for the 170B so long as they are installed using the original Federal drawings that I assume are available from Wipline. Anyone have a clue about what the owner is talking about with the placard issue?

As to the hydraulic vs. straight ski re:W&B and $ issue,...yeah, I'm still kicking it around. Prob is the girlfriend lives at an airport without a ski strip...and I live at an airport that is ski only for 3 1/2 months of the year, and they are far enough apart to make it worth flying instead of driving. Ever the twain shall meet...

OK, I guess what he was taking about was the data plate for the PMA number. His are sans data plate.

Is there a way you can verify that they are indeed the AWB2500 model? Any kind of serial number or something that can be traced back to an actual Federal model?

Perhaps you could contact Fluidyne. I think they own several STC's for Federal skis and can shed some light on the models.

MTV should chime in here...he prob knows a bit about this.

If they are missing the data plates, the likelihood of getting them approved on an airplane is pretty low, unless you catch a FSDO Maintenance type fooling around with little boys.

The data tags are what proves they are real parts, not homemade.

Some of these skis have gotten approved by the FAA under a field approval, but that really takes a benevolent FSDO type.

You might be able to contact the FAA, and request a set of data plates from the manufacturer, but if they never had data plates, I doubt you could anyone to go along with that either.

It may be possible to get a conformity inspection done by Engineering, i think. That will take lots of time and $$$, I'd bet.

If you decide to buy em, don't pay much.

MTV

Thanks all, I'm tempted but I decided to pass.

Probably going to go with Aero straight skis instead.