Random Youtube recommendation this morning.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pW0eZRoQ86g

Zane moves into snow country and immediately starts researching over snow equipment.

Actually, that was fascinating.....I looked at those tires initially and wondered who thought that was a good idea..

Great find, Zane, but I think I'd stick with Arctic Cat....or Polaris....after all, they're both made just down the road from your new home.

But, thanks for the history lesson.

MTV

Already met a fellow pilot who's an engineer at Polaris. Never realized they were made here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QB14TEBQkMg I have one of these with Half Tracks, grandfather bought in early 50s, I recently restored.

I love this stuff. I saw the Ferguson tractors that Edmund Hillary took to the Antarctic in Christchurch museum. Crazy ideas.

Zzz wrote:Never realized they were made here.

Well, bolted together there, at least.

bush master wrote:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QB14TEBQkMg I have one of these with Half Tracks, grandfather bought in early 50s, I recently restored.

I still have a set of those tracks from when we had one too. They could go about anywhere!!!

I've always been a fan of the old style Tuckers, myself!

John

That one showed up in my recommended videos also, neat idea but like mtv mentioned... who could have ever thought those tires were a good idea?

Crazy they drove that cross country.

And imagine that they only found out it did not work when they got to Antarctica. A little pre trip testing might have been a good idea.

That’s a neat looking machine, but the smooth tire concept doesn’t usually work so well in snow and ice. Think Bushwheel braking performance in snow

I really enjoy the old school cutaway drawings that show the layout inside of a vehicle.

The screw concept is interesting for snowbility.

I believe they ran in to issues with the Fordson snow machine when attempting to support the Eilsen/Wilkins trans polar flights. I believe that the range was an issue.

This is a very well produced video on the topic of arctic exploration vehicles that YouTube suggested:

Tucker Snow Cats are made locally where I live... Which is crazy since we hardly get any snow on the valley floor...
But we also have Ericson Sky Crane, Carson Helicopters, Harry and David and a couple other small international business in the area..

Brian.

Back in the late sixties, my parents lived in the Centennial Valley in SW Montana.
In late October, they’d drive the cars out the ~ 35 miles to the tiny town of Monica, and park them in rented garage space.

Neighbors did this together, and they’d drive one car back into the valley.

After the snow arrived shortly thereafter, they went back and forth to Monida via snow planes, a three ski equipped sled with an airplane engine on the back.

My folks had a Warner radial powered machine. Everyone had one of these things, and there are still a few around:
https://bigskyjournal.com/the-snowplane ... the-world/

Eventually, they acquired a surplus Thiokol tracked machine, which actually had cabin heat!

MTV

Amazingly, the staggerwing is under restoration currently and will fly again. Pretty cool

X2 on restoring the Stag- very cool.
I read a few years ago that someone in Australia found the Staggerwing and it is undergoing restoration. It was beyond basket case status when found.
I wonder what it’s current state is?

Cheers,
Dave