THE SLEDGE “THE PLANE”

Needless to say that coasting on sleds is one of the most popular pastimes — a great form of active rest in winter. Is it because in different countries there are many quite different from each other types of sleds, from simple sieves, stuffed with straw, to multi-piece designs, the manufacture of which only a very good craftsman. Gradually transforming and improving, Luge has won recognition in the international arena and even among the Olympic sports: sledding “skeleton” and “Bob” played the most important sports award — the medal winners of the Olympic games.

 

It would seem that for many centuries the builders of the sleigh would have to exhaust all their options. Nevertheless, the development of the structures of sled to ride from the mountains is not stopped, rather the contrary: almost every year our craftsmen demonstrate new, more interesting designs. Success has, for example, the share of single-track “skibob”; popular sleds, known as the “snow bike”. During the weekends the commuter trains you can find a lot of young people with these sleds. In 1976 we introduced our readers with the novelty from Krasnoyarsk sleigh gliding type, in their – the basis of car camera, which was attached to a special form. Today we want to talk about a sled that looks very reminiscent of the plane and give an entirely new feel thanks to the soft suspension of the platform on which is located the athlete. These sleds are like very much, and not only for those who dream of sooner or later to connect my life with aviation.

 

So the sled a plane, or a sled-the balancer (see Fig.), since the Foundation of mastery is the ability to support the weights, balancing the entire body. The platform on which the athlete rests, sprung shock-absorber of a motorcycle type that softens the bumps on rough tracks. For riding these sleds are best suited slopes that are generally used by novice skiers.

 

For the manufacture of sledges-the”plane” you will need the following materials: lime, pine or spruce boards (for the manufacture of the wing and skiing) with a length of 1500 mm and a thickness of 25 mm with a width from 100 to 300 mm; leaf birch waterproof plywood size mm. 1500X1500X3 Still need epoxy or casein glue, good sunduka loop and two handles, and a pendulum absorber fork of the motorcycle or scooter.

 

 

Sled-“airplane” — design and Assembly:

 

And the sledges Packed for transport urban transport; B — the contour of the wing span 1500 mm on the grid (in the case of reduction for younger children the square side should do 75-80 mm); soft bedding: 1 — quilted changing Mat, 2 — ribbon for attachment to the Board (the length of the mattress should be equal to the length of the Board); Mr. the main parts and their arrangement: 1 —.wing, 2 — underwing rails, 3 — handle, 4 — bolts connecting the wing to the Board, 5 Board, b — loop, connecting the Board with the ski, 7 — ski 8 — metal undercut front of the ski (T-bar profile height 10 mm); 9 — damping Assembly of two coil springs attached to the ski and Board cross the M6 bolts through the steel plate; D — the simplest device for flexible sock ski: 1 — ladder, 2 — lining, 3 — storage of skis, 4 — a tethered cord. In the manufacture of skis from planks of its front part should be steamed in boiling water; when gluing multiple strips of plywood there is no need.

 

The ski can be bent on a simple fixture (ladder), as shown in figure D. For this, the nose of the billet is necessary to steam in hot water (this can be done at the trough, put on a two burner gas stove), and then, when the workpiece will stay in the boiling water for 15-20 minutes, quickly clip it in the bending fixture and tighten strong twine or clothes line. If the boards selected for the manufacture of skis, very dry and stiff, they are poorly to steam bending and can break. To avoid this, it is recommended that before steaming to make a fine hacksaw in the bow of the future ski longitudinal propyl, in which. after drying, the workpiece is introduced a piece of plywood on epoxy resin. This simple operation will give the ski a high strength and shape consistency. The next stage is the manufacture of the wing. Its outlines are given on the grid (each square is equal to 100 mm).

 

Making the wing drawing in full size on paper or plywood, it is necessary to connect the required number of existing boards (if there is such a wide Board to make the wing fit on . it is completely). Game wing precisely, on a carpenter’s table or focusing astrogate his right and left half in the drawing (see Fig. B). Carefully crafted with a file and sandpaper the wing is impregnated with hot linseed oil and covered with bright paint so that the sled would stand out better in the snow.

 

The platform manufacturer, which is the athlete, will not cause difficulties: it is a pine Board size of 1200X30X25 mm, laminated for greater strength plywood, 3 mm thick At the bow, it connects to the ski with conducing loop, and in the middle podrazdelyaetsya spring or a motorcycle shock absorber. In a pinch you can use the chip flat car shock absorbers, or inflated soccer ball enclosed in a canvas case; there are many different solutions. It is only important to cushioning .the item had a reserve to absorb – shocks when riding from the mountains. Therefore, under static load (influenced only the weight of the athlete) a shock absorbing element should not “squander” to the end.