Lightweight helicopter skid shoes

1. A lightweight skid shoe assembly, comprising:

a removable and replaceable body coupled directly to a skid tube, the body having one or more layers of wear resistant, non-metallic or partially metallic material;

an exposed portion of the body provided to make frictional, engaging contact with a contact surface and gradually wear away;

an unexposed portion of the body in which one or more retainers are arranged to wrap around a perimeter of the body, couple the body to the skid tube, and provide shear support without wearing away; and

a shear-bearing mechanism, comprising:

the one or more retainers oriented relative to the body such that at least a portion of the body projects through one or more openings of each of the one or more retainers;

wherein the body substantially prevents friction-related damage to the skid tube when the body frictionally engages the contact surface; and

wherein the shear-bearing mechanism is operable to direct shear forces away from the body when the body frictionally engages the contact surface.

2. The lightweight skid shoe assembly of claim 1 , wherein the shear-bearing mechanism comprises a recess in the skid tube.

3. The lightweight skid shoe assembly of claim 2 , wherein a recess depth of the recess is substantially equal to or less than a body thickness of the body.

4. The lightweight skid shoe assembly of claim 2 , wherein the unexposed portion of the body is positioned within the recess; and wherein the exposed portion of the body extends beyond the recess.

5. The lightweight skid shoe assembly of claim 4 , wherein walls of the recess are operable to apply shear support to the unexposed portion of the body when the body frictionally engages the contact surface.

6. The lightweight skid shoe assembly of claim 1 , further comprising at least one coupling mechanism to couple the body to the skid tube, the coupling mechanism arranged to react at least a portion of shear loads on the body, wherein the shear loads occur at junctions of the body with the skid tube.

7. The lightweight skid shoe assembly of claim 6 , wherein the at least one coupling mechanism is operable to couple the body to one or more coupling surfaces within the shear-bearing mechanism.

8. The lightweight skid shoe assembly of claim 1 , wherein the material of at least one of the layers is selected from the group consisting of: a polyamide impregnated carbon fiber layup, a polyimide impregnated carbon fiber layup, a peek injection mold with carbon fiber, a polyetherimide injection mold with carbon fiber, compression molded carbon fiber, compression molded fiberglass, a resin infusion with carbon fiber preform fabric, a fiber reinforced thermoset, acetal resin, machined acetal, machined thermoplastic, thermosetting plastic, or a metal-matrix composite.

9. The lightweight skid shoe assembly of claim 1 , wherein the body further comprises a wear indicator for determining when the layers of the body need to be replaced.

10. The lightweight skid shoe assembly of claim 1 , wherein the body is dispensed from a roll of body material.

11. A lightweight skid shoe assembly, comprising:

a removable and replaceable body coupled directly to a skid tube, the body having one or more layers of wear resistant, non-metallic or partially metallic material;

an exposed portion of the body provided to make frictional, engaging contact with a contact surface and gradually wear away;

an unexposed portion of the body in which one or more retainers are arranged to wrap around a perimeter of the body, couple the body to the skid tube, and provide shear support without wearing away;

one or more openings of each of the one or more retainers in which at least a portion of the body projects through the one or more openings; and

a recess in the skid tube, wherein the body is disposed within the recess;

wherein the body substantially prevents friction-related damage to a surface of the skid tube when the body frictionally engages and at least partially surrounds the contact surface.

12. The lightweight skid shoe assembly of claim 11 , wherein the material of at least one of the layers is selected from the group consisting of: a polyamide impregnated carbon fiber layup, a polyimide impregnated carbon fiber layup, a peek injection mold with carbon fiber, a polyetherimide injection mold with carbon fiber, compression molded carbon fiber, compression molded fiberglass, a resin infusion with carbon fiber preform fabric, a fiber reinforced thermoset, acetal resin, machined acetal, machined thermoplastic, thermosetting plastic, or a metal-matrix composite.

13. The lightweight skid shoe assembly of claim 11 , further comprising:

a coupling mechanism for coupling the body to the skid tube, the coupling mechanism arranged to react at least a portion of shear loads on the body, wherein the shear loads occur at junctions of the body with the skid tube.

14. The lightweight skid shoe assembly of claim 13 , further comprising an aperture in the body for receiving the coupling mechanism to couple the body to the skid tube.

15. The lightweight skid shoe assembly of claim 13 , wherein the coupling mechanism comprises a coupling bolt.

16. The lightweight skid shoe assembly of claim 13 , wherein the coupling mechanism is operable to couple the body to a coupling surface within the recess.

17. The lightweight skid shoe assembly of claim 11 , wherein walls of the recess are operable to direct a portion of shear forces away from the body when the body frictionally engages the contact surface.

18. The lightweight skid shoe assembly of claim 11 , wherein the body further comprises a wear indicator for determining when layers of the body needs to be replaced.

19. The lightweight skid shoe assembly of claim 11 , wherein the body is dispensed from a roll of body material.

20. A lightweight skid shoe assembly, comprising:

a removable and replaceable body having one or more layers of wear resistant, non-metallic or partially metallic material selected from the group consisting of: a polyamide impregnated carbon fiber layup, a polyimide impregnated carbon fiber layup, a peek injection mold with carbon fiber, a polyetherimide injection mold with carbon fiber, compression molded carbon fiber, compression molded fiberglass, a resin infusion with carbon fiber preform fabric, a fiber reinforced thermoset, acetal resin, machined acetal, machined thermoplastic, thermosetting plastic, or a metal-matrix composite;

a skid tube to which the body is directly coupled;

an exposed portion of the body provided to make frictional, engaging contact with a contact surface and gradually wear away;

an unexposed portion of the body in which one or more retainers are arranged to wrap around a perimeter of the body, couple the body to the skid tube, and provide shear support without wearing away;

one or more retainers oriented relative to the body such that at least a portion of the body projects through one or more openings of each of the one or more retainers;

wherein the body is disposed within a recess in the skid tube such that the unexposed portion of the body is positioned within the recess and the exposed portion of the body extends beyond the recess;

wherein the body substantially prevents friction-related damage to a surface of the skid tube when the exposed portion of the body frictionally engages a contact surface; and

wherein walls of the recess are operable to provide shear support to the unexposed portion of the body when the exposed portion of the body frictionally engages the contact surface.