I need new floats, help me to choose.

[Robert Bradbury]

Gone are my homebuilt 1650 Aqua Look alike floats

So the choices are EDO 1320's too old and too small I think as I have a gross of 1650 . Great performer at the lighter range but scary I understand in the heavy loaded range.

Edo 1400 which I can get brand new for 13,000 canadian with all rigging, boosters and spray rails installed.

Baumann 1500 which are a known great performer but built with really thin
skins which concern me as I beach on a lot of rocky shores.Flutted bottom is the best design by far but 20,000K in canadian dollars plus duties...............ouch.

Others are Aqua 1400, strongest but also most heavy.

PK1500, I know nothing about .

The 1400's are attractive at that price and given they are new even more so. I would like to hear performance figures
from those with these different floats, especially the 1400's.

Please, feedback is welcome.

[akndrifter]

Re: I need new floats, help me to choose.

What about PK 1800s? I've seen them on a couple F19s, but I don't know how well they work. Maybe someone else can chime in on those??

[Robert Lees]

Re: I need new floats, help me to choose.

Why did you get rid of the old ones, Robert?

[Dano"T"]

Re: I need new floats, help me to choose.

There was a guy at Oshkosh that had 1400's....they worked real good from what I saw.

[T-Rex]

Re: I need new floats, help me to choose.

EDO 1320's are to small and Aqua 1500's weigh 250lbs, that is nearly as much as EDO 2000's (approx 260lbs). And they have a max gros. wt. of something like 1450lbs. and are just OK performers, but very tough. Have you thought of EDO 1650's? Or are they to simmilar to the floats you had? They weigh about 230 or so and are the same tough float as the 2000, just shorter. Baumann's would be the best performers, but I have never seen how the 1500's hold up. I know that the larger 2550's are very tough so I assume the 1500's are also pretty good. I would be interested to hear from one of the guys who flys an F-19 with PK1800's. I think that would be a good combo for a higher power T-craft but have never herd from anybody who has them.

[Dano"T"]

Re: I need new floats, help me to choose.

I beach mine often enough and The only thing that touches the rocks is the keels....I think my floats are plenty rugged.....still...I would not hesitate to try 1400's either.

[Robert Bradbury]

Re: I need new floats, help me to choose.

I beach mine often enough and The only thing that touches the rocks is the keels....I think my floats are plenty rugged.....still...I would not hesitate to try 1400's either.

Can someone give me an idea of the weight of the 1400 ?

I was told the PK 1800 was 220 lb rigged and the same guy told me that he cruised between 85-90 with a 0-200 on a F19. Not too bad for such a large float. One thing I can say about the 1650 I had, very stable . You couldn't sink a float even if you tried.

[Robert Bradbury]

Re: I need new floats, help me to choose.

Why did you get rid of the old ones, Robert?

I don't think they were the right float for the T and I had problems getting on the step at higher weights whereas others with smaller floats were doing better. Also , my cruise was only 75 with these floats, others were 90 and above.

[T-Rex]

Re: I need new floats, help me to choose.

Are you talking about EDO 1400's (181 lbs.) or Aqua 1500's (250 lbs.)? PK 1500's would be almost the same as the EDO 1400 since they are almost identical. If you had a problem getting on step at higher weights a smaller float may not help you much because they will have a lower buoyancy and you will have to drag that much more float out of the hole. It sounds like your deck angle may have been screwed up with the very low cruise speed and the problems getting on step. Also where is the step in relation to the CG of the plane, that could be causing you a headache with on the water performance. Just fly that thing down to New Richmond and end all your problems with a new set of Baumann's.

[Robert Bradbury]

Re: I need new floats, help me to choose.

Are you talking about EDO 1400's (181 lbs.) or Aqua 1500's (250 lbs.)? PK 1500's would be almost the same as the EDO 1400 since they are almost identical. If you had a problem getting on step at higher weights a smaller float may not help you much because they will have a lower buoyancy and you will have to drag that much more float out of the hole. It sounds like your deck angle may have been screwed up with the very low cruise speed and the problems getting on step. Also where is the step in relation to the CG of the plane, that could be causing you a headache with on the water performance. Just fly that thing down to New Richmond and end all your problems with a new set of Baumann's.

I am talking about EDO 1400's. I can get a brand new pair for $11,500 US rigged and all the extras included.I prefer the Baumann but they will cost
$18,500 including freight and then there is duties.

I've been through every possible problem with a fine tooth comb and have consulted with the best knowledge out there to determine the problem but to no avail. I cannot remember where the step is relative to the CofG now as that was a long time ago. I think it was 1 inch behind the C of G but that is a guess as I did this work 10 years ago . The opening angle is 4 degrees. I think the float design is the problem with not enough floatation in the bow and too much in the stern. Like Baumann I think a foot of float needs to be removed from the back because the rear drags especially at gross weight.

DanoT has the same plane, engine , prop and short mount as I have yet he has better performance getting off the water than I did. At lighter weights
my performance was as good as his. That and the fact his is cruising almost 20 mph faster. I think my floats are on the heavy side as well which doesn't help.

[Len Petterson]

Re: I need new floats, help me to choose.

Robert Get a kit from
Cris Hheintz, and build your own you can do what as you are in the owner maintinece catgory.
Len

[Robert Lees]

Re: I need new floats, help me to choose.

Robert, ask the opinion of the Alaska Supercub lot at supercub.org ...I'm sure they will have views to offer.

[gcgilpin]

Re: I need new floats, help me to choose.

Consensus from the guys who have flown both 1320s and 1400s is that the 1320s are much faster out of the water. But the 1400s are better in rough water. Baumanns should be the best of both worlds similar design as 1320s but more displacement. PK 1500s and EDO 1400 are pretty much identical.

[Robert Bradbury]

Re: I need new floats, help me to choose.

Robert Get a kit from
Cris Hheintz, and build your own you can do what as you are in the owner maintinece catgory.
Len

Still to many unknowns, I'd rather keep what I have. Chris also usually rigs his floats with a 6 degree opening angle which is great for stol performance but bad for cruise .

[Robert Bradbury]

Re: I need new floats, help me to choose.

Robert, ask the opinion of the Alaska Supercub lot at supercub.org ...I'm sure they will have views to offer.

That would be a good idea if I had a known float design, but instead I have a
one off design. I think the Tcraft community have a better idea of what works on their aircraft.

Actually I have been thinking more about my situation and realize that part of my problem may have to do with the fact that my ship is heavy and that combined with the heavier floats have probably put me at a 150 + LB disadvantage.

I may do better just to bump the HP of my engine by going high compression
gaining10-15 hp without a weight penality and then cleaning up all the drag.
My floats and rigging produce as I have calculated about 90 square inches of
drag . Now I really have myself confused as to what to do. I think I need to have one more conversation with DanoT before I spend any coin because I need to know what is the maximum gross he can take off with. I've been comparing my ship to his, but, if mine is 150lb more then that is not a fair
comparison.