Need Ideas For Float build.

T-Richard

Active member
Hi guys,

I need ideas. Like many of you I have lots of planes and so I decided I'll focus on recycling this year. I want to build an aerobatic float plane.

I have these I hope to integrate within

turnigy 3015 1000kv motor either on 3s (up to 12 inch prop) or 4s (likely 10 inch prop) depending on what I go for

Supercub LP floats http://www.horizonhobby.com/float-set:-super-cub-lp-hbz7390

I was running it on an overgrown nube tube and the issue I had was that the plane wast heavy, not waterproof enough and the floats need serious reinforcement. In addition my 7 inch prop was hitting water at times... (waves etc)

Also I have built many planes and to give an idea, I find the FT spitfire not agile enough anymore so wanted something a bit more nimble.

I saw the flitetest episode where they used a duster but I worry about the pitchy-ness of it on landing... I like the storch, wondering about the length of the floats being appropriate for that one.

This is where you come in. Need to bounce ideas off people.
 

T-Richard

Active member
Also, not opposed to odd/different

[RcA1041.i]_Elitar-Sigma-Light-Sport-Aircraft.png

or

sea60_04.jpg

or


nn chippmunk with floats perhaps?
 

Snarls

Gravity Tester
Mentor
There was a post earlier this month about a guy doing some aerobatic flight on and off water with his SlowBoat. Here's a link to that post, and here's a link to the build on RCGroups. As I do not have one myself, I can not tell you how aerobatic it is, but people claim it is very fun and has 3D capabilities. It floats on its hull so it's not a true "float plane" but its probably more agile because of it.

For Reference: slowboat 115.jpg
 
Last edited:

offaxis

Member
How about this one? WM Park Flyers Mako sea plane. I made one out of DTFB for flying on snow and grass. It few alright for a few passes until I put it in the dirt and cartwheeled it. I plan on remaking it and adding more spars and supports. I've learned lot about building with the mistakes I've made building this one.

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1696964

2014-12-17.jpg
 
Last edited:

AkimboGlueGuns

Biplane Guy
Mentor
What about a super decathlon on floats? A Super D wouldn't be too had to build, it's aerobatic, and lots of people puts floats on the full scale Decathlons.
 

nerdnic

nerdnic.com
Mentor
There was a post earlier this month about a guy doing some aerobatic flight on and off water with his SlowBoat. Here's a link to that post, and here's a link to the build on RCGroups. As I do not have one myself, I can not tell you how aerobatic it is, but people claim it is very fun and has 3D capabilities. It floats on its hull so it's not a true "float plane" but its probably more agile because of it.

For Reference: View attachment 36471

Sweet! Thanks for the link and ideas.
 

T-Richard

Active member
Thanks guys!..

I will build 2 seaplanes then.... I won't say more and post in a few months about these
 

RAM

Posted a thousand or more times
I'm working on a Polaris hybrid. I want a water/snow plane but I don't like too much speed. If it works, I should have a cross between the Polaris Seaplane and the Mikeys FPV V3 (I want a biplane waterplane)

4079d832-4f01-bdf8.jpg
 

Attachments

  • 4079d832-4f01-bdf8.jpg
    4079d832-4f01-bdf8.jpg
    43.4 KB · Views: 101

offaxis

Member
Will a Bluewonder 24g motor be enough to power a Slowboat?I have a few sitting around. I think I'm going to try to build one out of DTFB but the wing concerns me. I don't have any CF materials to make a spar. What FT design wing would be ideal for the slow boat. I would like it to retain its aerobatic properties. Should I keep it 100% or scale it down to 80 to make all the slots work for 3/16" thick DTFB.
 

AkimboGlueGuns

Biplane Guy
Mentor
Will a Bluewonder 24g motor be enough to power a Slowboat?I have a few sitting around. I think I'm going to try to build one out of DTFB but the wing concerns me. I don't have any CF materials to make a spar. What FT design wing would be ideal for the slow boat. I would like it to retain its aerobatic properties. Should I keep it 100% or scale it down to 80 to make all the slots work for 3/16" thick DTFB.

A Blue Wonder will probably work, but you won't be flying all the fancy 3d -esque aerobatics with it like you see many builders doing. DTFB should also work fine so long as it's waterproofed (my favorite method is tape as you have seen in the Drake build). A KF type of airfoil seems applicable in this case. The top "step" will provide rigidity in place of your spar. The KFM4 is probably the most suited in this aircraft, as it simulates a fully symmetrical airfoil. Good luck with your build, I have wanted to build one of these since I saw them on RCG, but I don't really want to pay for depron.
 

saiga556

Full of...
A couple ideas.
NAJN8JTZ6ogplkqnBts65JRNo1_500.jpg

mc72.jpg
Macchi M-39

bernard_hv220.jpg
Bernard HV.220

I might have to build one of these myself. I wanna take on that HV.220 one the Caudron C.450 is done. Gotta love the old racers.
 

offaxis

Member
A Blue Wonder will probably work, but you won't be flying all the fancy 3d -esque aerobatics with it like you see many builders doing. DTFB should also work fine so long as it's waterproofed (my favorite method is tape as you have seen in the Drake build). A KF type of airfoil seems applicable in this case. The top "step" will provide rigidity in place of your spar. The KFM4 is probably the most suited in this aircraft, as it simulates a fully symmetrical airfoil. Good luck with your build, I have wanted to build one of these since I saw them on RCG, but I don't really want to pay for depron.

I think I'm going give the KFm2 a try first. It looks like a super simple build so I hoping to slap it together quick some day.

Hows the Drake II build coming?
 

AkimboGlueGuns

Biplane Guy
Mentor
Slowly. I'll get it finished and probably write and article on it as soon as it is done. There is not that much left to do, I just have to wait for the motor (coming tomorrow) and finish taping the tail.
 

Tactical Ex

Senior Member
Whatever you end up doing I suggest that you try a design that uses the body as a float rather than pontoons. I and a few others on the forum have ventured into scratch built float planes and quite simply, you have to scale the size of the pontoons up so much that they cause a ton of drag and act as lifting surfaces as well. This worked well for my motor glider but for an aerobatic plane ... probably a bad idea.
 

offaxis

Member
IMG_20150105_212652.jpg IMG_20150108_215342.jpg

I have completed my DTFB Slowboat. Here are two pictures of them in progress. I don't have a picture of the finished plane but you get the idea. I'm waiting on snow to maiden it.