LMProd

Good FloatPlane ?

Looking for a good floatplane that fly’s well and can handle some waves.

This could be an ARF or kit. Wondering if any one has experience with a G& P Sales Sea Bee.

Thanks

downwind

My Feedback: (8)

im building my second ace seamaster. these arfs are really great float flyers. just dont over power them. they fly great with the recomended engines. i use a os .52 4-stroke and i can take off at 1/2 throttle. price is 199.99 at quantum hobbies with free shipping(and its a big box). kit is built staight and strong. i use fly wires on the tail. I attach a 2-56 wire from the stab to the fuse to give the T-tail some added strength because i tend to get a little crazy up in the air.
heres a great review
http://www.modelairplanenews.com/reviews/seamaster.asp

Timbersnake

That's an interesting question, and one which my club debates endlessly.
First, we'd need to know a little more about you...how do you like to fly? What's your budget? etc. etc.
As a general rule, if it flies good on gear, it'll fly good with floats.
The caveat being, a set of good floats and hardware can easily weigh two pounds. (I'm talking about a set of Great Planes 60 sized floats, which will float a 15 pound model)
So, don't forget about wing loading.
A real nice plane to start with is the Sig Kadet LT2...I think I have all the numbers right on that...40 sized Arf trainer by sig in any event. Lots of lift, big vertical tail surface.
Our club flies float planes almost exclusively...and we have found that almost anything will fly with floats strapped to it. Below is a pic of the TTChamp45S, a 40 sized pattern platform, with 20 sized great planes floats.
Seamasters are very popular here...there are currently 5 of them in flight ready condition in our group.
Also popular is the (discontinued) Great planes trainer 60...because of it's wing...semi-semetrical and hi mounted.
I've got a profile plane on a monofloat...flys great. While it flies perfectly fine in normal flight conditions, the float brings out some strange behavior when doing aerobatics. We call it the 'pendulum effect'. Snap moves entered while inverted are MUCH more violent as the weight of the float and gear whips around. Pretty fun.
I've also seen Ventures, Tower Trainers, a TwinStar, a Telemaster, several Cub varieties, a Husky, profiles, a Lazy 51, a PT-40, an RCM Funster, and more...with floats strapped on. Just do it!

LMProd

Timbersnake,

Thanks for your reply.

I went float flying last weekend for the first time, it was great. I put together a 76" wing Cub with floats. A friend of mine test flew the plane and everything worked great. I then flew it and was hooked. The plane came out light and is somewhat effected by waves. Ray suggested a back up plane for float flying, so that’s what I am looking for. My flying experience is mostly high
wing simple aerobatics. I fly full size aircraft and fly the RC planes the same as I would a full scale.

Gary

DLT

My Feedback: (48)

That Seamaster looks interesting......I ordered a Hobbico Avistar 40 and installed some Gee Bee floats and used a TT 46 pro and that made an excellent floatplane as well and I fly some off Mobile Bay and that's a little salty....have had no problems with any of the electronics.....handles waves pretty well also.

lettucelord

hey just a sugestion, i got an US AIRCORE .40 Trainer and US Aircore floats, the combo IS GREAT! It suggests a .40 LA, and that works great, 10 foot take off, maybe 15. The floats are a pain to put togeather thouhg, you fold them from a plastic sheet and the fold-over-and- -glue part is under the water level [] SO there is a tendency to leak alot, but some silicon and duct tape does the job very nicely, and since the aircore is the exact same color as duct tape, it looks QUITE Spiffy on the water. The Alierons on the plane are both controlled by one servo, so no flaps, but not everything can be perfect. From the Air, it looks just like a Full Size Turbine Beaver. I fly on the Puget Sound by Seattle (Orcas Island) and it is salt water, no problems yet from the salt Hope this helps someones search for a great float plane.
PS you need a water rudder!, the plane is made from corregater plastic, so IT FLOATS FULLY UNDERWATER!! for thoes people who are new to the hobby www.usaircore.com
Scott

MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

My 3 favorites (In order)

1 Seamaster
2 Lanier Mariner
3 Cub on Floats

jrf

My Feedback: (551)

LMProd:

Check out the Falcon Trading Cessna, Beaver and Ready. All are excellent float planes, can be flown scale or sport, are easy to assemble and very durable. Plus you get a professional float setup that works, so you don't have to listen to the conflicting wives-tales about how to set up a float plane.

www.falcon-trading.com

Jim

lettucelord

does the beaver have enough power to really climb and turn, loops, if it does, GREAT
scott

jrf

My Feedback: (551)

With a ball-bearing 40 the Beaver will do big loops, nice rolls, wing-overs and have decent vertical. With a ballbearing 46 it is as aerobatic as you want it to be.

Jim

bigchap

how about the arc cardinal 177?,arc do a ready made float kit with a water rudder,they fly beautifully and are as pretty as a picture.

jrf

My Feedback: (551)

Same thing bigchap, arc(aka Modelfly)is known as Falcon Trading here in the US.

Jim

bigchap

ah,badge engineeering!it is a nice plane though isn't it?

jrf

My Feedback: (551)

Gorgeous. Had one, sold it, miss it.

Jim

AllisonMarine

DLT....... EMAIL me at [email protected]
I am in Panama City and have alot of business in Mobile, gulf shores/ Orange beach.
Looking for a Hobby shop as we have none locally and a place to fly over there.
We live on a lake and I am setting up the NexStar of floats to train the kids.

Hope you guys faired well with Ivan. Orange Beach was a disaster zone when over there last week.

rslstft

My Feedback: (10)

I have to second jrf's opinion about the Falcon Trading planes. I have the Ready on Floats with a Saito .56 and flies great. Really want to get the Beaver! Also putting together a 81" Cub on floats with a Saito .90 Twin. Float planes are great!

MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

I'm in the process of writing the Beaver Review right now. To give you a brief summary, It goes together VERY well, and has lots of power with a BB 46. Flies good, but it's a bit on the heavy side (8.1 lbs), and it flies like a heavy plane, But takeoffs and landings are very good, and it will do mild aerobatics.

Totally waterproof too!

Fastsky

Just looked at the price of the Beaver at the Falcon Trading site, expensive!!!!

WiLL-3D

Sig Kadet Senior

mfawbush

How did your floats work out on your Nexstar? I bought the Nexstar ARF and I'm using a magnum .46 XL to power it. Did you have to change props? Did you leave the stabilizers on it? I set mine up with the flap mod. I'm think of using the 35" Zeedoo floats from hobby lobby. Any tips are welcome.

http://www.hobby-lobby.com/floats.htm

Thanks,

Mike

Eyeguy

My Feedback: (1)

Here are my two floaties - one is a VMAR Challenger trainer with 36 inch Slocan floats and a GMS .46, she is a honey, and the other is a Seamaster with an old Royal engine built by a friend - it is like a sportscar - both highly recommended.

DLT

My Feedback: (48)

Do you mean the Avistar? A few years ago I bought an Avistar and used an inexpensive set of Gee Bee floats and the plane is simply wonderful to fly. It flys very well on a TT 46 with an APC 11x5 prop....Dave

mfawbush

DLT,

Tower started carring the Nexstar ARF version at the first of the year for $109. It came with I think an 11x5 prop. It doesn't have a lot of bite and I was wondering if it would even get to speed to get on step. I like keeping a trainer around to take Kids/friends up on, thought floats might keep me intersted in flying it as well.

Mike

DLT

My Feedback: (48)

Mike, You sound like me...i've got planes ranging from quarter scale areobatic down to 20 size planes of all shapes and sizes but like you I still like to keep and fly the trainer types and let friends and family try their hand at it. The Avistar even with the 11x5 APC will boogy and get right out of the water but there are several props that are good for the float plane as well...APC 10.5x6 is also a great prop for the float plane and I think I tried a 10x7 with success. One of my favorite trainer type planes is the Sig LT 40. I set mine up with out so much dihederal and put a TT 46 on it. It rolls good, does a good knife edge flys inverted very well and will absolutely hang on the prop for as long as I want to hold it. I've not tried a set of floats on it but i'm sure it would do great.

lettucelord

DOES ANYBODY HAVE SOME VIDEOS OF FLOATPLANES, SEAMASTERS, ANYTHING!! THERE SO HARD TO FIND, BUT SOO COOL
sorry to get inthusiastic, but they really are cool, anybody?
-scott