Posts: 15
Joined: 2/14/2002 From: Redlands, CA, Status: offline
I'm interested in flying off the water and can't decide if I should get a Seaplane/Flying boat like a Seamaster or should I just buy a set of Floats for one of the planes I have already? Which is easier or more fun to fly? I have been flying for several years off land and now that I have a boat I want to try flying off water.
Posts: 19989
Joined: 4/22/2002 From: Willmar,
MN, USA Status: offline
IMHO, flying hulls are WAY better (easier AND more fun) than floats. And my favorite planes are the Mariner 40 and the Seamaster. The Mariner is a bit tamer than the Seamaster, so go with what you will be most comfortable with regarding your experience level.
Posts: 15
Joined: 2/14/2002 From: Redlands, CA, Status: offline
I was thinking of maybe getting the Seamonster from Hobby People. I have an extra 61 laying around, but don't know much about that plane, it looks like a Seamaster.
Posts: 2739
Joined: 2/4/2002 From: Charlotte,
NC, USA Status: offline
Both are good, like any other aspect of our hobby, it's nice to have different styles. I have both and I think a simple trainer on floats is easier and more fun but then flying boats are fun too, example in the first picture is a very easy to fly float plane, takes off quick and lands at zero speed. Below it is another float plane and though it gets off the water fast it lands a little faster. It's harder to fly but just as fun. I have other float planes, I also have a Northstar which would be a flying boat and all are fun in their own way.... Oh, and they can fly in snow too, the the bottom picture was a Dazzler on Gee Bee floats that I flew yesterday.
Posts: 1572
Joined: 3/4/2002 From: Cookeville,
TN, USA Status: offline
Flying boats have the advantage of being a litle closer to the water so they can tolerate more wind when taxiing. The wingtip floats, if properly sized, keep the wings more level. The radio stuff is in the hull, and the prop throws spray which can get in thru the wing saddle. The motor pod has to be connected to the radio stuff, adding a small degree of complexity.
Floatplanes have the radio stuff in the fuselage where it stays dryer. You can take your favorite plane and slap floats on it for a lot less money than building a flying boat. You can swap the wheels and floats relatively easily if you have put any thought at all into your float installation.
There is not a clear-cut performance advantage. A clean floatplane is fast. Floats are not the draggy monsters everybody seems to think, and the hull of a flying boat is a float which is twice as big as one of the floats on a floatplane. Theoretical drag advantages of a flying boat are offset by the wingtip floats and motor pod anyway.
Seamasters and Mariners are fabulous airplanes. So is a Kadet Senior or an Astro-hog on floats.
Build what you like and go have fun.
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Jim Casey/Seaplane Nerd http://www.smilesandwags.com/Floats.html
Posts: 357
Joined: 12/7/2001 From: Houma,
LA, USA Status: offline
I fly both flying boats and float planes, both have advantages and disadvantages. That being said I guess I prefer a properly set up float plane. I find that flying boats require a much more delicate touch on the ailerons to keep the tip floats out of the water during the take off run and landing run out. If the tip floats dig in it usually results in a "water loop". However some the prettiest amphibs are flying boats soooo...............;-). Jerry
Posts: 15
Joined: 2/14/2002 From: Redlands, CA, Status: offline
Ok.... I ended up getting the Aero Phibian from Hobby People. Looks like a pretty easy ARF to build. The fuse looks really beefy. It is kind of heavy, so I am gonna put a 52 2 stroke on it. The only thing I see that is kind of wierd is it has a servo mounted to the bottom of the fuse near the CG for rudder control on the floats. Not sure how this is gonna work out. Any suggestions on how to get away from having it exposed under the plane??
Posts: 15
Joined: 2/14/2002 From: Redlands, CA, Status: offline
Yeah, that should work. How about using throttle cable? should work too maybe a little more flexible? or would it corrode to fast? It looks like it is well built other than that. The floats look really big, what is the rule of thumb there? They look like they would work on a bigger model.
Posts: 1103
Joined: 10/20/2002 From: Chapel Hill,
TN, USA Status: offline
I tell you what, I have done some pretty scarey things with my 40 Seamaster. Its an amazing airplane for what it is and cost. I have taken off in a 10kt. cross wind with no problem.
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Where there is confusion, there is profit. AMA # 403098
Posts: 1371
Joined: 12/27/2001 From: Gardnerville,
NV, USA Status: offline
I have a Sea Master with a OS 50. I looked at a Sea Monster at my LHS and I'm glad I got the Sea Master.
I bought a second wing, made two nacelles and installed two T.T.36 engines. Now I can fly the same hull as a single or twin just by unpluging the OS 50, cover the hole and mount the other wing. First flight as a twin will be the first Sat of next month.
Posts: 2
Joined: 6/5/2002 From: Tunkhannock, PA, USA Status: offline
Hey, I was wondering about river flying. The current is a little rough in some places(small waves). What do you guys think would work better; a float plane or a flying boat?
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Flying boat vs Float Plane - 
