quote:

ORIGINAL: chistech

Hi Ken,
I used an old set of Charlie Smith plans (1980 era?) in 1/5th scaled down to the Brian Taylor scale. I differed from the CS plans on the float mounting design using my own. I incorporated a camera type bayonet mount with 1/4-20 nylon rod and knurled threaded disks. This system has worked great and the float is never loose. I used the float rudder design from the CS plans as no servo is needed in the float. This system also works perfectly. I used the same CS plans for the tip floats and the location of the tip floats on the BT plan. Again, I used my own design using hardwood rails and plywood rib doublers to support the rails in the wing tips. Nylon screws into stainless T-nuts secure the tip floats to the wing. If you need a set of the CS plans shrunk down to the BT scale I can get you them for the cost of getting printed up and shipped. If you use this thread and the plans you can pretty well figure out everything. I can tell you this plane flies extremely well and is easy to take off and land. The main float, if built exactly to the design of the bulkheads on the plans, will build up slightly more "pointed" than true scale. I built mine to the plans and although more pointed, the float performs perfectly and there is NO spray at all into the prop. If you have more questions feel free to PM me.


On another note: The plane won another scale contest at a NH float fly two weeks ago. Kudos to my buddy's great painting and to Brian Taylor's great flying design.


Ted