flybyjohn

My Feedback: (2)

I have just printed a set of seamaster 40 size plans, the lightened version from Morris I believe. Looking at the plans and seeing some video of the damage the seamaster can have on hard landings, I was wondering if while constructing the seamaster you could carfully cut and sand some 1" styrofoam and glue it between the bulkheads in the bottom from the step forward. This could be done before putting on the bottom sheeting and would add a great deal of strength and hardly any weight. It would also come to almost the water line so if you did get a small crack or pin hole, the fuse would not fill up in the front. I calculated the foam at 1 inch thick blue high density foam to be 81.53 sq in. and weigh less than 1.35 oz plus a thin layer of poly U glue probable will be 2 oz total extra. If white syro was used it may be almost half that weight. Has any one ever tried this while building the seamaster or other similar plane?

I have also seen seamaster duplicates that use 1/8" light ply with lightinging holes in the sides instead of solid 1/8" balsa side construction. Which design is better, lighter?

Any help I can get before I start this project would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you.

MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

I don't see any reason not to add the foam as long as you don't mind the extra work. What I did was to sheet the bottom with 1/16" ply. It didn't mind the extra weight at all.

siddus74

Seamasters are great from the original design, dont modify it away from the original - what you get with the original is a hardy waterplane for all weathers flys great in a wind and doesnt easyily get blown over in a cross wind ... I tryed for 3 years to destroy mine and it would die ... in the end I sold it to another club member ... I flew mine on a 46FX and rinsed it out like a pylon racer every flight ...

Mine was the original ACE one light ply sides with lightening holes, it was lightly glassed and painted - it was bullet proof and at about 8lbs was a great, great flyer .... leave well alone. Dont add foam, complete waste of time . . .

flybyjohn

My Feedback: (2)

The plans I have say that it builds to about 5.5 lbs. It calls for 1/8" solid balsa sides but I do not have balsa long enough for the fuse. I do have 1/8 birch ply long enough. I may just sub in the ply with lighting holes instead of the balsa sides.

Lamoilleriver

My ACE Seamaster built from a kit has 1/8" plywood fuselage sides and bottoms. Fuselage sides have several lightening holes in them. Fuselage is covered with coverite and spray painted. This plane has been around for many years and many flights.

flybyjohn

My Feedback: (2)

I managed to get some 1/8" balsa for the sides so I think I will go ahead and use balsa as the plan states. Hopefully I can get the thing built under 6 lbs flying weight. I have been looking for a seamaster build thread to get some ideas of the build, although it looks pretty straight forward, it would be nice to look at someone elses progress. I can't find one in all the searching I have done so I may start another thread with my build. Thanks for all the comments and suggestions.

edjahar42

Hey guys, what size plane is this Seamaster, I'm planning my next purchases around seaplanes and floatplanes. I live on a river so I need some small planes for limited space, and I'm only five miles from a large lake.
Ed

hugho

I built one of my Seamaster per plans, except for adding a layer of 1/32 sheet ply to the bottom. this was because the pond where we fly had a rough shore and couple of the other planes were getting pretty beat up on the bottom. Other than that there are six of us that fly regaulary weeky without a problem, all of whom have scratch built Seamasters from the original plans of the forty size that one of the guys bought from the article in RC Magazine twenty years ago. I took the original plans and doubled the size and made a 1.20 size. A couple of the guys reduced the size to a .25. We have been flying all of these for more and 10 years now and are very happy with the performance. Go build it and good luck.

flybyjohn

My Feedback: (2)

Edjahar42, the plans I printed were .40 size, 60" wing. They have the plans out on the net for the seamaster II that is scaled down to the .25 size. They also have a puddle master that is similar to the seamaster that is even smaller.

What is everybodies opinion on fiberglassing the bottom of the fuse. Will I need to use fiberglass if all I plan to do is fly off water? The plans call for plywood from the step forward. I was planing to just polyurathane the wood and cover with plastic covering.

Lamoilleriver

Using coverite and spray paint has worked for me, taxiing back to a silt/sandy beach with just enough speed to get the nose within reach. Finish shows light scuffing, certainly nothing that would leak water. In reality the plane is not in the water all that long, taxi out to takeoff and taxi back to return. Believe fiberglass is a lot work and weight with little benifit, unless of course you plan on flying off of rocks all bets are off.

Can't say I have had much luck trying get monokote to stick to polyurethane, did do poly inside the main compartments, just in case, sealing the wing saddle with silicone, the inside of my plane has stayed dry.

pancake

My Feedback: (2)

What is the best glue or repair method for the ARF engine plastic pod. mine has a number of cracks that need to be repaired and reinforced. thx

flybyjohn

My Feedback: (2)

I don't know the best way yet but I have had luck using fiberglass cloth and CA glue. I put it on the inside after lightly sanding it. Use something to get all the oils off the plastic and then glue the fiber glass in along the cracks. I have also used pvc primer and glue to glue the fiberglass to the plastic cowls with mixed results.

pancake

My Feedback: (2)

I have done the same to other plastic parts , was wondering about this plastic cowl because it looks to be made of something different.