JAkridge

I'm going to try making my own set of mountings for a new project out of streamline alum. tubing. I looked at sea commanders and they are very nice, but a tad pricey.
I'd sure like to see some picture's of what you guy's have done. I'm not trying to go to a full on scale look. I just want something better looking than the duel wheel landing gear look on this float project.

Thanks for any picture's or ideas.

Joe

Wayne22

My Feedback: (2)

an idea I've heard of , but not tried, is to use K&S streamline tubing with a hardwood dowel down the center.

Bud Faulkner

My Feedback: (1)

Joe,
The only reason commanders tubing is more expensive is they use a higher grade aluminum and they're more suitable for floats than K$S which as nony said you will need a wood dowel inserted. Nothing wrong with K$S in other applications but for float mounting i'd go with sea commander. I'd rather pay a little more for peace of mind, especially if you have a good deal of money already invested in your plane.


Bud

SKYPILOT

My Feedback: (9)

Joe,

I agree with Bud on this one, You ARE going to have a substantial amount of time and money in it, and you don't want the thing to calapse under it's weight and destroy a beautiful bird. Bud make's a point that i was unaware of, in the type of alum. used. I can tell you from first hand expierence, that the K&S alum. while great for dress up strut parts is far to soft to be used on it's own, so, by the time you make up either music wire or wood dowl core parts to make it strong enough, what will you have gained??

That said, when my Pops and i add floats to our big Ryan's, and big Super Decathlons, we'll likely be going with the Sea Comander material and the Sea Comander "jig" to aid in alignment and setup.

Bud,

Thanks for the tip on the Sea Comander alum. being of a higher grade, that was news to me, i thought it was the same stuff, but it makes perfect sence that it would need to be stronger than the K&S stuff, so it can do the same job WITHOUT having to be filled with a second buttrise material!!!!

damifino

The Sea Commander stuff is 6061 aluminum (stiff and strong) while the K&S is probably 1100 (SOFT). Find a specialty metals supplier to fill your needs if you are set on making your own. A GOOGLE search should help you locate what you want.

Bud Faulkner

My Feedback: (1)

Scott,
Kinda like the old saying..."You can't judge a book by its cover" Looks the same but like night and day. 6061-T6 is the best. I used 6063-T5 for my home made brackets which has a tensile strength of 27000 psi and a fatigue strength of 10000 psi so I think i'll be o.k. there and of course my streamlined supports from commander are 6061-T6 which has a much higher tensile strength of 45000 psi and fatigue strength of 14000 psi. Treat your model building like you were building the real thing only smaller. There is no price you can put on safety. Good luck with your Ryan and Decath. I think you'll like the float jig.


Bud

JAkridge

Thanks Guys......Scott, Bud and the rest.
I spent a day looking at the K&S streamline stuff and yes, it's lite built. It will take a secondary insert of some kind for sure to make it strong enough for my 15-18 lb plane. I really have no problem with that because a insert of some kind is needed anyhow to complete the tie to the floats and the fuse properly. Weight is a factor..surely, I was also thinking of a carbon fiber rod insert. ?????? I really have know idea what the hell I'm doing, but I know where I want to go. So thats a start.
I think I could take S.C. stuff and make it work. But there web site is a little loose on showing every thing fit up to various setups.

I don't know......... I just want a good set up, and I was pushing for a date I can't make to complete the plane. Now that I know, I can't make it, I have more time and I'm open even more to options.

JAkridge

I just mite be changeing my tune now......I just got home and the Floats got here...Ya !!! They are Very nicely done as always, by "Ralph Smith" [sm=thumbup.gif], Great job Ralph.

Well these things are big and I mean big. I just wasn't prepared for how big. Don't get me wrong they are the size they need to be for the big bird. But lite as a feather. I need to get real serious about mounting these bad boys.

Ryan from Sea Commander sent me a email today also, and he said if I needed any questions answered or pictures of various mountings he could take care of me. Now I thought that was pretty cool of him. So I'm going to take another hard look at his stuff, then see how deep I have to go into the piggy bank.

Keep the opinions coming guys.

**Oh and by the way I only opened the box 1 time to check the plane over. Every time I thing about opening it up for good to start, my heart rate jumps up.

SKYPILOT

My Feedback: (9)

Great minds always prevail,

My point ?? Joe, In this case, with the project as nice as this one will be, it's worth outfitting it with the propper parts!! So using the Sea Comander parts is in my opinion the best and safest choice for this project. Great decision dude [sm=thumbup.gif]

scale only 4 me

My Feedback: (158)

I used the K&S tubing to mount the outriggers on my kingfisher without anything inside to stiffen it.
It's held up fine in that application,, but I don't think I'd ever use it for the mains on anything but a light parkflyer type model
It is very soft

just my $.02

Bud Faulkner

My Feedback: (1)

Joe,
I don't think you told us what plane you're building?


Bud

JAkridge

Morning Guys,

Bud, the plane I picked for my largest project to date (and on floats to boot) is the 96" ws Kangke Monocoupe. From what I have read about the plane it was a Hell of a pylon racer back in 30's, also flown by the great women pilot named Phoebe Omlie. I don't think it was known as a special float plane or anything, but was used as one. I really like the looks of it and it seems to be a great flyer by the reports here on RCU. (at least on wheels).
I thought I saw one at a float fly the first part of the year..... but Scott, and my wife keep telling me they did'nt see it. Ummm?? maybe I just dreamed it .

Just looks like it will be some serious fun to build and put on these great Ralph Smith floats, and have some fun with on the water. I have no desire to fly it on wheels other than maybe the madien and thats it. It will be on floats after the 1st flight.

I'll be powering it with a Saito 180, I think it mite endup at 16-18 lbs ?? not really sure about that. And that brings us back to the mountings.. at that kind of AUW a good set of mountings will for sure be needed.

Bud Faulkner

My Feedback: (1)

Nice plane Joe, keep us informed.

Wayne22

My Feedback: (2)

I have a Sikorsky S-39 that is a maze of K&S tubing. It does a great job of looking the part, but is very easily bent - even just lifting it in the wrong spot.

JAkridge

Thanks for the info Nony. I did'nt really know what a Sikorsky S-39 was intell I looked it up on the web. I have seen it before, now that I know the exact plane it is I can understand what you mean about maze of tubing. Sure like to see a picture of it.
I never really intended to use the K & S stuff without some sort of insert. My first thought was to use C.F. rods with a possible epoxy filler or a solid aluminum rod. Maybe not the best of idea's but I'm throwing things out there. I'm leaning hard toward S.C stuff now, and if I can see a good clear way to mount them to the fuse and keep the fairing look like the wheel set up I'll go for it.
It's still in the box for now, intell I get the garage strighten out, then I'll be ready to pull the trigger.

cf-drg

My Feedback: (1)

In the movie "The Aviator" I think Leonardo flew a S-38 or S-39... if I remmeber correctly..... Went through an old model book my dad gave me, that he got back in the 50's... And found these plans.... Are these the plans you used Nony... You where in your 20's or 30's back in the 50's weren't you

Sea Commander

Joe,

I'm not too sure how your skills are with fiberglass, but if you are wanting to keep the fairing where the struts meet the fuselage you could make a fiberglass fairing to slide over the end of the float struts just like the wheel gear.

If you are interested in this idea give me an email at [email protected] and I will gladly give you some insight on how to do it.

Ryan

bigguyplanes

My Feedback: (1)

I have used K&S tubing, with a 5/16 th aluminum rod insert. It extend 1 inch out either end and is split to fit over the hard points on the floats and the fuse,and secured with 4:40 SS bolts. May not be as scale as Ryan's, but worked fine on a 1/4 scale super cub.

flynfish44

[8D]
Hi Guys ,
I'm Ray Smith --- Ralph's twin brother . I am in the process of scratch building a 1/4 scale Rearwin Skyranger with 47 inch Edo floats . I had the same concerns --- how to mount the floats and still keep it looking somewhat scale . I bought some 3/4 K&S shaped tubing at my local H/S and ordered some shaped basswood from Balsa USA that fit right inside the aluminun tubing with very little sanding . If you are interested I can take some pictures and send a little more info soon . Happy landings ------ Ray Smith <*)))>{

Wayne22

My Feedback: (2)

Geez..how old do you think I am?? I was still hanging on to my mom's apron back then....

The one I got is built from RCM plans...

SKYPILOT

My Feedback: (9)

WOW,

Your right Nony, that is one confusing maze of struts you got there [sm=thumbup.gif]

akflyer

My Feedback: (7)

http://www.keleo-creations.com/accessories/access.htm

He has the tubing a little cheaper but you still have to make your own end fittings. I used the aluminum square stock that came with the sea commander set up and machined it into scale fittings. I am now working on an exact scale float mount set for a Beaver and it is quite the challenge if you dont have a good machine shop to use or deal with.

Bud Faulkner

My Feedback: (1)

Again price is based on grade, is it 6061-T6?

akflyer

My Feedback: (7)

According to the guy I talked to at Keleo it is 6061 T6. I have not used it as I found this stuff after I had ordered my tubing from S.C.

JAkridge

Hey Guy's, Thanks for all the help. I have been talking to Ryan over at SeaCommander and the help he is giving me is unreal. With that kind of help I can't go anywhere else now. I'm one of those guys that if a guy helps me, like he is. I'll help back, and if that means buying his stuff on this one, so be it. He has been more than helpful.
So this baby is going to have Sea Commander mountings. And I'm glad I went that way for my first try at a scale look.

Thanks to all.
Joe

I just wanted to throw in that all my floats so far are from Ralph Smith, there may be better one's or cheaper one's. But as long as he's building them..........I'll keep useing his floats on my planes.