RC Stout

My Feedback: (4)

Hi all, I am building a SIG Kadet Senior that I am going to put floats on, I am going to use a .061 for power. Does any one have pictures of the float set up, placement of the landing gear and water rudder? Should I use the 5/32 gear that comes with the Kadet kit or should I use an aluminum gear? any pictures would be great.

Thanks

Antique

My Feedback: (4)

These are Great Planes floats extended 4" in the rear. Do a search for Chuck Cunninghams article on floats.

JimCasey

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Easiest way: 2 identical aluminum landing gears.

Lighter but a little more complicated: make your own from Home Depot aluminum strips. Note: Spreader bars are required because this stuff is otherwise a little soft compared to the dural normally used for name-brand RC aircraft LG.

RC Stout

My Feedback: (4)

Thanks for the info, I made my own using 1/8"x1" aluminum stock and they turned out fine. The floats I made out of the pink foam from Home Depot, I laminated two pieces together then covered the top and bottom with 1/16" balsa. I am going to cover them with Polyester dress lining material and water based polyurethane. I tried a sample and it seems to work nice.

seaplane

I've used the polyester material and found it does'nt like to go around corners. It may bubble up at the corner, so be careful.
Seaplane

AlphaWhisky

So what fabric will go around corners?

I`m going to be faced with producing my first pair of floats soon - also for an approx Sig Kadet size model.

I intend to make them from foam, sheath them with 1/16" balsa and was then considering covering them with two or more nylon stockings and resin. Haven`t quite figured out how to neatly finish the nose and tail of these, but may try to fudge it with a balsa or plastic block at the front and a plywood plate at the rear?

What d`ya reckon?

Alan W

seaplane

Alan, I've made over 150 pairs of foam core floats over the last 4 years and I use 1/4" ply for the transom and 1/4" balsa for the nose. These pieces give you something to glue the sheeting to at ecah end of the float. Sometimes I'll glue a large balsa block to the noses, then shape them to give the nose a nice rounded shape.
Fiberglass cloth around 5/8 oz. or 3/4 oz. will bend around the corners much easier than the polyester dress lining.
Hope this helps.....................Seaplane

JimCasey

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And you don't have to use ookey stinky resin either. Clear, water-based polyurethane varnish works GREAT.

1mickey

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Jim

Did you use the polyurethane varnish over the fiberglass cloth and how long have you been using them. I've got a set of float plans on order. This is my first try at floats. I've heard that the step should be on the CG and the floats should extend 2" past the prop. is that correct.

Thanks
Ken Jones

RC Stout

My Feedback: (4)

Hi guys, I just finished my floats and they look OK for my first set. I used polyester dress lining material with a water based polyurethane finish. I used water based contact cement to glue 1/16" balsa on the top and bottom but not on the sides (the next set I will sheet the side I think it will make a nicer finish) I painted the the floats with one coat of polyurethane after it dried I put on the polyester one side at a time and put a coat of polyurethane on. After it dried I mixed corn starch in water to make a medium thick mixture then I mixed an equal part on polyurethane, then I painted two coats of this on to fill the weave sanding between coats then one final coat of clear polyurethane to seal the corn starch in. Then I sprayed two coats of Gray Rustoleum for color

JimCasey

My Feedback: (1)

Y'know, I just re-read the FIRST post of this thread and I think his plane may be a little underpowered. If the uses an 0.61 he'll be real sporty, but a .061 may do little but taxi.

1mickey: Poly varnish over glass cloth works well. I use mine over balsa sheeting, and dust on just the lightest mist of spray adhesive to hold the cloth in place. PU Varnish is just like resin, but water cleanup (until it cures) and almost no smell at all. Once it cures, I don't think you could get it off with nitric acid.

Floats should extend a little in front of the prop. 20% of the prop diameter will do-that's 2 inches with a .40 motor and a 10-6. Having the step on the CG will work, but big-time aurhorities (guys who can spell well enough to get an article published) say to set the step a little behind the balance point: 40% of the mean aerodynamic chord was one reference.

RC Stout

My Feedback: (4)

In reference to the first post I missed typed the size, I am using a K & B .61 for power not a .061. I don't think I could even taxi with a .061

sgillmore

My Feedback: (50)

I used Sport Cap .40 Gear (HAN2307) from Horizon Hobby. They're only $11.88 and come with axles! You have to spread them out a little to match the stock wire gear, but they work great. So inexpensive, I bought three pair: two for my float setup and one for the taildragger conversion. I can convert from traildragger to floats in under 15 minutes. I used the 40" floats from www.espritmodel.com.

JimCasey

My Feedback: (1)

Perfect. And a good job on the rest of the plane, too. Are we havin' fun yet??

mblvsvb

Here are some pics of my kadet. love it, its my first float plane and I am in the process of converting a few more of my planes.
The Kadet is powered with a saito 100 and gp floats