Ikaros

I mounted a pair of Hacker floats on a Taxi.

I think it turned out to be a bit flimsy according to picture attached.

Should I add another pair of diagonal braces stretching from lower front - rear top of under carriage ?

Or will it be too rigid so things might break instead of flex ?

Thanks for any help

Cheers,
Ikaros

M3

My Feedback: (25)

My first gas float plane was a Hobbico AirVista with GP 40 floats mounted in a similar fashion. It flew fine, took off and landed no problem, but the floats weren't as solid as I thought they should be. I now have a SIG SE on floats and am using aluminum mounts like found of a SIG 4Star. Much more rigid mounting system.

So, to answer your question, I would think the more rigid the better. I also thought that allowing for some flex might cushion landings, but it might tend to over flex causing failure.

David Smith

My Feedback: (1)

IN my experience, the more rigid the floats, the better.

I am interested to know about the floats you are using, they look VERY similar to a pair I bought a few years under the 'Obag' name. I used them on a Goldberg Falcon and they worked very well. Sadly, I no longer have the plane, but still have the floats!

Good luck with your float plane, after the first take-off and landing, you'll be hooked!

Ikaros

Thanks for your advice fellows !

So it was written and so it was done !

I mounted two additional diagonal braces of thinner wire, 1mm ,and used turn buckles to keep them tight.

Practical tests will show if it is enough. I will start flying on snow as all lakes are frozen now.

The floats are these: http://www.hacker-model.cz/indexuk.htm

No 1802

Cheers,
Ikaros

David Smith

My Feedback: (1)

The floats look similar, but not identical to the Obag set I have. Thanks for the link.

Hmm..'EU' and frozen lakes, must be in my neck of the woods!

Ikaros

I give you a clue: N58°24'36,8'' E15°33'38,6''

Cheers,
Ikaros

David Smith

My Feedback: (1)

not far from Stockholm, I reckon!

Ikaros

Quite close, but you need to work harder to come closer!

Cheers,
Ikaros

JimCasey

My Feedback: (1)

Now you're on the target list.....

David Smith

My Feedback: (1)

Linkoping? Don't they build Saabs there? I drove past on a bike afew years ago, in fact my sole experience of Sweden is that one trip. I was in the country for about 6 hours!

4*60

My Feedback: (41)

Great! I believe the front lower to rear upper brace you added is the important diagonal, if not the only one required. It resists the force rying to push the float to the rear while in motion, at initial impact, while taking off! I also believe they cannot be too rigid!

JimCasey

My Feedback: (1)

The important brace is upper front to lower rear. THis keeps the floats from shifting aft when you hit a wave. Its load is strictly tension, and it can be a very fine wire or cable. I use a piece of approx 1.5mm pushrod wire on my 5kg Senior Telemaster for this, with a clevis on each end. The lower front to upper rear brace is in compression, so it will buckle with very low force.

Also important if you see the floats "dancing" would be an x-brace between the mounting points for the spreader bars on top if the floats. Also only fine wire is needed for this.

FLoat mounting should be rigid.

Ikaros

Hehe Jim,
If I was Usama, then that position would probably guide a TomaHawk to a spot on my lawn, just 5 meters from my window.

Yes David,
SAAB Aircraft is located in Linköping. SAAB Automobile is located in Trollhättan however.

4*60,
To save weight, I have made the diagonal braces quite thin. This means they will not act as struts, they will act as rigging wires only.

In this case, it doesn't make a huge difference, it just causes the stresses to be routed differently in the structure.

I am thinking of also add diagonal bracing between the floats, I think I have seen that on real aircrafts.

Cheers,
Ikaors

PS
Hmm this post should be time-stamped earlier than Jim's last one or maybe they came in at the same time.
DS

David Smith

My Feedback: (1)

They make cars too?

Ikaros

Hmm, well I have a vague feeling they do. Maybe I read it somewhere in a magazine

The important thing is of cource that they make aircrafts.

Cheers,
Ikaros

Ikaros

Jim and David,

Just of curiosity, how did you work out my location from the position data ?

David was a bit off target, but from a global pow, only by a hair. That makes me even more curious how he worked it out.

By a map, internet service or a GPS with a map display ?

I recorded the position using an old Garmin GPS-38. The calculated un-accuracy (as I like to call it ) was 25 meters at the moment of recording.

Cheers,
Ikaros

Ikaros

Sometimes, I really feel like an idiot!

If I look at Jims map, I see "Mapquest".

A google search and a few clicks reveals this URL:http://www.mapquest.com/maps/latlong.adp.

Cheers,
Ikaros

David Smith

My Feedback: (1)

I simply got out an atlas!

Ikaros

Well done !

Besides, how come you have an English name, being in Finland ?

You work for a company in GB or US ?

Cheers,
Ikaros

Ikaros

I know why. You fell in love with one of the gorgeous Finnish girls and the only way you could stay with her, was to live in Finland !

Cheers,
Ikaros

PS
I do not by any means indicate there is something wrong with Finland at all, I love Finland (a brother country of Sweden), I'm just curious, that's all, I reccon people with English names are very rare in Finland, thats all.
DS

Ikaros

I once had a work contact in Olari Louma, Espoo, (Esbo), Raul Juslin, a very nice person.

Cheers,
Ikaros