FlyBy8

My Feedback: (1)

Hey Guys,

I am working on putting floats on my Kadet Sr. for a float fly in this weekend in Tiffin, OH.

I need some idea (and pictures would be great) on an easy and simple way to connect the water rudder to the main rudder servo. I am looking for something that would be easy to convert between wheel flight and floats.

Should I just use a nyrod running out the bottom of the fuselage?

What kind of ideas do you have?

Regards,

aerofly0610

Take a look at the Great planes float manual. http://www.greatplanes.com/accys/gpmq1870.html

I have this kit its a joy to put together! Im modding it to have micro servos in the floats to control the rudders. Sorta like Hangar 9's
http://www.hangar-9.com/Products/Sup...ProdID=HAN4580

FlyBy8

My Feedback: (1)

Hey thanks, Aerofly0610.

I looked at the Great Planes manual, however the rudder control horn on the Kadet Sr. does not drop below the elevator like it does on a Cub. I guess I could do this all above the horizontial, but I think it would be a little unsightly on top.

I like the way Hangar 9 did the servo internal to the float, however my floats are foam cores and already covered.

Keep the ideas coming Guys, I appreciate any help you can send my way.

Regards,

SeaPlaneSupply

My Feedback: (7)

FLYBY8,
You can use SS cable .020" to make a pull pull off the water rudder, run it thu plastic tubing to make the curves and hook it up to the rudder servo.
Mark

JimCasey

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A Senior has tricycle gear.  Come off the nose-gear steering arm(or add another arm on a stub-shaft) with a pushrod and go as straight back as possible to the water rudder.  Just make sure you don't get crossed up and that the WR goes the same way as the regular rudder.  Use nyrod if you like, and lash the housing to the struts.  Or use a nose-gear steering arm with the pivot in the canter, and go back to the water rudder with pull-pulls.  Fishing line (spider-wire) is more than strong enough, and essentially weightless.  Make your knots so you can slip them for final adjustment, then a drop of superglue once everything is lined up. 

One water rudder is plenty.  It should be hinged to kick up if you encounter seaweed or the beach.  In any case it need not hang down more than a half-inch lower then the transom of the float.  You only want it in the water when you are in displacement mode, not creating a lot of drag when you are trying to take off.  The Ernst water rudders are superior. 

FlyBy8

My Feedback: (1)

Jim, I failed to mention that when I built my Kadet Sr., I modified it to be a tail dragger.

The floats were given to me by a friend that did use them on a tricycle geared Kadet Sr. So the mounting blocks are in line with using a "T" bar for the front connected to the tricycle gear mounting block. I am planning on using that same setup to mount the floats to my tail dragger Kadet Sr.

Your website has a lot of great info on it.

The water rudder is hindged to flip up. The stearing arm connected to the water rudder is only one sided, not a double sided one. So the pull pull option is out, I will probably just use nyrod for that connection. So I am left with trying to find a way to come off of the rudder servo and travel down through the bottom of the plane and then make the run to the back of the floats.

I have a couple of ideas to try tonight when I get home.

Thanks for all of the help, everyone.

aerofly0610

Yeah that could get a bit messy... I didnt realize the rudder didnt extend below the elevator. So how does your tail wheel turn or doesnt it??

JimCasey

My Feedback: (1)

I built a Taildragger Kadet Sr for my son. 
I stuck a bent 1/16" wire into the rudder, and ran it straight down thru the fuse.  Where it exited, I fabbed a steering yoke from a small wheel collar and brass sheet.  I connected to the tailwheel with springs.  For floats, I attach fishing line to this yoke, go forward to a strut where I have 2-56 eyebolts as guides (like on a fishing pole) , down to the float thru another eyebolt, and back to the WR.  Almost like a scale installation.