Want cheap floats for trainer/beater
07-24-2010, 12:29 AM
#3
RE: Want cheap floats for trainer/beater
I like Great Planes floats, cheap and I like building them. I've been using the 60 size ($65) for years, works good for 1/5th scale. I like the instructions, they explain float flying, where to place the step, wing & float relationship as in incidents. If you damage them, repairable easy. But heavy, made from lite ply and balsa and I always add extra ply to the top deck, I found that's wherethey break at the mounting. It's all in what you wanna spend. I say great for beginners.
Gerry
Gerry
07-24-2010, 09:19 AM
#4
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RE: Want cheap floats for trainer/beater
I'd be good with building them. ARF would be nice, but it's more expensive. I might try plans if I could find any. GWS makes some really cheap ones but they look like .20 size.
07-24-2010, 05:05 PM
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RE: Want cheap floats for trainer/beater
Do a search for Chuck Cunningham/floats for info on making your own foam floats. He gives all the info needed on how to figure out the size needed for just about any plane. If you like to build they are pretty easy using his formulas, and cheaper than store bought. Good luck and have fun ,float flying is my faorite form of flying. If you have questions you can find the ansewers right here.
07-25-2010, 01:27 PM
#6
RE: Want cheap floats for trainer/beater
I'm with Crash.
The Chuck Cunningham article is the Rosetta Stone of Float Flying.
One place you can find it is here: Click on the page thumbnails and the full page will pop up.
With all due respect to wetbird, his is the first post I have ever seen in praise of those floats he mentioned.
In my experience those are very heavy and much larger than other floats rated for comparable size models.
Example: 20 size floats weigh over 2 pounds....a 20 size AIRPLANE is only 3 pounds. Not a harbinger of delightful flying qualities, but a good description for cinderblocks.
You can build-up float blanks if you stack up some 1" panels of foam insulation from from Home Depot, or go thru the dumpster at an electronics store and find enough foam to make a set of floats for free, and the Cunningham article shows you how to cover them with packing tape or other more elegant and permanent coverings. They CAN'T leak. If you want to get more elaborate, taper the sides or curve the sides of the nose and taper the tail for a little more streamlining.
A step up from the DIY floats are the float cutters such as PlaneFunFloats and Seaplane Supply. They make excellent floats at a reasonable price.
Lots of stuff that you will need in the FAQsticky in this forum. That's why it's there.
The Chuck Cunningham article is the Rosetta Stone of Float Flying.
One place you can find it is here: Click on the page thumbnails and the full page will pop up.
With all due respect to wetbird, his is the first post I have ever seen in praise of those floats he mentioned.
In my experience those are very heavy and much larger than other floats rated for comparable size models.
Example: 20 size floats weigh over 2 pounds....a 20 size AIRPLANE is only 3 pounds. Not a harbinger of delightful flying qualities, but a good description for cinderblocks.
You can build-up float blanks if you stack up some 1" panels of foam insulation from from Home Depot, or go thru the dumpster at an electronics store and find enough foam to make a set of floats for free, and the Cunningham article shows you how to cover them with packing tape or other more elegant and permanent coverings. They CAN'T leak. If you want to get more elaborate, taper the sides or curve the sides of the nose and taper the tail for a little more streamlining.
A step up from the DIY floats are the float cutters such as PlaneFunFloats and Seaplane Supply. They make excellent floats at a reasonable price.
Lots of stuff that you will need in the FAQsticky in this forum. That's why it's there.
07-25-2010, 09:12 PM
#8
RE: Want cheap floats for trainer/beater
ORIGINAL: JimCasey
I'm with Crash.
The Chuck Cunningham article is the Rosetta Stone of Float Flying.
One place you can find it is here: Click on the page thumbnails and the full page will pop up.
With all due respect to wetbird, his is the first post I have ever seen in praise of those floats he mentioned.
In my experience those are very heavy and much larger than other floats rated for comparable size models.
Example: 20 size floats weigh over 2 pounds....a 20 size AIRPLANE is only 3 pounds. Not a harbinger of delightful flying qualities, but a good description for cinderblocks.
You can build-up float blanks if you stack up some 1" panels of foam insulation from from Home Depot, or go thru the dumpster at an electronics store and find enough foam to make a set of floats for free, and the Cunningham article shows you how to cover them with packing tape or other more elegant and permanent coverings. They CAN'T leak. If you want to get more elaborate, taper the sides or curve the sides of the nose and taper the tail for a little more streamlining.
A step up from the DIY floats are the float cutters such as PlaneFunFloats and Seaplane Supply. They make excellent floats at a reasonable price.
Lots of stuff that you will need in the FAQsticky in this forum. That's why it's there.
..lol..I didn't say they were the best, GP floats work for me, have never had any problems using them. Your right about them being heavy, they are, mine were 2 1/2lbs whencompleted.But they're cheap and they do work. If your on a buget and want to flyoff water.
I'm with Crash.
The Chuck Cunningham article is the Rosetta Stone of Float Flying.
One place you can find it is here: Click on the page thumbnails and the full page will pop up.
With all due respect to wetbird, his is the first post I have ever seen in praise of those floats he mentioned.
In my experience those are very heavy and much larger than other floats rated for comparable size models.
Example: 20 size floats weigh over 2 pounds....a 20 size AIRPLANE is only 3 pounds. Not a harbinger of delightful flying qualities, but a good description for cinderblocks.
You can build-up float blanks if you stack up some 1" panels of foam insulation from from Home Depot, or go thru the dumpster at an electronics store and find enough foam to make a set of floats for free, and the Cunningham article shows you how to cover them with packing tape or other more elegant and permanent coverings. They CAN'T leak. If you want to get more elaborate, taper the sides or curve the sides of the nose and taper the tail for a little more streamlining.
A step up from the DIY floats are the float cutters such as PlaneFunFloats and Seaplane Supply. They make excellent floats at a reasonable price.
Lots of stuff that you will need in the FAQsticky in this forum. That's why it's there.
..lol..I didn't say they were the best, GP floats work for me, have never had any problems using them. Your right about them being heavy, they are, mine were 2 1/2lbs whencompleted.But they're cheap and they do work. If your on a buget and want to flyoff water.
07-25-2010, 09:16 PM
#9
RE: Want cheap floats for trainer/beater
I think those floats are the same ones sold by Maxford. They got pretty good reviews when they first came out. Heavier than foam, but rot-proof fiberglass construction. Very nicely sculpted bottom deflects the spray.
In a side note, I'm having trouble with the math from the seller's site: How do you get 99.2% Positive feedback with 2 sold?
In a side note, I'm having trouble with the math from the seller's site: How do you get 99.2% Positive feedback with 2 sold?
Seller info |
| 99.2%Positive feedback |
) 
24H-HobbyOther item info
| Item number: | 170395207418 |
| Item location: | æ*市, China |
| Ships to: | Worldwide |
| Payments: | PayPal See payment[/b] details |
| History: | 2 sold |
07-25-2010, 10:22 PM
#10
RE: Want cheap floats for trainer/beater
Jim,
That 2 sold of that listed item,, he has 123 seperate feedbacks factored into his feedback rating
That 2 sold of that listed item,, he has 123 seperate feedbacks factored into his feedback rating
The positive Feedback percentage is calculated based on the total number of positive and negative Feedback ratings for transactions that ended in the last 12 months, excluding repeat Feedback from the same member for purchases done within the same calendar week (eBay time).
Note: This could mean that the number of ratings used for this calculation is different from the same number shown in the Recent Ratings table on the left.
Positives
Positives + Negatives
This member's 12 Month Feedback ratings
Positives: 122Negatives: 1
This member's Positive Feedback percentage
122
122 + 1
= 99.2%
Note: This could mean that the number of ratings used for this calculation is different from the same number shown in the Recent Ratings table on the left.
Positives
Positives + Negatives
This member's 12 Month Feedback ratings
Positives: 122Negatives: 1
This member's Positive Feedback percentage
122
122 + 1
= 99.2%
07-27-2010, 11:45 AM
#12
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RE: Want cheap floats for trainer/beater
If you live in an area where there are RC swap meets I'd look there. I got a great set of floats with the water rudder for ten bucks. After 30 min of fiberglass work to fix a small crack, they were ready to fly.
Jim
Jim
07-28-2010, 11:25 AM
#13
My Feedback: (4)
RE: Want cheap floats for trainer/beater
You mentioned you wouldn't mind building from plans. Go to RCM Plans. Look under the miscelaneous section. You have the following choices; Plan #901 - 31" long originally penned by Fred Reese for his Golden Oldie biplane. I have scaled these plans up and down and everytime they have worked great, the plans cost $9.00. Plan #801 - 36" long cost $10. Plan #863 are 45" long and cost $10.00. Read Cunningham's article if you can get hold of it. There is a great deal of good information for all of us in that one artlcle. Good luck!
07-28-2010, 01:00 PM
#14
RE: Want cheap floats for trainer/beater
ORIGINAL: Netdewt
I'd be good with building them. ARF would be nice, but it's more expensive. I might try plans if I could find any. GWS makes some really cheap ones but they look like .20 size.
I'd be good with building them. ARF would be nice, but it's more expensive. I might try plans if I could find any. GWS makes some really cheap ones but they look like .20 size.
http://www.seminolerc.com/floats.html
07-28-2010, 04:19 PM
#16
My Feedback: (4)
RE: Want cheap floats for trainer/beater
Ther Fred Reese floats I mentioned above are built up hollow floats. 4 or 5 lite-ply bulkheads, balsa sides, balsa top and balsa bottom, a solid balsa tip on the front of the float. I glassed the bottom. These floats end up being very light!! Last weekend I took my Golden Oldie to a float fly in Springfield, MO. I flew the Golden Oldie 4 times at the event. When I got home I entered the 4 flights in my log book. I was surprised to see those 4 flights gave me 189 flights on the plane and attached floats ( I only fly this plane off water). Obviously, with care, these floats are durable! The design uses K & S aluminum spreader bars on the floats. I would suggest forcing a hardwood dowel through the aluminum spreader bar before installing them on the floats. The dowels give the aluminum some rigidity you will appreciate at some time in the future. Again, GOOD LUCK!!
07-28-2010, 06:53 PM
#18
RE: Want cheap floats for trainer/beater
ORIGINAL: gbman
I have attached a couple of pictures of the Golden Oldie with the floats I described.
I have attached a couple of pictures of the Golden Oldie with the floats I described.
07-29-2010, 06:41 PM
#23
RE: Want cheap floats for trainer/beater
ORIGINAL: Netdewt
Biggest issue with building foam ones myself is the hot wire foam cutter.
Biggest issue with building foam ones myself is the hot wire foam cutter.
You can sand white foam to baby-butt smoothness. Use a block with at least 220 grit paper, and light pressure. A mask is a good idea, too. <wheeze>
Vacuum the dust frequently as it gets in the way. Use the little brush attachment to keep from denting the foam. Vacuum the sanding block, too.
You don't need to be a rocket surgeon to build a hotwire cutter. Iused a ceiling fan speed control(It tolerates the inductive load) , a 12Vradio-shack transformer, Walmart bronze fishing leader, a couple of old fiberglass arrow-shafts, and a piece of 1x2.
07-29-2010, 07:34 PM
#24
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RE: Want cheap floats for trainer/beater
Oh, good idea! I have a nice scroll saw. What kind of foam do I use and where can I get it?
I could probably build a hot wire cutter if I could find good plans. I'm nervous about electrocuting myself to not have plans that spell everything out.
I could probably build a hot wire cutter if I could find good plans. I'm nervous about electrocuting myself to not have plans that spell everything out.