Not exactly. We're talking about two different things that need to come together correctly, sorta like high and low needle valves that can throw each other off.

1. For a plane to fly well, it needs to have the CG in the correct position (usually 25 to 33% behind the mean aerodynamic chord). It doesn't matter what's hanging on the plane when it's flying. Could be floats, could be skis, could be wheels, could be a small child. The CG needs to be correct for FLIGHT.

2. For a float plane to take off easily from water, the step needs to be located under or slightly behind the CG.

Here are the two ways people often go wrong.

1. A person wants to add floats to a plane so they slap them on with the step under the correct CG for flight. They don't then check to see if the CG is still in the correct place. Often it has moved back, the plane is now tail heavy and either won't get off the water because the step is not under the CG, or it gets off the water and flies terribly because it is tail heavy.

2. The other thing that happens is people attach the floats without concern for the step, but rather in the place that balances the plane on the correct CG. This often puts the step far forward. The plane would fly fine if it could get off the water (the CG is in the correct place for flight), but the step is not in the right place for taking off from water. (In fact, these planes will most likely fly fine off of snow because the step doesn't matter on snow. The floats are just acting like big skis.)


Follow the directions in my first post and the CG AND step will both be in the right place.