When I bought my floats from Sea Commander several years ago I really don't remember if they had the float cradle available then but I could have saved a lot of headaches and bad words while constructing mine and mounting to my fuselage if I had one at the time. It was only recently that I noticed the combination cradle and fuselage stand and thought this might be a great way to transport my cub in the back of my truck. I found out it was available when I bought my floats but I guess I never saw it listed on their website. Ryan worked it over to make it more user friendly so I ordered one and was very impressed with the quality of the wood and the manual was even in color! This would have been so much easier when I built mine as opposed to what I went through. The manual explains everything and the pictures speak for themselves. The enclosed picture with the front mounts outside of the fuselage cradle is the way you will need it to be if setting up the 1/4 scale cub and possibly other large aircraft. My cradle has the wooden dowels but due to changes in humidity the wood sometimes swells and is hard to move so Ryan is now shipping with plastic pipe rather than wood. The picture from the right side of the cub shows how mine will be carried in the truck, the front float mount is back against the forward fuselage upright and bolted together so as to make it one unit and the rear support is bolted to the cradle base. This is one way of carrying it to my truck and then seating my fuselage on it for the drive to the lake. I'll hold the fuse down with small bungee cords hooked to screw eyes on the side of the supports. This is of course after you have used it to build your floats and mount them to your fuselage. You can unbolt the cradle from the fuse stand when you're ready to build another floatplane. Ryan has really done his homework on this one and since he took over Sea Commander has strived to help anyone who needs help by monitoring the seaplane forum and actually responding to float questions even if their not directed to him. I'm impressed and as they say....."I'm a happy camper"

Hi Bud,
Yep.... for sure that is a great tool for mounting, and multi use's too. I'm like you I have learned my lesson. I did make up a crude version of Ryan's cradle and it worked OK, but it will only fit the plane its built for, no adaptabilities to different planes, not as solid a fit................ the next big project I build will warrant a beauty of a cradle like that one.
Glad you like it, Oh man your plane looks great on it too.

Like your monocoupe juzplznecrazy1.....I gotta keep my nose out of the mags, want everything I see. My crude version took me forever! Leveling, styrofoam fuse support, too high..cut down some...too low...add some, centerline with plumbob on string over nose of fuse etc,etc. YUK!



Bud

...to the water, or to the Smithsonian ?? [>:][sm=biggrin.gif]

It is looking really good Bud!!!

He,He, Hi Nony. Would you believe I actually did some work for them on a lockheed jet star eons ago. Must have been eons cause everyone tells me i'm older than dirt.
Flying field first with wheels then the smithso (oops!) lake. Gotta hook up water rudders.



Bud

Here's my favorite shot on my homemade cradle before I got smart.

Geezz Bud, Thats what I went through. I mean hey... a guy can make something just like it, go to Home Depot get wood, screws, butter fly nuts, glue and what ever. Come home make measurments-cut -makeslots-glue-screw-cut etc. etc. spend 5-6 hours building something that may not work.
I'm with ya, buy a proven product.