This is my first time posting anything so if i am doing something wrong i would appreciate the feedback. I come to this forum looking for some advice on a project i wish to take on in the near future. I have a Sig Kadet Senior kit built powered by an O.S. .40 FX. i am considering the idea of giving her a set of floats. I do not fly this plane very much anymore as my skill level has expanded to the point where i needed to do something other than fly in big lazy circles. in an effort to fly the plane more often i want to put a new spin on it. how ever the big comcern i have is that the senior kit I built does not have ailerons, relying on the rudder for all turning.

Is this going to be a difficult float plane as a result?

Am I better off converting my goldberg Eagle 2? (which is pretty much my beater plane. tail wheel conv. and skis for the snow.)

Any advise you can spare would be greatly appreciated.

Here's a site for foam floats: [link=http://www.seaplanesupply.com/flatbottoms.htm]Seaplane Supply[/link]. In their gallery, there is a Kadet LT-40 on floats.

Here's another URL: [link=http://planefunfloats.com/]Plane Fun Floats[/link]

Attached are a couple of pictures of a Kadet Senior belonging to a friend of mine. I think his floats are too short, but they do work. The plane flies great. As I recall, the engine is an OS .52FS.

Welcome to the RCU forums, Av8!

Ailerons are only good for crabbing a landing or doing quick rolls.

Since you will be taking off and landing directly into any wind, I see the Kadet as a perfect candidate for those floats.

If you land crosswind, the plane needs not follow a straight trajectory.

http://www.rc-airplane-world.com/rc-float-planes.html

I second what Ed said about the Kadet Senior being great on floats. There may not be a better plane upon which one can enjoy floats.

Also second Ed's recommendation of the foam floats. If you want more choices there are also SeaCommander (foam) Floats, Maybe RNZ hobbies, and Slocan floats.

I cannot concur with the link posted in the previous post. If you land perpendicular to the wind, you will very likely tip a wingtip into the water and wind up on your back lile the plane shown.
Particularly true with a high wing plane with lots of dihedral and a low wing loading:The Kadet Senior.

Don't worry about chop-if the wind is blowing enough to make chop, the senior will land with zero ground speed. Worry about crosswind taxiing. It'd be wise to add ailerons and to flatten the wing on a Senior to be able to taxi crosswind, or even to be able to turn around. See the "how to taxi a seaplane"article in my website.

I've flown quite a few different planes on floats and the Kadet Senior is still my favorite, I think mostely because I can relax more with it than with others. I do have ailerons on mine but no water rudder. If it's windy enough that I can't steer it then it's windy enough to flip it over in a cross wind, so I don't fly it.

Seaplane

Hello seaplane.
You can't go wrong with a Senor Kadet on floats. IN the last approx 20 years I've built 3 Kadets, 2 with floats. The pics are #1 and #2.
Good luck.
Hugho

Thank you All very much i am still trying to figure all of this forum stuff out. i appreciate the input and will try to update on the project as i go!

Thanks again!

Hugho
Ireally appreciate your input on this matter. the pictures you posted look great i especially like #1. I was hoping you could tell me what size floats you used for your seniors. I have been told that the floats should be 75% of the fuse length but i wanted a second opinion.

Thanks
Av8R

Av8R,
Yes the 75% rule is a good starting point. And I must stress STARTING POINT. I fly my Senior on my 42" Slim floats which are close to the 75% length, and my brother has flown his on 34" floats because that is what he had at the time. I watched him fly it many times with no problems. I think because the Senior is such a forgiving airplane and it is so light for it's size, that you can bend the rules a little more than with other planes. A good friend has a fiberglass Cessna (around a 60 size) that demands the setup be near perfect for it to ROW. We have experimented with the wing to float incedence and found a big difference in the handling with a little change in incedence. Doing the same to the Senior would probably show no noticable change. So I think you can bend more of the rules with the Senior than with other planes, but I still would suggest trying to stay as close as possible to the guidelines.

These are just my observations..........Seaplane

Seaplane
Thanks for the input. I think I have decided to go with 48 inch floats for my senior. my math was telling me that 46'' is 75% of the fuse length. Am i wrong to assume that longer floats would be a little more stable in the water? And is there any rules that pertain to the location of the floats? How far forward or back should they be? do i move them back and forth until the plane is balanced from it's usual CG? This is the first time i have ever considered flying on floats so i have done very little reading up on the matter.

Thanks
Av8R

Av8R,
I think 48" is too long. Why carry up the extra weight if it isn't necessary? DO NOT move the floats back and forth till they balance!!! You must place the step directly under the plane's CG or up to 1/2" behind the CG. After mounting, recheck the balance and add weight if necessary. Many flyers will add the weight to the floats instead of the plane, so when they take the floats off and put the wheels on, they don't have to rebalance again.

Seaplane

Seaplane,

Thanks I will definatly start looking at some shorter floats. And a huge thank you for the advice on mounting i was totally clueless. you just saved me alot of trial and error. I will post anyother questions that may arise.

Thanks Again,
Av8R

Av8RxP51
Sorry to take so long to get back to you. My computer was having a problem connecting to the internet.
To answer some of your questions. My floats are 45 inches long by 6inches wide at the step.That's a little over 75% of the fuse length. I made them from Sullivan's foam cores.They were modified to something I thought looked like floats for a Schneider Cup racer. The foam was covered with fiberglass using West's epoxy and painted with Rustoleum. I tried to locate the step so I wouldn't have to add weight and still have them balance to the plane. The step is a little over half the total length of the float and located about 1 inch back of the CG. They extend 4inches past the nose.
If you have access to past issues of Model Airplane News, here are some articles by John Sullivan: September,87, October, 89, and October,91,
Good luck,

Hugho,

Thanks for the help. I am in the process of moving so I apologize for the delay in my respond. your advice will be of great use to me. With my moving expenses i have had to delay this project for a bit but I cant wait to get rolling with it!

Thanks again to all of you.

Av8R

Av8R,

seaplane (Ralph) guided me through setting up a Kadet LT40 just a couple weeks ago. The gentleman was spot on, any advice he may offer I would be inclined to listen to. He also makes a very nice float (Plane Fun Floats).

Best of luck,
Steve