OK, it's time for me to convert my float planes back to water for the summer. Every time I do this, I wish there was a better way to hook up the rudder linkage. I am posting this hoping some of you can post pictures of innovative, practical, etc hook ups for the float rudder on a conventional high wing type airplane (Cub, Telemaster, etc).

Thanks,
Dave

Why not just build a servo into the float?

You could use waterproof pushrod exits to keep the water out.

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXD589&P=0

I leave the tailwheel assembly on the cub and run a plastic tube (inch)length thru the spring coil. This tube is a very tight fit in the coil and has monfilament line ca'd to it and the line from the tube is clipped onto the 2 lines form the float. The clips are the tiniest snap connectors available for fishing.

If you use a post in the center of the fuse from below with an arm. You leave the arm there for skis and wheels, but when floats are attached you clip the monofilament lines to each side of the arm, each side of the arm of the water rudder and 10minutes later yu are ready to go.

I just put an extra control horn on the airplane rudder and run a direct linkage to the water rudder on the float. It's the simplist way I can think although it doesn't look as nice.

I use a pullpull linkage from the rudder horns, attached with fishing swivel snaps. Forward to the strut at the fuselage, through a dubro 2-56 screw-eye, down to the top of the float and another 2-56 screw-eye, and back to the water rudder. I use bronze springs on each cable at the water rudder, and an ERNST water rudder. When I want to take off the floats, unsnap the 2 swivel-snaps, and the cable stays with the floats. 4 screws hold the floats to the plane, and 2 of those are used to hold the lg on. I usually replace the other 2 just so I know where they are.

On my trainer, I bent a piece of 5/32 rod into a 90 degree angle and drilled a hole to accept a nylon link and inserted it into the nose gear mount (see pic). Then ran a flex rod from it to the water rudder. I think im going to "revamp" it though and instead of bending the rod, im going to put a steering arm on a straight piece of rod and run them that way. The only thing I had trouble with is to figure out how much throw i needed in the arm and of course the slop that comes with using flex rod. The water rudders dont want to center exactly with the air rudder. My only advice there is to try and keep the flex as straight as possible. Hope it helps.

These are some really good ideas - I never thought of the fishing snap attachment. I've tried the flex cable driven by the rudder - a pushrod driving a flex cable through a bellcrank - and a flex cable driven off the rudder servo (all take too much time to rig and usually have a great deal of slop).
Both the pull pull and the in float servo sound good - now to the drawing board.

Thanks,
Dave