Hi guys,

I'm new here and I was just wondering what plane in general will fly well with floats using the a .10 engine? I thought about the decathalon, Cub, Cessna and even the Beaver but I can't seem to find a company that suits the .10 engine. Also, it has to be a kit...

Thanks!

Andrew

House of Balsa Chea-Pass .10

Homely/Boxy but reported to fly very well.


Stay away from Sig/Herr aquaStar. It's meant for a Norvel .o49 to .061, and the instructions expressly warn you not to put a heavier engine on it.

There is a little one called I believe the Aqua Sport by Mitch Polling. Although it was designed for electric the .10 should fit. I used to have the plan but gave it away not long ago. It came from either RCM or MAN. Coincidentally I came across the plan offered for download on a French or German site last week but I don't know if I can find it again. You could check the RCM or MAN sites. A long time ago I put floats on a Dynaflight Piece'O Cake and mounted an OS 10. It was a very gentle flier as you might guess.

I have seen a few smaller planes with that size engines and by and large they are really not successful at overcoming the drag of the floats in the water. It is disappointing to drive to a flying site and spend all day taxiing on the water at full throttle. There may be exceptions, of course, but I have never seen one........

Electrics do far better in small planes

Thanks for the quick response guys!

I've looked at the Chea-Pass already and the looks just doesn't cut it for me. I've looked at the Herr too but my engine is to big for that plane. Also I nevered reallized that the OS 10 or a .10 in general would be that whimpy on floats. Should I scratch the float idea? I just wanna make some use of this engine since it's been collecting dust for the past 7 years.

I'm near the lake a lot so I figured let's try float for once.

I've narrowed down to these two planes... The Super Decathlon is supposed to come with ailerons but it's not in the specs. Can anyone confirm?

[link=http://www.houseofbalsa.com/e/env/0001l8PhulnIShQ8TI691a7/store/store-kits.html?link=/store/store-type-tem.html&item=products:k-21]House of Balsa Super Decathlon [/link]

[link=http://www.carlgoldbergproducts.com/eaglet50.htm]Carl Goldberg Eaglet 50 (kit#61)[/link]

Thanks,

Spoonie

Not the Eaglet.. It should have at least a .15, and I learned on one with an OS20FP and IT was power-challenged. Suggestion previously for the Piece O Cake was a good one, as long as you don't have to taxi crosswind. The polyhedral wing is real prone to tipping over.

I have seen a Wild Thing fly successfully with floats. A .10 on one of those should do it. Or a Sig Wonder. You'd have to keep it light and use foam floats. Neither normally uses rudders, and the WT I saw had the water rudder linked to the ailerons...taxi out slowly, point it in the right direction, and nail the throttle. Awkward, but possible.

That's it I think I'm gonna buy a .40 Piper Cub instead or hmm... maybe the T-Craft, this whole .10 plane thing is so frustrating to find. I'll probably just shove the .10 into the 1/12 scale P-51D mustang instead.

Now any reason as to why I shouldn't buy the .40 Piper or T-Craft? This should have more than enough power for the waters. How about in the air? I've seen them fly really well including a few basic tricks without floats. Any feedback on this? Hope this plane will fit in the convertible heheheee...

[link=http://www.greatplanes.com/airplanes/gpma1310.html]Piper J-3 Cub[/link]
[link=http://www.greatplanes.com/airplanes/gpma0155.html]T-Craft[/link]

Spoonie

Just in case you're interested in a seaplane for that .10, the Herr Aquastar is a nice 3 channel item. Mine flies fine with a .061, and needed the battery clear up in the nose to balance. Might balance better with the .10.

Good luck,
Dave Olson

Hmmm... I'll keep that into consideration

Spoonie

Sig says NOT to use a .10 on an Aquastar.