I have a set of Gee Bee Floats for a 40 sized plane. I am going to install them on a 40 sized Ugly Stick. Are the water rudders on the floats required or is the rudder on the plane enough. The rudder on this plane is big. I have ordered the rudder's for the floats, but was thinking about trying to fly it in a few days without the rudders. Bad idea?

Use a lot of air rudder throw and blips of throttle to turn on the water. A water rudder is really only necessary for high wingers and twins.

Try it without the water rudder and then if you just can't get the hang of taxiing without it, you can add the water rudder later.

Jim

Agree with JRF that water rudder is not mandatory - and sometimes it'll get you into trouble.

Blipping throttle sometimes works.

The technique that the FAA teaches for a seaplane endorsement on your private ticket is:

Water rudder retracted for all but displacement taxi

Air rudder neutral, idle speed: plane will weathervane into the prevailing wind.

Full up elevator, about 1/4 throttle (where you make a BIIG wake going slowly)-the tails of the floats dig in and the plane weathervanes downwind.

Crosswind taxi is the same as downwind taxi, but steer with the throttle..less throttle for upwind, more throttle for downwind.

You barely even need the air rudder for any of these techniques. Just practice.

High-speed taxi (step taxi)- On-step but slower than takeoff speed, use the rudder to steer wherever you want and keep the plane level with the ailerons.

With water rudder(s)-they are so effective the plane pivots around them. Lots of times if there is a breeze the plane will only go downwind. Handling an airplane in the wind is a lot like handling a canoe in the wind..they slide in a crosswind, and the light end goes downwind. If you use nonretractable water rudders make sure they don't stick down past the transom more than 3/4". THat way if you are being blown downwind you can input down elevator, full rudder, blip the throttle to lift the rudders out of the water, and the plane will snap around upwind.

I have mounted the floats and balanced. I hope the TT 46 will get it of the water. The plane flies like a rocket without the floats, so I don't think it will have a problem. Thanks for the help/tips. I plan on flying it a Table Rock Lake in Missouri. The lake is like glass a majority of the time, so the wind shouldn't be a problem.

Those Gee Bee floats, however, will be a problem. They simply do not work well on the water. You will have to use the elevator to carefully control the attitude of the airplane as it gains speed on the water (flight attutude, not nose high) and you will need to get off the water as soon as you gain flying speed.

Gee Bee floats have a tendancy to stick to the water and then at high speed they will dart off to one side or the other (water loop).

If you manage to make them work for you, great, some do. But if they don't work for you, don't get discouraged, just get a pair of decent floats. Water flying is FUN.

Jim