vtol_guy

ok i havent tried a seaplane before and will probaly look into it in the future, i know this might sound ignorant but what do you do if u get deadstick and when you land its quite far out, is it the kinda thing where you have to practise until you can get a really close landing with?

thanks for any replies in this

TTARK

Take along a small row boat or floating tube. The other option is a rod and reel with just a weight on it, cast past the boat and reel it in

Terry

vtol_guy

hmmm...sounds reasonable

Ikaros

What you got to do is (unless the water surface is a small pond), using a boat, to retrieve your loved model. So it is :P

Do nor ever swim for your model, never, NEVER.

Cheers,
Ikaros

JimCasey

My Feedback: (1)

Yep, Only fly where you have access to a boat.

Also, when possible, fly upwind of your position. If you deadstick, you may get it to drift back to you.

Other retrieval devices IN ADDTION TO, but NOT instead of a boat, may be handy: A fishing rod with a weighted bobber that you can cast over the plane, a long pole with a hook on the end (boathook), a radio-controlled boat pulling the line from the fishing rod mentioned earlier.

Mostly, though, we just land and drive the airplane back to us.

Mike Noin

The fishing rod with weight attached sounds like a great way to puncture holes in your plane. You had better be a good caster with a rod and reel. I like the boat thing better, fullsize or RC.

JohnBuckner

My Feedback: (1)

Last year I flew a controlline Ukie (Gee Bee floats) at a Lake Havasu RC float fly by wadding sixty feet out into the waistdeep water and flying from there. After landing just waded ashore and pulled the ship in with the lines.

Gee I suppose this technique does not count Huh.

John

Ikaros

The fishing rod method is an outstanding method before using the heavy artillery wich is the boat.

Cheers,
Ikaros

vtol_guy

i suppose if you use a fishing rod with a weight which has been covered in rubber maybe, it'd make it safer anyway

if i did get into it then i would probaly have an rc boat modified in some way that it could pull/push the plane back

OR

if an rc seaplane had a small electric motor mounted underneath the fuselage with a small water screw so it could power the boat back to shore incase of a deadstick

JimCasey

My Feedback: (1)

One mustn't try to hit the airplane with the cast. One casts OVER the plane, and the line catches on one of the many protrusions.

With a little caution , it is possible to drag the plane back to shore.

If you can hit the plane with the bobber, you have more casting skill than I. You will soon develop more monokote patching skill, too.

Cdallas2

What we used to do when I was racing boats was to put a tennis ball on the end of the line. Perfect size to chuck and if you hit the plane it just bounces off.

Cvan-RCU

Your Tennis Ball option is definitely a 5 star Idea. Thanks for the input.
Cvan

Mike Noin

I'm just not sure I could cast over the plane all the time...lol. Thats what I meant.

Cdallas2

We still had the boat (you know Murphy's law and all). But when it's only 15 feet away it seems rather lazy to fire up the boat to go get it. Besides if ti's close enough the chuck and reel is usually faster.