baronbrian

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Hi all,

I'm currently designing a high wing floatplane for twin .70 Four strokes. It is a non-scale design, so I'm having fun trying to make it relaxing to fly, easy to fly during a flameout, etc...

One of the things that I would like to incorporate is functioning retractable landing gear within the floats. I would love to start the bird on land, taxi down the boat ramp into the water, pull the wheels up, and take off. After landing, taxi near shore, drop the wheels and come back up the ramp onto dry land.

I will be building my own floats as well. I am open to either sheeted foam or built-up floats. I already have a set of .60 size robart mechanical retracts laying around. any Ideas?

cpt nj

Sounds like fun but It seems to me that your fun time might turn into major pain. No offence but this could turn into a bigger than usual project, is it mono or twin floats that your talking about ? Theres a cool video on[youtube] -Sikorski S-39,avi , sorry don't quite know how to do the links to it.

scale only 4 me

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I'd be very reluctant to use mechanical retracts in the water,, you'll have issues with water running along the actuating push rod as it searches for the retract servo.

I too dreamed of a twin engine true amphibian,, and I started it some 10 years ago and put it on the shelf because I got interested in other hobbies for a few years, It's a 96" span CL 415, design to run twin 90 4 cycles and has some home built retracts that are pneumatically actuated. Now that I'm back to it I plan to work on it for next season,, if interested pics here http://s7.photobucket.com/albums/y25...0Planes/cl415/

I'd love to see what you have designed so far? since you call it a "float plane" I assume it's a twin float design? 4 gear set ups are common to see in full scale floats,, Actually there was a guy who kept his plane in Van Nuys, CA, it was a Cessna 182 with Edo floats w/retracts,,, Quite an uncommon site fliyng over Los Angeles. Example http://www.bigbendaviation.com/Pictures/float.jpg

One of the things I never considered though before I began was the fact that most organized Float Flys that you go to will not have a boat ramp or any type of surface that you be able to use to drive in/out of the water, Grass with a ledge or Sand/rocks is most common. I planned to build and bring a ramp made of composite sheet covered with indoor/outdoor grass carpet,, I could unfold it along the shore line and let the plane roll in, and drive back out,, That was the plan at least

good luck

cpt nj

Not to get too far off topic but are those functional water pick-ups on that CL-415 ?

baronbrian

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Thanks for the replies so far. So far the "plans" are mostly successive 3 views on graph paper. I'll scan them and post them if possible. Being active in pattern, along with not spending much time building or flying the last several years, I was surprised that my original drawings are from back in 2004. The design is a twin float design, kind of my dream of the ultimate bush plane. I can see how a full pneumatic setup would be nice. I also have a set of air pnenumatic 60 size retracts from a top flite AT-6 that was built halfway back in 1999.

scale only 4 me

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Brian,
I was doing some surfing this morning and came across this,, seems a scale model version is possible if someone has the patience and skills

Browse and just dream,,, or plan http://www.aerocet.com/

baronbrian

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thanks!
lots of useful pictures on their site. gears are turning...
I am going to put my 3-views on the net here, as soon as I can figure out where I put them!

JimCasey

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Well, an amphib SeaBee would not be that tough,since the LG stays exposed and just oivots up or down.  Or if you select the right scale parts, a PBY would just about be right with landing gear from a  larger scale Wildcat. 

Possibly it was the tequila talking but I always figured a lazy bee modified  with twin engines on the wing, and the fuselage modified to be a hull, would be neat with Wildcat-style retracts. 

dragonbuilder

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Try this thread:Amphibious floats-finally, here on RCU

scale only 4 me

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the thread Dave refers to
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_92...tm.htm#9345205

Avaiojet

Brian,

I would build a Lake LA4-200. Not a twin but probably more relaxing to fly. There is a seaplane built about the same way that's a pull push with two engines.

The Lake will lend itself well to retracts.

Many have built this model. There's a build thread in RCU. Plenty of plans, kits and help if you need it.

I owned the actual aircraft from 1989 to 1995. 377 hours of adventure. Costly though. But I'm over it. Well almost. [sm=bananahead.gif]

This link may not work. I don't know how to make them smaller?

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl={akamaiimageforum}/upfiles/27282/Fd91370.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp%3Fm%3D9282499&usg=__m-487xo4GIRyz61-11FmIILvu1o=&h=330&w=440&sz=37&hl=en&start=10&zoom=1&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=-6vn-Heb5n-MtM:&tbnh=95&tbnw=127&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dlake%2Bla4-200%2Bbuccaneer%2B8001%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN %26rls%3Dcom.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox%26rlz%3D1I7GGIE_en%26tbs%3Disch:1