Float flying in Canada
 

I live on Vancouver Island on the west coast of British Columbia and Victoria is below the 49 parallel. So I fly year around.. Just a note on hatches and exposed balsa, make sure you seal as much exposed balsa and wood as possible with dope or some type of sealer... it will warp terribly if wet for a period of time.. Alot of my lower belly hatches I make out of plexi-glass, just to be safe..

Float flying in Canada
 

CF DRG.......why does that reg ring a bell?

Float flying in Canada
 

Turbo-otter I talked to you about building a Unionville turbo beaver, Awile back. You sent me a picture of a 70 Lbs single Otter..I was impressed!
And we talked about converting the Unionville 8' Otter into a Turbo one...Anyways I sent in a picture of my Turbo Beaver its in this forum under the "what seaplanes you own" title .......

Float flying in Canada
 

Right, now I remember. Must be old age or somethin. My Unionville Otter is coming along slowly. Just finished framing wings, and re-thinking the fore-flap/flap/aileron setup. I guess buliding it stock works, but I am more inclined to use seperate servos for ailerons, and mixing the flaps. I don't like the idea of flexable tubes for control. I am also locating rudder,elevator at the tail.

Big Fat Single Otter
 

Turbootter I would use 7 servos in that Unionville otter... That turbo beaver of mine is basically the same size and I went with 7..And I put the rud and elev servos in the tail. I made up the servo extensions myself used 20 g wire, any 1 meter extension will work fine. I have no glitches with this set up... The wing should have a servo for each surface, it makes it so easy to set up and the likage is positive, (4" from servo to control horn).. What floats are you going to use...

Float flying in Canada
 

My Plan is to use a servo each for aileron and flaps. A single retract servo for the fore-flap, and for sure have the rudder,elevator servos in the tail. I don't like long control rod runs. Now as for floats..... seeing as how this is a Seaplane forum, I won't tell you it is going on wheels. I spent 4 years up north flying this airplane on wheels and it was a gas, I just loved it. I fly one everyday on floats, so I want something different. I will probally put it on floats sooner or later, I was thinking the scale ones made down your way.I am a relative newcomer to the hobby, I have built 5 other kits (Sig SE, 4*60, Cub on floats, Kadet etc)This kit is challenging my building skills, I'm having fun with this one:-) It should get me ready for that Ziroli B-18 Did I mention I am hanging a gas engine on this? Either a converted ST2500 with C&H ignition or a 32cc with C&H ignition. I have both so I should have power enough for scale flight.

Float flying in Canada
 

Have either of you fellas seen Ted Russels big Otter? The scale hinges are a work of art!!

Float flying in Canada
 

Oh Yeah, Ted is a friend of mine. It is modeled after the Otter I fly C-FRFW, Ted's is C-FRHB (initials of the fellows who built the plug)
It is a thing of beauty Here is a live web-cam of RHW in Rupert, unless I am out flying:-)http://www.inlandair.bc.ca/home.htm
Also one shot of Ted's Otter http://www.inlandair.bc.ca/ted_and_otter.htm Sweet.

Float flying in Canada
 

yeah! That's the one.....

My dream is to be able to build like that some day....thousands of tiny details from prop to rudder....

Float flying in Canada
 

Ted mumbled something about 50,000 rivets on that airplane, I have some more photos of it including cockpit if anyone is interested. One of the other otters from that mold in Harbour Air paint met a sorry end...... to bad, it was a beauty too.

Float flying in Canada
 

....and something like 256 pieces in the hinges....

Float flying in Canada
 

DRG, I have a question for you. With the long wire runs to the servos, did you need to use a "glitch buster" or was it ok without?
I have heard even using 20ga wire 3-4' is too long a run.

Servo leads
 

I have no glitching with the long servo leads.. The 2 tail servos and out-board wing servos work flawlessly... I am using Hi-Tec 425 servos but that shouldn't make a difference.. I know of a good way to make your servo ext lead tubes..You need about a 1/2" I.D. tube, so get a 1/2" dowel about 4' long and wrap wax paper around it on an angle. Then cut newspaper in 2" strips(any paper will work) and dip it in a 50/50 water and wood glue( I use Tite-bond II)mixture.. Then wrap the paper on an angle around the tube. Use about 3-4 wraps, each wrap should be the opposite angle of the last one... Let dry over night, then pull tube off dowel. If any wax paper is still in tube, just force the dowel back in and it will force it out... Any ? just reply to me or e-mail me and I can phone you...:)

Float flying in Canada
 

Excellent. That's what I was hoping to hear. A set up with glitch buster was going to run about $140.00, which I am more than willing to spend on this A/C, considering the safety issue and cost, but if it is not needed..... The longest run is the rudder/elevators whis is about 38".I have 4 new Futaba BB servos, 2 new Hitec 425s and a new Hitec retract servo for the Fore-Flaps. I like your idea for servo runs, maybe I will get my kids to make them for me:-)

servo tube
 

I forgot to mention that you do have to cut all the 1/2 " holes in the wing ribs. It will add a bit of strengh to the structure..

Float flying in Canada
 

do you think 22 guage would be ok for the servo leads. Thats the heaviest 3 strand I can find in town. Personally I think it would be ok. Look at the 24" servo extentsions sold added to 10" of servo lead and that is really light wire.
Got the Otter fuselage all framed up now, going to beef up front for gas burner... it weighs just over 3lbs. right now I am going to take advantage of the sun here in Rupert and go flying, dust off the 4*60 today.

22 ga wire
 

22 ga wire should be fine. I think some of the bought ones are 24ga.. I use 4.8 V on mine so if you had a problem you could always go to a 6 V Rx system, if you don't already..

Weather has been beautiful here too..I took the turbo out for a flight last Mon... Did't even have to take the boat off the truck, it never stalls or burbs out on the water...:)

Float flying in Canada
 

That other Otter!!!

http://www.fly-imaa.org/imaa/hifligh...all2000-2.html

Float flying in Canada
 

Yep, that one is LB's. He had a sweet Ziroli B-18 on floats too. I think he is building another one now. One of the master builders...sigh.......

Float flying in Canada
 

Long servo wires, go with Fiber Optic servo extensions
http://www.geocities.com/traviscouch/hightech.html?

long servo ext.
 

I didn't use an "glitch busters" and have never had a problem with this plane. So far 25 flights on it and

Aileron servo leads are 48" long 2 of them
Flaps are 24" long 2 servos to
Elev and rud 36" long 2 of them to

I must add that this is a glow engine and i don't know if spark would affect this....

Float flying in Canada
 

Take a look at this 1/3 scale Beaver.

http://www.geocities.com/roger_forgues/Works.html

Float flying in Canada
 

I found some 20 guage wire but it is only 7 strand- tinned. I guess this might be too stiff???

Wire
 

The 20 ga 7 strand will be fine. Your not going around any corners in the wing so the stiffness shouldn't matter.. Try to get yellow black and red (or brown hi-tec color) wire, and you can twirle all 3 of them in a drill so the lead is like the old futaba twisted leads.

The 1/3 scale beaver is a little to big for my liking. I think 1/4 scale would be the biggest I could afford and fit in my house..You gotta build its own hangar in your yard for anything bigger...:) That Unionville 1/4 scale one seems interesting...

Float flying in Canada
 

Yeah I did that with the drill. R/B/W like futaba, total length of aileron extension is only 32" so I should be ok as long as have good solder joints. My project tomorrow is to head down to the hangar and build some isolation mounts for the engine if the weather is too bad to work. I decided to go with the converted ST2500. If I mount on an angle, I should be able to send exhaust out the augmentor tubes. Should look a little better, and being gas I won't have to dork around with glow plugs