Plane to start with.
 

>>any floats out there that would fit this trainer its a 20 size hobbico supperstar. <<
Everybody who offers floats offers a .20 size. Usually these are about 28" long. Sometimes they are sold by the weight of the plane. Float length=3/4 of the length of the fuselage is the guideline

>>Also when should I fly if the lake neat me (lake geneva, Wi.)is quite busy. should I just get up at water skying time(6 am) to go flying? <<
Use the same rules that you would at an AMA field for flying over people. If nobody is going to shoot you for firing up a model engine at 6 am, then that would probably be good. Right at dusk is usually pretty good, too. Some wake action on the lake is not bad for flying, as long as it is not "too" choppy. If it's too busy, it's dangerous to fly over people, and somebody may run over your plane when you land.

>>As for a retrieval boat, I no longer have my boat docked at this lake but would I be able to carry the plane on my waverunner?<<
I have seen it done. Waverunners are not as good as a rowboat for carrying "fragments", so throw a trash-bag into your waverunner's storage bin, in case of a crash.

Plane to start with.
 

I was at a float fly once and a guy was flying an Aerostar 40 with a set of blow molded (hollow) floats. He had a hard landing and later was taking forever to take off (we realized later that the float had split and was filling up with water). He finally lumbered it into the air and after a few circuits the wing folded from the extra stress caused by the weight of the water in the floats. The engine sunk to the bottom of the lake (he didn't secure it with a wire fishing leader like I do). May be this is a one only case, but I wouldn't use blow molded floats.

Plane to start with.
 

GoinStraightUp: Your comment applies to ANY "hollow" float: Fiberglass, wood, plastic, blowmolded, or riveted aluminum. That's why I am a proponent of foam-cored floats. THe skin is the structure, and if you poke a hole in it, water still can't get in.

Plane to start with.
 

Jim,
I agree. They're light too. I used a set of Goldberg superfloats (balsa / ply - and hollow) for a while with no problems, but man were they heavy.

Our LHS has an incredible set of foam floats that come with the spine and step supports installed and the most incredible and light glass job. They even have an undercut front end like the old flying boats (must have been a tricky cut). They go for $50 a pair, but look so good I think they're worth it. Sorry I don't have a pic and I don't know who makes them.

Plane to start with.
 

i have seen the floats that your talking about, although i've seen them online for about $40. the trick to buying anything is shopping around!!!!

Plane to start with.
 

If you figure out what kind of floats they are, and if they have a website, let me know. I give foam float companies a free link on my club website. Also SeaCommander floats, because they are so incredibly beautiful scale units, even tho the only two pairs I have actually laid eyes upon have crunched in hard landings.

I keep wondering if it would be good to fill a set of seacommander floats with expandable urethane foam.

Plane to start with.
 

i'll look for the website, whenever i need to find something i use google or askjeeves or some other search engine so i could suggest using that. if i find them i'll tell you.

RE: Plane to start with.
 

Hey everybody, u want a beautiful beginning float plane? Well get a USaircore .40 trainer, and stick the USaircore floats on her. If I could put a picture of her on the web, I would, but im a basic member, so I cant, but with a .40 engine, it is a classic float plane. Made of plasic so she wont sink if you beginners out there stall a bit high off the water :)