Float Mods

[huronflyer]

[Bill]

Floats... flying... cracking... sinking... adding wheels... weight issues... mounting...

The narrow gear Lazair works well on factory floats... the mounting method has the most give of any float mount on any plane ever put on floats. The factory floats are light as the plane has little power... and so they are delicate. they also have a very good shape to get such a low power plane on step and airborne.

I have close to 1000 hours of time on floats... and have had every Lazair on floats and a have sunk two.... still alive.. had one breath of air and a few seconds to know.. before submerging from cracked floats... escape meant getting two seatbelts off underwater, clearing the cockpit without getting stuck... this cat has used a few lives... am hoping I was given 9 to start with.

Bill

So.. my mods to factory... reinforce step... added bailing ports above step, carry a hand bilge and bilge prior to all takeoffs. Homebuilt pilots are test pilots and full time researchers... and should be constantly looking into the whole planes flaws, wear points, stress areas.. abused areas.. used areas...

Dale has a nice monofloat with wheels Lazair...

I flew a two seater on floats off Puddlejumper floats... the floats were junk. the wheel landing system was barely strong enough to hold the plane while not moving and with no passengers let alone in motion... and under the stress of landing and landing area roungh ground. Junk.. the foam sandwiched fiberglass they were made of got soft on me after two flights... To sum up... no flights made on wheels... a few made on floats... nice one person... max weght to get airborne was two people at 170 pounds each.

[huronflyer]

Bill,

Your experience and info is invaluable.

THANKS.

Dave

CYEL