Doug is on a Float Plane Kick..

[Flying Trucker]

Goodly afternoon all...

During the spring thaw me and some of the other Old Retired Rocking Chair Flying Geezers get together on a nice warm spring day and while sitting around the outside picnic table enjoying a wobbly pop or two, we stop our Tall Tale Telling and get down to some serious aviation discussions. We can not fly off the grass strip as it is far too soft. A rut ( A groove or furrow (especially one in soft earth caused by wheels) is time consuming and back breaking work to fill in so many aviators work on their aircraft, clean the club house and hangars or spend a little more family time at home.

These two topics have not been discussed in several years if my memory is correct, at least not at our bugsmasher field.

(1) Float or Center Line Float Aircraft over Seaplanes

(2)Center Line Float Aircraft with Wing Tip Sponsons over Dual Floats on a Float Plane

Many military aircraft started off with Beaching Gear before becoming Amphibians or were on wheels prior to being modified with floats or center line floats with wing tip sponsons.

Having never flown an aircraft on a center line float with wing tip sponsons I can't speak much about them but there were quite a few of them used during the two World Wars.
Several types that were on a center line float with wing tip sponsons also flew off dual floats and wheels.

I think it would be interesting to see what opinions you folks have on the advantages or disadvantages of the center line float with sponsons over the dual float aircraft.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=aircraft ... 44&bih=646

Another interesting Link...Scroll Down to read the difference between:
Float Aeroplanes
Sea Planes
Flying Boats
and much more...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amphibious_aircraft

Looking forward to some interesting replies....

[G.K.]

I know nowt about float planes....I know a little about sailing boats.

A centre line float = a monohull (Yes?)....1 main hull + 2 stabilisers for low speed manoeuvring is how I see it.
Twin Floats = Multihull or catamaran.

Whether the following attributes are relevant to float planes I don't know:

Cats or multihulls are:
more stable and suffer less heel (side forces) but will roll more if waves are not on the bow.
Track better (go in straight line)
Less able to deal with waves or chop because of lower bow and freeboard (Bit of hull that sits above water)
more difficult to turn (because they track better)
shallower draft.

[Flying Trucker]

That is an interesting reply G.K., when we are beaching or docking a float aircraft with engine on/off we use the doors, flaps and controls to catch the wind, we call that sailing...

When I was six decades younger a group of us aviators would stand around the camp fire or BBQ and the topics were always women, fast cars, women, aeroplanes, women, hunting, women...well you get the picture...

Now we gather at each others sailboat for a friendly race and a BBQ and the topic is mostly Food Recipes for Cooking...

Must be something about Sail Boats and Old Retired Rocking Chair Flying Geezers that they have in common...

Thanks for the reply G.K.

[Fozzer]

Doug...

......"Leaving on a Float Plane"...>>>

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8jEapecSqc

(..don't know when he'll be back again!....)... ...!

Paul.... ...!

Peter, Paul, and Mrs Ramsbottom...

[SG-19]

The only disadvantage I can see a center float (mono hull) with wingtip float's is, if you find your not level as you touch down and a wing float hits the water first you risk a nasty sideways moment, or worse.

[G.K.]

What, like this one?:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2sLsc7kxRk

I think he cooked his goose LoL


Nice to hear that you sail occasionally Doug. I guess you sail yachts. I'm a small racing dinghy sailor although I do get in a big boat from time to time.

As to the floats I suppose your choice would depend on what type of water you intend landing/ taking off on. ......Wave and chop height being the deciding factor.

[Flying Trucker]

Hi SG-19...

A lot of World War Two Aircraft used the Center Line Float Configuration in some rough seas especially the Vought Kingfisher.

The aviators training and experience on type is what will be a contributing factor.

I would be interested to know if any of the Center Line Floats were equipped to carry a passenger or two?

[Flying Trucker]

Thanks for the Link G.K....interesting...

Yachts...well nothing too large...38Ft...lots of small dinghy time on the river...

All our children learned to swim...I would toss them out of the back of the boat and they either swam or sunk...Old Girl always did a head count when I got back to the dock...think we still have all of the kids...

Have landed and took off with a full load with a DeHavilland of Canada DHC-3 "Otter" on Amphibious Floats in some large waves on Georgian Bay, Canada. The waves would sometimes obscure forward vision.
I know of no other single engine aircraft that could take that kind of pounding again and again and still get her crew home while operating off Amphibious Floats or Floats.
Probably why Search and Rescue kept them for so long and now there is talk of restarting the production line again.

Our Cessna 185 (now one of our sons) would have probably never made a safe landing in those water conditions and probably would have been bashed to bits on the water.

I saw a video one time of a Vought Kingfisher which is on a Center Line Float that landed and had to taxi to a ship as it could not get off the water...that aircraft took quite a pounding also.

I also mentioned in the above post about wanting to know if any Center Line Floats were designed to carry a passenger or two.