Best 40 size floats on the market.

[Gregor77]

There are lots of manufacturers out there for cub floats. I have some hangar 9 units at home. How do the others compare.  I heard some so so comments on the unionville ones.  I am thinking of adding them to my clipped 40 size cub.

[piker]

Hmmmm.... I know I should contribute, but I have little experience with floats... especially float kits or arfs.

However, I'm always willing to offer my opinion regardless of whether there's value   

I have the Hanger 9 40 size floats and although I find them heavy, they look great and seem to work well on my Decathalon and now Astro Hog.

Years ago I built a set of Unionville Hobbies floats and as I recall, they worked well, but looked weird (not scale) because of the small forward (bow) section.  My undestanding was that this was to reduce drag, and maybe side area ahead of the CG.

My favouite floats, so far, have been from Flair, but I believe they're not available anymore.  They consist of nothing more than foam cores with obechi sheeting over top.  The bottom surfaces have to be "covered" as desired with either flat bottom or V bottom, and hard points for mounts, etc. have to be added... then sealed somehow (I just covered with Monokote... these are the floats on my Cub).

Based on the style of the Flair floats that I like so much, I like the look of the floats available here:

http://www.seaplanesupply.com/index.htm

These are just foam cores, but that's the hardest part to create, and the best approach for reliable, light weight floats.

However, there's something to be said for beautifully, built up floats, and I have plans for scale, Edo floats that you could make copies of if you like.  I think I've scaled them for 1/6 scale and 1/5 scale.  The 1/5 scale is for my Ryan STM, whenever THAT get's finished!

[Wingnutz]

I have a set of Seaplane Supply 27" foam floats for my Apprentice. They're flat bottom and have a wooden spine glued into a slot along the top of the foam. I think I covered them with Econocote as it's designed for relatively low temperature application and you don't need to worry about melting the foam. I simply covered the foam with the Econocote...the floats are light but no water rudders.

[piker]

Hey Bill,

I recall you mentioning that you had these floats, but I didn't put two and two together to realize they were from THAT place, that I'd checked out before. 

How was your dealings with the company?  Do you lke the floats?  Did you order them?  What was the service like.

I'm not sure, but I wouldn't expect to get a full "float kit" but rather just basic, foam cores around which you build the floats you like, including adding a water rudder.  I like the concept of a wooden spine along the top for stiffness and mounting point, even if only used to secure extra hard points to.

Robert

[wollins]

How was your dealings with the company?  Do you lke the floats?  Did you order them?  What was the service like.

I'd also be interested to know Bill, cause I was looking at that very company back in the summer when I was contemplating putting floats on my BirdDog.

Colin