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WING
SPAN
MAY
MAY
WING
SPAN
MAAALogo.
Everyone can enjoy flying and building
model aircraft. Whether you are young
or old, it’s a great sport through which
you can safely enjoy the adrenalin
rush of a seriously fun flight, build
models and form great friendships.
Joining our clubs and listening to other
members is a great way to learnmore
about the sport.
Wayne Miller, a member of the
Noarlunga Model Aero Sports club
in Adelaide, is a keen float plane
pilot who has provided some tips
on aircraft choice and set-up for
float planes based on his personal
experience.
Wayne is a keenmodel flyer and has
attended the Premier Float Plane
events run by the Albury/Wodonga
Twin Cities Aero Modellers, on Lake
Hume, near the famous Ettamogah
Pub site for nearly 25 years.
His first trip across to Albury was in a
two-door coupe silver Turbo Charged
Mitsubishi Scorpion, packed with two
stripped down 40 size trainers, floats,
fuel, clothes, and his long-time friend,
TomKlocke.
According to Wayne, they slid along
muddy roads after they turned off the
highway at Swan Hill, and took the
wrong road, all while driving in intense
rainstorms.
“We were off to show the float plane
gurus in NSW that they weren’t the
only ones who could fly these bloody
things on water,” he said.
“We actually met andmademany long
term friendships, which have lasted
through out the years.”
Wayne has enjoyedmany years of float
plane flying fromhouseboats up and
down the Murray River. He has a range
of float planes from slow “trainers”,
to over-powered, hi-speed Delta wing
amphibians.
Choose the right aircraft for
success
Here are some suggestions:
1) 40 size HIGH WING, LIGHT WEIGHT
“ARF” powered by 46/50 2-stroke or
50/60 4-stroke
2) 60 size HIGH WING, LIGHT WEIGHT
“ARF” powered by 55/75 2-stroke or
65/80 4-stroke
Remember; weight is a “killer” with
float planes because you have to carry
the extra weight of the floats, so “wing
loading” is very important to your
success.
For the growing electricmodel market,
here are a couple of examples, but be
warned, LiPo batteries and water don’t
go well together.
Sooner or later you will tip or
cartwheel themodel into the water,
and drench it, generally due to
inexperience, in handling crosswinds
and trying for beautiful, but difficult
soft arrivals on the water.
The E-Flite Apprentice is one of the
best value performance packages I
have seen.
This is a good looking, and good value
foamplane. It takes only a couple of
hours to assemble and flies on the
included 3S. 3200 LiPo. It is available
in:
RTF (ready to fly) including transmitter
for around $450
BNF (bind and fly), use your own
transmitter, for around $395
Foam floats with steerable tiller or
water rudder for around $80
A bonus for the novice is that it also
comes with a 3 axis stabilisation
system, which helps to keep the plane
level, and offers you the chance of
keeping your model in one piece for
longer.
Check it out at your local hobby shop.
Themuch larger Classic 60 is another
good quality ARF, and a proven
working power package by two of our
current clubmembers.
Example 1
Electric motor OS 50, 60-70 amp ESC,
6S.5000-30c, 14x10E APC, 10-15 minute
flight times
Example 2
Electric motor E-Flite 60, 60 amp ESC,
6S.5000-30c, 14x8E APC, 10-15 minute
flight times
Example 3
The slightly more experienced pilot
can pick up froma local hobby shop
the small, but spectacular performing
Joysway Delta amphibian, which can
take off fromwater, snow or grass
without wheels!
This model is definitely for the thrill
seeker and not recommended for
your first water experience. Most float
plane pilots will quickly identify this
small rocket with themuch larger and
brilliant Balsa USA North Star.
See the next edition of Wingspan
for Part 2 on flying a float plane!
This modified electric model Mustang
has four powerful speakers mounted
in it and recordings of a real Mustang
synchronised to the throttle. You also
hear 50 calibremachine guns, when
doing low pass strafing runs. A pilot’s
voice calls “clear prop” and “start
engine” as the starter motor engages
and the Big Merlin bursts to life
FLIGHT SCHOOL:
THE
THRILL OF FLOAT PLANES
