Fiber Floats Flying

[Backcountry Tundra]

Good day, I know there is already a topic named Fiber Floats but it mostly treated about the mods. What I'm looking for is stories/advices from flyers who flew the Fiber Floats, they are 2450's but I'm told their FAA approved gross was 2750 but could take much more. In Googling, I found few negative comments about them and few very good ones. Clearly I have my eyes on a set to put on my Tundra and wanting to hear what you have to say about it.

Thanks much, BT

[mtv]

I have flown FiberFloats on Cubs, Maules and a Cessna 172. They are cheap, which is their biggest plus.

They had some undesireable features, which are fixable, particularly since you're experimental:
1) They had water rudders mounted to the bottoms of the floats, and electrically actuated by a button on the control yoke/stick. The problem with these is to prevent damage to them, they were designed to go flat against the bottom if sufficient force were applied (as in you landed with one deployed a bit). My advice: Remove those pieces of excrement and install "standard" type water rudders, as in the type every other float manufacturer has used for decades.

2) the originals had a shock strut on the aft vertical struts. VERY bad idea. In semi rough water, those struts would start working, reach their limit, and then drive right through the aft fuselage attach points. Simple fix: Use regular aft struts, without the shock struts.

The floats themselves perform reasonably well. They will sit back on their heels rather dramatically while you try to stagger up onto the step, but a push on the controls will roll them over, and they'll take off in reasonable distance. A little practice and technique and they'll do fine.

As to displacement, they have plenty for an M-5 Maule, so I'm guessing they'll work for what you're dealing with. Might be a LITTLE low in the water if you're REALLY heavy, but....

Be VERY careful in step turns. These things have an inverted V bottom, and a REAL hard chine, and they WILL hook a chine and flip in an aggressive step turn. No need to turn that tight on the step anyway, but be careful.
Finally, these things are all old, and fiberglass, so look them over very carefully prior to purchase.

MTV

[nofate]

A friend had a Maule on Fiber Floats. He complained about them leaking around that funny rudder mechanism. They seemed to perform well enough on takeoff and that plane had an impressive cruise speed with the 235 hp Lycoming.

[Zzz]

Just drop for these fiber floats:

http://meadfloats.com/



Edit: further reading shows them topping out in the 2200 lb model. Maybe a little small for the Tundra.

[maules.com]

I have flown the Fiberfloat 2400 on the Maules quite a bit.
The reason for the oleo struts or later rubber donut struts is in place of cross brace wires.
There are no spreader bars or diagonal cross wires and the floats move just like Maule oleo gear. The reason for this is to soften the ride because of the inverted V hulls otherwise offering too rough a ride.
The inverted V causes water to be directed to the longitudinal center under the hull thus forming hydraulic pressure. The more you try to force the bows down, hydraulics stop them from submarineing.
Personally I liked the hydraulic/electric rudders very much as they can be used as water brakes by putting both down, or for trimming in flight, but it is important to raise them if backing onto the beach. If going forward they have a relief valve.
Maintainance is very important so you don't get one solenoid corroded.
They are tough and can be run onto a rocky beach, however they are heavier than aluminium.

Now for something different see this, or should it have it's own thread Zane.
http://www.dump.com/2010/12/21/did-you- ... oft-video/