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Float attach fittings question.

sportingrifle

Registered User
Hi All....

Just trying to clarify something before fabricating rear fuselage float attach fittings for a homebuilt PA-18 - 150 seaplane. I don't yet have the floats, hence the questions.

What is the angle between the bottom of the fuselage (ie level) and the rear float struts? I believe it is 45 deg. but want to make sure prior to welding. And what is the thickness of the rear float attach struts? If anyone with an -18 on 2000 or 2200 floats could accurately measure this the next time they are near their airplane I would be very appreciative.


Thanks Kevin.
 
This picture shows a weld on rear float fitting. Notice the bolt hole. The angle of the struts to the fuselage is not critical for the purpose of making this type of fitting since the strut angle is flexible through the bolt. Locating the hole at approximately 45 degrees from the longeron would be a good idea.

P1010311.jpg
 
N1PA

Where did you get that rt.angle attachment for your drill?

Gotta have one of those
Thanks
 
Hi Guys..thanks for the reply.
Unfortunately I have a different sort of attach fitting as supplied by Wag Aero. It appears that the brackets have to be aligned with the rear struts, as well as spaced a particular distance apart to accept them. For this reason I think i still need the angles and strut thickness.

Thanks Kevin.
 
Hi Guys..thanks for the reply.
Unfortunately I have a different sort of attach fitting as supplied by Wag Aero. It appears that the brackets have to be aligned with the rear struts, as well as spaced a particular distance apart to accept them. For this reason I think i still need the angles and strut thickness.

Thanks Kevin.

Post pictures of your mounts please


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
Hi Guys..thanks for the reply.
Unfortunately I have a different sort of attach fitting as supplied by Wag Aero. It appears that the brackets have to be aligned with the rear struts, as well as spaced a particular distance apart to accept them. For this reason I think i still need the angles and strut thickness.

Thanks Kevin.
If the parts which you have described are as I think what you have stated, I suggest that you scrap them and change to the style as shown in the picture above. IF the fitting needs to be as accurate as you describe the fuselage will become subject to twisting loads which could cause deformation and cracking. You do not want this. Float attachment gear has a lot of flexibility in use under different water roughness conditions. The fitting shown above with it's attachment bolt parallel to the fuselage allows some flexibility in use. Also since you will have the option of several different makes and style of floats and attachment gear, you will want some flexibility in this area. Remember that the primary loads on this fitting are in compression from the rear strut pushing into the fuselage. Some of these fittings are no more than a block of loose aluminum attached with flat stainless steel straps holding the strut in line with the fuselage tubing cluster. Look at a Champion 7GCBC.

The only non flexible attachment gear of which I am familiar is a welded steel truss for a PA-12 and another welded truss for a Cessna 140. Both of these required a later addition of reinforcement cross members.
 
I agree with Skywagon. The wag aero fittings I think you are describing are better suited for the north aire float plans and are depicted on those drawings. The fittings in the photo in post #2 are easy to make and sort of an industry standard for piper float installations.
 
Trevorm and others that were wondering....

I just had the opportunity to inspect and measure a Super Cub on Edo 2000 floats with the Wag Aero float fittings. The aircraft has accumulated about 1200 hours on this installation with no issues, most of it in the ocean.

The rear float attach strut points slightly aft and are exactly at right angles to the lower longeron at Station 4. The thickness of the strut attach fitting is 5/8" and the inside dimension between the 2 fitting halves is 0.650". All the float struts protrude outward from the fuselage at 45 degree angles. Hope this helps, Kevin.
 
Does anyone knows if the fwd and midle floats fittings attachs are the same for the landing gears?
 
Forward N strut attaches to the front gear fitting, rear N strut fitting attaches to the rear fitting as shown in the above post.

The angle part of the N strut does not go directly to the longeron fitting, but to a fitting that holds one vertical and one angle strut. I believe the -12 has the angle piece one way, the 18 another, or so I recall a discussion on the 12.

I would suggest you use the standard type fitting as shown above. all floats will fit that, and they have proven themselves over thousands of hours of rough use, on hundreds of aircraft.
 
Could be this one for de aft fittings?C6F6C69D-0E87-471A-83EB-F89ACF5994CC.jpeg
 

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