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Bolt on float fittings

I expect new ones you could buy today are or at least they certainly would work for either. The original J-3 ones were smaller and lighter built and were steel instead of aluminum.
 
Will look around Tom. Did have a while back, but they might be gone. They look very much like the weld on ones we have today except maybe a little thinner. Built from flat steel with a tab welded on for the strut. The originals that I had for the 1320's and 1400 had the EDO numbers stamped on them. Built some 40 yrs ago; easy to build, if you have a pair to copy. Assume you need EDO ones?
 
Will look around Tom. Did have a while back, but they might be gone. They look very much like the weld on ones we have today except maybe a little thinner. Built from flat steel with a tab welded on for the strut. The originals that I had for the 1320's and 1400 had the EDO numbers stamped on them. Built some 40 yrs ago; easy to build, if you have a pair to copy. Assume you need EDO ones?

Yeah probably. Have two j3’s that are covered and flying wanting to go on floats. Worst case I’ll patch some Fabric and weld on the fittings


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Tom, I know it doesn't seem to happen, but the bolt on fittings are part of the float installation kit and are supposed to stay with the floats when they get moved to another plane. Where are the planes those floats came from? The fittings, if left on those planes belong to those floats.
Also the fittings are designated for a particular type of float on a particular model airplane, with a particular strut angle. There are a lot of little differences which determine the angle which the struts attach to the fuselage. That is one reason the weld on fittings are popular, they can more easily accommodate different float models. The EDO "Cub" type of fittings are rigid so the alignment of the struts is fixed. One set of fittings for EDO floats may or may not work on a set of Aqua floats for example.

The weld on fittings are more adaptable to different types of floats. Also they may or may not be FAA approved for the particular combination you desire. (Of course Mr FAA would have to know what he is looking at).
 
One of them is a project cub I acquired. The only thing missing was the float fittings and tail brace wires. The guy who built it passed away 20 years ago and it sat in his boat house. I’m sure the fittings got lost along the way. Other set is for a friend. The floats have no fittings. Guess it’s easier to unbolt the floats and leave the fittings than take them off and have holes in the fabric. Both are j-3’s and both are edo 1400’s


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Good time to think about peddling the 1400s and find 1320s or Aqua 1500s. Both perform quite a bit better then the 1400s

Glenn
 
J-3 bolt on
68632e9399fcb458e98ea0759a0355c0.jpg


Pa-18 bolt on (silver) and weld on
ae53bdbf297645ddfec51057fc4275ff.jpg


The supercub weld on has a block that goes in, I’m assuming so one fitting can be used on older edo and newer floats where as the super cub bolt on only works with the newer struts


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J-3 bolt on

The supercub weld on has a block that goes in, I’m assuming so one fitting can be used on older edo and newer floats where as the super cub bolt on only works with the newer struts"

Probably not so much old floats versus new floats, but rather what the struts are made of; extruded strut material or bolted/riveted strut (as shown in the photo with weld-on fitting). I've not seen that round attachment in the riveted strut. I have one set of struts with flat stock riveted in that fit onto the bolt-on fitting or the weld-on fitting using a small "block" that comes with the weld-on fitting. I suspect there's a lot of variation. The J-3 fittings shown in the photos look very different from what I've seen used on Super Cubs. But I really haven't seen that many of the smaller EDO floats or the rigging used on them.

Note that around 2000 when I was putting my Super Cub on floats and looking for the bolt-on fittings, the fittings themselves were each about $800 new, the "angle bolts" used in the outer holes shown were $147 each, with each fitting requiring 2. The smaller "U" bolts were only about $120 (2 per fitting). Fortunately I was able to find a used set of fittings complete with bolts at Stoddards for $400 total. Since then I've had weld-on fitting installed

Jim
 
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EDO struts and wire assemblies are different between the J-3 and PA-11 for their 1320 and 1400's. Make sure the 1400's are for a J-3. Nose fuel tank versus wing fuel changed the dimensions. Ask Eddie Peck or check P/N stamped on struts.

Gary
 
EDO 1400 fittings off my new PA-11 and EDO 1320 fittings on my flying PA-11.
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