Float Fly Season
It's Spring and a "young" R/C'er turns his thoughts to ... float plane flying! There's several float events in the next month. There's the Chief Timothy float fly, the Cocolalla Lake float fly, the Jump Off Joe float fly, and the Richland float fly. There are also float fly events on the west side of the Cascades, but I'll stick to the ones that are nearby.
The Chief Timothy float fly is on Sunday May 7, at Chief Timothy State Park, a few miles down the Snake River from Clarkston, Washington. I've attended a few of these events and have enjoyed myself at all of them. The event is held at the boat launch at the west end of the park. This is a good place to fly, with a grassy area next to the parking area for the pits. A few years ago, the boat launch area was so full of driftwood that the flying was moved to another area, which also worked well. The weather can be iffy the beginning of May, but the temperatures are usually warmer than in the Pullman/Moscow area. Keep an eye on the weather forecast and dress appropriately. The Chief Timothy State Park is a great place to take the family to camp out for the weekend.
The Cocolalla Lake float fly is Saturday and Sunday May 13-14, put on by the Farragut Fliers club at the Sandy Beach Resort on Cocolalla Lake. Cocolalla Lake is on US95, 15 miles south of Sand Point, Idaho. This is also a great place to fly. This pit area is a sandy beach, hence the name of the resort. You can fly from the beach or from a boat dock.
The Barons Spring Float Fly is Saturday and Sunday May 20-21, put on by the Spokane Barons club at the Jump Off Joe Resort near Chewela, Washington, north of Spokane on US395. A float fly is held here in both the spring and fall each year, and is probably the largest float fly event in eastern Washington. Many of the participants are from Spokane, but several come from west of the Cascades, from other states and from Canada.
The pit area is the resort picnic and swimming area. There's a grassy area under evergreen trees for the pits, and a sandy beach for launching and flying. This location can be a bit intimidating for the novice flier due to the close proximity of trees and a small swimming dock anchored a few yards out from the beach, but with a little help from an experienced pilot there should be no problems. RV sites and cabins are available, but you have to make reservations early. The participants usually get together for dinner on Saturday night at one of the resturants in Loon Lake, Washington, just a few miles south on US395.
The Richland float fly is Friday through Sunday June 23-25, put on by the TriCity R/C Modelers club at the Wye Park boat launch in Richland, Washington. I'm not familiar with the Richland float fly, but I did attend a float fly there when the AMA Nats was in the Tri-Cities. If this is the same park, the flying site is at a park on the Columbia River in Richland, Washington. There is an island just opposite the beach area that provides some protection from the wind and boat traffic. Overnight RVs and campers are welcome. It's a nice park with lots of shade trees and a good beach for launching float planes.
Float flying adds a new dimension to your flying experiences, is lots of fun and allows you to meet a group of fliers that you may not meet at other events. There are usually lots of scale planes, as well as sport planes set up to fly from the water. These can be simple high wing trainers on commercial or home-made floats, or scale multi-engine flying boats.
You can count on getting water inside your plane, so plan ahead by sealing your wing saddle, and protect your receiver and battery pack by putting them in sealed plastic bags.
Floats can be made easily from white beaded foam insulation. There have been several articles in RCM and other model magazines. A one inch strip of 1/4 inch ply epoxied to the top of the foam float provides stiffness and a good surface to mount attachment hardware. I strengthen this ply strip by drilling 1/4 inch holes in front and behind each attachment point and then epoxy 1/4 inch dowels about 2 or 3 inches long through the ply and into the foam float.
The floats can be covered with plastic packing tape for a quick and inexpensive job, or you can sheet them with 1/16 balsa. A layer of light glass cloth will make them much more durable. You can waterproof the balsa with paint, or you can cover the floats with plastic film covering to match your plane. A coat of Balsarite before covering will help protect the balsa sheeting from leaks.
There are kits for hollow floats, either built up with balsa and ply, or molded from plastic or fiberglass. These floats are prone to leaks and the changes in aircraft CG that the added weight of water can cause. I prefer the simplicity and low cost of the foam floats.
Floats can be mounted to the plane with either aluminum or wire struts. Make sure that your mounting system is well braced and firmly attached to the plane. There's nothing worse than a perfectly executed landing or touch-and-go on the water that ends in disaster when your floats and your plane part company.
A water rudder attached to the rear of the a float or attached to your plane's rudder is essential for taxiing on the water. Your plane will try to point into the wind, usually going in the opposite direction you intend. A good water rudder will overcome this tendancy.
Takeoffs and landings are usually not much different from what you are used to on dry land. Make sure your plane is up to flying speed before you lift off the water. One advantage of flying from water is that the runway is VERY LARGE. A disadvantage can be waves from wind or boats. A plane with lots of power has an advantage here on takeoffs.
Landings are best made by landing parallel to the beach. Bring the plane in with the wings level and flair about a foot above the water. Let the plane slow and settle gently on the water.
If you should have a mishap on your takeoff or landing, there will be a boat provided by the sponsoring club there to pick up your plane and return it to the beach.
Your plane will be heavier and have more drag than you are used to, so take it easy on the first couple of flights. Loops, rolls and other aerobatic maneuvers are easy to do with most float planes, but your plane may stall more easily in high G maneuvers. A little extra altitude is a good idea until you've determined your float plane's handling characteristics.
Come on out and give float flying a try. See you at the beach!