It Floats,,,, Finally

[Float Pilot]

Thanks to Jim Hardin up at East Mackey Lake...
It took a long time for a first time install using the odd PK float mounts...
It is still pulling to the left in flight,,, so I need to put on my chest waders and head down to the leech infested waters of Beluga Lake for a little flying wire adjustment.

How the heck do you make the photos large??

[Grizzly 2]

QUESTION Float Pilot: Do you use Peral-Ketone on the fittings and interiors of the float compartments?

[Float Pilot]

I have not seen Peral Ketone for awhile.
Lake and Sea still sells something for sealing floats but it is not the old stinky stuff that worked. The new stuff is earth-muffin approved and falls off within a few weeks.

I like to use 5200 marine Adhesive and caulking which has been thinned with MEK. Then suck or blow it into any cracks with the shop vac.
Glu-Vit is an epoxy two piece paint ( well really like a syrup) that works Ok as well. It was made for boats.

This year I tried some of the new flex-seal stuff in a couple places just to see how well it works.

[labdad]

Watched you depart past the house (right across from where Jim is), looked good.

[labdad]

I used it on my control cables prior to installation. Got it from Tamarak Air in Fairbanks.

[Float Pilot]

LabDad...Does my 172 seem a bit louder due to my external exhaust/muffler ?
It sure is loader inside.
For years my old yellow PA-11 was going in and out of there for check-rides.

I wonder if we are spelling Peral Keytone correctly????

By the way, the stuff called Fluid Film works pretty good on external cables and attach points. It does not get blasted off by water spray.
http://www.fluid-film.com

[Float Pilot]

She really pulls to the left.... Even though the floats appear to measure out correctly...

I need a float adjustment expert.....

[Jerbear]

I am no expert at anything. With that being understood could it b the water rudders? Given the fact that she flew hands off before the floats. I have cranked them the opposite way to fix the cramp in my leg.

[Mr. Pid]

Pulling left when you apply full power and until it comes over the hump and on step is typical of a 172 on PeeKays. Start your run with the nose pointed right to compensate. It gets a little more tricky if you're on a narrow stream with a right crossing wind but I never found it unmanageable. Like I mentioned before you'll also struggle a little with crosswind taxiing direction control. Even with oversized water rudders.

[Float Pilot]

The problem is not on the water. Oddly enough it handles very well on the water so far... ( the winds have been brisk) But it still turns in 12-18 knot winds better than the light-weight Cub ever could.



The problem is in flight and becomes worse with increased airspeed. Not P-factor. I even killed the engine and let it glide at various speeds.
At 60-65 knots glide I had the ball half way across the glass and at 90 knots the ball was slammed against the right side of the tube and the plane whipped over into a left descending bank.

I checked the water rudders and found one that was not lined up as well as it should have been. After correcting that one rudder the problem persisted, but now it takes a couple seconds for the left bank to start as opposed to the previous sudden pull. ( as soon as right rudder pressure is released)

Last night my friend and I descended upon the floats armed with laser levels, markers , measuring tapes and a roll of shot-line.

The floats are square with each other.
But when measuring from the float nose (bow) center rivet ( really is the center I measured it) to the opposite side wing tip rivet, there was a 5/8th inch difference.
Basically the floats were canted slightly to the left of the center-line. But I needed a long distance measure in order to detect it.
I adjusted the flying wires ( three threads ) until there is now only a 1/16 of an inch difference.

I just need the wind to die down so I can test fly it. ( gusting to 20 knots right now) I don't want any big waves and a cross wind on the lake, should I have exacerbated the problem.

[Jerbear]

The water rudders r in fact rudders in the water as well as in the air. While airborne think of them as trim tabs if u will. Tighten the turnbuckle so that the rudders run true or a little bit to the right. The little bit of adjustment will not effect water taxing. The rudders can make a big difference in the air. Going faster proves the point.

[labdad]

Yes, it sounded a bit loud.

[BeaverDriver]

PAR-AL-KETONE

Aircraft Spruce still carries it.

[Float Pilot]

NEW Ventral Tail Fin on order....
It gets held on with 24 number 8 screws.

[Float Pilot]

Well.... I test flew her again today on semi-glassy water after the adjustment to the flying wires.
The pulling to the left is only about 20% of what it was before.
And even then only at 75% throttle or more.
When I cut the engine and glided at 80 to 90 knots the ball stayed centered. SO... whatever is happening now it a result of spiraling prop wash so some darn thing.
Plus now that I am not holding a bunch of right rudder, it does feel loose in the tail at lower speeds. Even more so with 20 degrees of flaps or more.
Thus I can see why I need to add the ventral fin and the rudder centering springs.

The 160 horse combined with the Power Flow exhaust and the large PK-2300 floats does just fine on glassy water. They take-off distance was not much longer than on rough water. 360 degree step-turns were a breeze.