In my article Float Flying – Part 1, I wrote an article about all the basic components of a float plane. Now it's time to put that useful information into practice. In this article, I shall outline the basics and provide tips for installing floats on a wheeled plane.

Fig. 1

The most important step is to buy (or make) the correct size of floats. As shown in Fig. 1, to determine the correct size float, measure from the prop tip to the rudder hinge line and multiply the measurement (in inches) by 0.75. For example, the Piper J-3 Cub from Hanger 9 is approximately 46 inches from the prop tip to the rudder hinge line. Multiplying 46 inches by 0.75 will give me 34.5 inches. That means the absolutely smallest set of floats that can be put on this plane is 34-1/2 inches long. With this knowledge, I can look at many different types of floats and pick a set that should complement the Cub adequately. Hanger 9 sells 36 inch floats designed for their Cub that can be installed with only minor airframe modifications. You should always buy or make floats that are a little (but not by much) bigger than what you need. Unless your plane is as light as a glider, the extra buoyancy that larger floats give you will prove to be beneficial.