Floatplanes: Fabric covered vs Aluminum skin

swisspilot

swisspilot

Well-Known Member
If you would have to take a floatplane around salt water, taking in consideration corrosion wich one would be best?

In this case a Maule M-7 vs Cessna 182

Alex
 
Fabric just because it is easier to get to the corrosion that will take place internally. I agree with the composite floats. Metal floats you have to pump out before each flight. Imagine what salt water would do sitting in a metal float.
 
I don`t know what they were thinking when they designed it, the one for the 206H is so bad.....the bottom of door opening in the pod has cut outs to accomodate the Hinges bolts when closed, that makes the whole bottom portion so flimsy, you are literally able to break the frame corners wiht your hands, ours lasted couple flight of stuffing things in the pod and broke off!! The pod door can`t be totally opened, becasue when you are done loading 300 lbs in it it makes it impossible to close, so you have to keep the door at and anlgle, either holding it with your hand or put a stone or something on the bottom. The front top part of the pod doesn`t seal to the fuselage, but the hole is way to big for the nose gear brackets, when it rains the pod fills with water, they only made two drain holes the size of a needle and the whole inside floor is totally flat, it does not have this little frames that go across to keep stuff in their stations.....bad product

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z987k said:
Don't know anything about those... but if I was to put floats in salt water, they'd be composite. Can you imagine the mx on aluminum floats in salt water? You'd have holes by week 3.
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Inverted25 said:
Fabric just because it is easier to get to the corrosion that will take place internally. I agree with the composite floats. Metal floats you have to pump out before each flight. Imagine what salt water would do sitting in a metal float.
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Funny how 99% of float planes have aluminum floats and seem to do just fine. Though Aero makes a good float. There is a major difference in corrosion between warm salt water and cold salt water.. warm salt eats things faster. Get a metal airplane.. it is easier to spot corrosion and repair a localized area that having to strip and recover tube and fabric. Also if you get a Cessna make sure it came from the factory with the float kit.. the airframe is internally zinc cromated to resist corrosion where a plane with the kit installed later is not. Also with salt operations you want to use greases that do not contain metal ie never ceaze.. or you get to learn all about dissimilar metal electrolosis.
 
FWIW almost all of the fabric float planes up here belong to part 91 bubbas, the air taxis use metal almost exclusively. I would personally go metal though really a new or recently restored tube and fabric airplane should be fine. As to floats, like Capt. C said Aerocet makes friggin sweet floats but lots of operators up here run metal floats in salt water and though they are ALWAYS working on them they do just fine.
 
swisspilot said:
I don`t know what they were thinking when they designed it, the one for the 206H is so bad.....the bottom of door opening in the pod has cut outs to accomodate the Hinges bolts when closed, that makes the whole bottom portion so flimsy, you are literally able to break the frame corners wiht your hands, ours lasted couple flight of stuffing things in the pod and broke off!! The pod door can`t be totally opened, becasue when you are done loading 300 lbs in it it makes it impossible to close, so you have to keep the door at and anlgle, either holding it with your hand or put a stone or something on the bottom. The front top part of the pod doesn`t seal to the fuselage, but the hole is way to big for the nose gear brackets, when it rains the pod fills with water, they only made two drain holes the size of a needle and the whole inside floor is totally flat, it does not have this little frames that go across to keep stuff in their stations.....bad product

522153_3875057247508_1790776391_n.jpg
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Yeah that thing is kinda ridiculous. Not a huge fan.
 
Corrosion isnt a problem as long as the plane is cared for. Down in the gulf we washed ours every day, and did a full wash once a week. Things will still get corroded, but its manageable. We didnt run aerocets and got by fine. Dont get me wrong, they're a great float, but really more of a luxury if you're actually trying to make money. I dont think i would let fabric vs metal be my deciding factor.
 
Roger Roger said:
FWIW almost all of the fabric float planes up here belong to part 91 bubbas, the air taxis use metal almost exclusively. I would personally go metal though really a new or recently restored tube and fabric airplane should be fine. As to floats, like Capt. C said Aerocet makes friggin sweet floats but lots of operators up here run metal floats in salt water and though they are ALWAYS working on them they do just fine.
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Maybe becasue there aren`t many bigger fabric planes? and most of them are not great to haul cargo, I only found one operator in the America flying M7s, based out of the Bahamas. He was also on the cover of last May Men`s Journal.

How sturdy are composite floats? lots of shores here have reefs...
 
swisspilot said:
Maybe becasue there aren`t many bigger fabric planes? and most of them are not great to haul cargo, I only found one operator in the America flying M7s, based out of the Bahamas. He was also on the cover of last May Men`s Journal.

How sturdy are composite floats? lots of shores here have reefs...
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FWIW I've heard secondhand that the composite floats can take a beating and are super easy to repair. Like cmill said, they are a great float but you certainly pay a premium.
 
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