Fixed Float Preasure
- Thread starter mawddawg
- Start date
To the floater.
Go to your local automotive shop and buy a pressure gauge or I should say a low reading pressure gauge with a rubber tip on it.Simply press the gauge with rubber tip to the valve opening on the float and open the float valve and the correct pressure is I believe 1.5 p.s.i. at sea level.Yes on hot days they can get very hot and over pressured.The same allso applies climbing to higher alltitudes.Be sure to check the flight supplement reguarding this matter.With over 2000 hrs flying fixed floats alone Ive seen my share of float problems.Good luck and hope this helps.
Mini..............
Go to your local automotive shop and buy a pressure gauge or I should say a low reading pressure gauge with a rubber tip on it.Simply press the gauge with rubber tip to the valve opening on the float and open the float valve and the correct pressure is I believe 1.5 p.s.i. at sea level.Yes on hot days they can get very hot and over pressured.The same allso applies climbing to higher alltitudes.Be sure to check the flight supplement reguarding this matter.With over 2000 hrs flying fixed floats alone Ive seen my share of float problems.Good luck and hope this helps.
Mini..............
Your base camp is at 3000 feet OAT is +20 and you plan on landing on a pond with your standard fixed float equipped 206B at 1000 feet then to another pond at 5000 feet.What procedure should you follow,assuming standard lapse rate conditions?
1 adjust float pressure to base camp altitude for entire trip
2 decrease float pressure to 1.0 p.s.i. above the base camp altitude for entire trip at the base camp to prevent over expansion at 5000 feet.
3 increase float pressure 1.0 p.s.i. above base camp altitude for entire trip as the pressure relief valves will automaticly adjust float pressure to prevent float damage.
4 increase float pressure to 2.5 p.s.i. at the base camp for entire trip.
Have a super day and enjoy the quiz??????? Mini.............
1 adjust float pressure to base camp altitude for entire trip
2 decrease float pressure to 1.0 p.s.i. above the base camp altitude for entire trip at the base camp to prevent over expansion at 5000 feet.
3 increase float pressure 1.0 p.s.i. above base camp altitude for entire trip as the pressure relief valves will automaticly adjust float pressure to prevent float damage.
4 increase float pressure to 2.5 p.s.i. at the base camp for entire trip.
Have a super day and enjoy the quiz??????? Mini.............
One thing you shud remember, is that if your floats are tight on a hot day and you are landing in cold water they may/will collapse on touch down. After a couple of days you shud be able to find that sweet spot where they'll stay tight and loose ( hot and cold days ) so you don't have to fool with the pressures at all. Don't be alarmed when one day you're flying along and the thing buckles under, all that does is slow you down, and when your back below 60 kts. it will straighten out again, just make sure you don't lose your paddle.
just curious...
has anyone else flown around with a guy who ever wanted to see how fast he could skim across the water on floats...much like a ski boat getting on its plane?
He found out fast that once the nose tips over as you're increasing speed, the float tips tend to dig into the water, and that consequently increases your nose down attitude.
All the water that shot up over the nose, windsheild and into the vents did a wonderful job of clearing off the dirt and dust, but I wanted to kill him.
I obviously didn't, and have since wondered if he learned his lesson, or tried to prefect his new found talent.
Since then I have learned it's better to speak up, say what's on your mind now, not later when it's too late.
has anyone else flown around with a guy who ever wanted to see how fast he could skim across the water on floats...much like a ski boat getting on its plane?
He found out fast that once the nose tips over as you're increasing speed, the float tips tend to dig into the water, and that consequently increases your nose down attitude.
All the water that shot up over the nose, windsheild and into the vents did a wonderful job of clearing off the dirt and dust, but I wanted to kill him. I obviously didn't, and have since wondered if he learned his lesson, or tried to prefect his new found talent.
Since then I have learned it's better to speak up, say what's on your mind now, not later when it's too late.
once upon a time:
A base manager decided to show a trio of low time pilots how to take off at high gross on floats in a 206.
He did a running takeoff at 60% torque and that worked.
So encouraged he did one at 50% torque -- some water came over the front of the floats but he continued.
By this time one of the low time guys, sitting in the back ( who had 2000 hrs on FW floats ) had removed his shoes and placed his hand on the door handle.
The next attempt at 40% did not go as well and the AC ( to quote the MOT " came to rest inverted") suffice it to say my buddy was sitting on top of the floats, hardly wet, when everybody surfaced.
A part of the rotor blade went through a cottage on the side of the lake.
The base Manager was promoted to upper management and the 3 hapless spectators aboard were regarded as suspect for the next couple of years- having been involved in an accident as low time pilots.
True story. 🙄
A base manager decided to show a trio of low time pilots how to take off at high gross on floats in a 206.
He did a running takeoff at 60% torque and that worked.
So encouraged he did one at 50% torque -- some water came over the front of the floats but he continued.
By this time one of the low time guys, sitting in the back ( who had 2000 hrs on FW floats ) had removed his shoes and placed his hand on the door handle.
The next attempt at 40% did not go as well and the AC ( to quote the MOT " came to rest inverted") suffice it to say my buddy was sitting on top of the floats, hardly wet, when everybody surfaced.
A part of the rotor blade went through a cottage on the side of the lake.
The base Manager was promoted to upper management and the 3 hapless spectators aboard were regarded as suspect for the next couple of years- having been involved in an accident as low time pilots.
True story. 🙄
JBC
If ya got limp floats ya might wanna try some of that Air Viagra.And your right dont loose your paddle.Makes for a good cutting board to clean those little fishies ya caught while shut down on the lake waiting for the customers to do thier thing on dry land
Have a great day..........Mini
If ya got limp floats ya might wanna try some of that Air Viagra.And your right dont loose your paddle.Makes for a good cutting board to clean those little fishies ya caught while shut down on the lake waiting for the customers to do thier thing on dry land
Have a great day..........Mini
