Float plane advice!

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seneca
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Float plane advice!

Post by seneca »

I am looking to buy a float plane and need some direction.
Does anyone have some advice on the best bang for my buck under $90,000 Canadian? I'm looking @ C172, Maule M5-210/235, Super cubs & C180's(this cheap and C180's rough) I'm not stuck on 3 passengers and gear but it would be nice, open to 2 and gear

The other question is how big of floats do i need for a C172 or a super cub? I see some c172 on cap 2000's but i've had some input that says they are far too small?

Thanks for any input.

Seneca
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twotter
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Post by twotter »

It depends on what you want to do with your airplane and your budget. Look at everything out there and decide which fits you best. The 172 is a good combination of bulk area and cost, however, there are lot's of alternatives. Look at 170's, Stinsons, Tri Pacers, Seabee, etc. If you need to get in and out of smaller areas, you should look at the Cub series, PA11, 12 etc... Don't rule out others though, Champs, Luscombe, 140, etc can work well for you.

As for a 172 on 2000's, plenty of float.. I don't know why some people want to overfloat an airplane.. All it does is slow you down and weigh more..

PM me if you want and maybe we can find what fit's you best..

Cheers
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Northern Flyer
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Post by Northern Flyer »

I don't think that you could buy a decent 180 on floats for under 90 000. But if you happen to get a 180, skip the 2870 and go for 2960's. Unless you are just a sunday flyer the extra 18 inches are very nice when heavy.
I've flown PA-18-150's, and 135's. Beautiful planes, alot of fun. I've spent alot of time in 180's and I believe that thay have alot more bang for your buck, you just might have to streach your purse strings a bit.

Good Luck
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185_guy
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Post by 185_guy »

getting a cub would be great, but the few i see for sale are usually advertised in US dollars, and for way more than thier worth.
A guy i know has a taylorcraft. Although small and underpowered, i bet it would be way cheaper to buy that a cub.
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CF-RYE
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Post by CF-RYE »

The best machine for the job really depends on what it is being used for. What type of loads you are taking, what lakes you are flying off, how long your flights are and the type of area you are in, are all things that should be considered.
That said if I was looking for a light aircraft on straight floats I would go with the 172 without question. With a couple simple mods this aircraft will perform comparable to a super cub or maule with more useful cabin area and at a quarter of the operating cost of a 180.
I haven’t heard of any operational problems with 2000 model floats on a 172, they can have a slight tendency to dig a bit, but definitely no worse than a 180.
If you are serious about buying pm me, I know of a few good aircraft in the 90k price range that are for sale.
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justplanecrazy
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Post by justplanecrazy »

Just a quick comment on the float size. If you go with a larger float your airspeed, usefull load etc. may decrease but you will have shorter take-off runs. The larger float will jump onto the step right away but the little ones will plow along drowning for long distances.

A super cub is very cramped and although it may have a high usefull load it doesn't have a very usefull space. Two guys, a couple of rods, reels, two flys and a spare jacket is almost full capacity.

The 180 sounds too cheap to be worthy... Cost a lot more in the long run. If you can't afford the black book model price of the plane, you won't be able to afford a good deal on one in the long run.
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c_172pilot
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Post by c_172pilot »

Ahhhh I know the feeling be forwarned that a 180 for around $90,000 Cnd might apear to be a good deal. I have a freind with a older 180 that got it for around 90,000 and is probably going to have to spend 20-30 thou getting it in decent shape to fly. There is a lot of corosion on older float planes and it realy dosent start to show up till you get a real good look at them. Everything is more expensive for a float plane. Take painting a 172 on wheels it can be as little as $8,000 for a scuff and spray and it will look good for a long time. Do that with a 172 on floats and it will corode away in 5 or 6 years. So therefore you need to spend double that to properly paint and protect the airplane for years to come and that is assuming that you need no skins replaced. Before you buy anything make shure that you have a AME that is VERY familar with float planes go over it. It is amazing what they can find that an AME used to working on landplanes would never notice.

c_172pilot
Aviation is proof, that given the will,
we have the capacity to achieve the impossible."

--- Eddie Rickenbacker
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