Canoe on a Float Plane Question

[Tinker]

We strapped a 12 foot kevlar canoe to the left side of a Aviat Huskey on amphib floats.
Positioned, curved side out, canoe gunnwels against the float down struts.
With this much drag on the left side, we figgured the plane would yaw to the left.
It does not. It yaws to the right and requires a fair amount of left rudder to keep the plane in comfortable flight.
I'm sure there is a simple reason for this but I can't figure it out.
Is this normal, is there a better way to mount the canoe, and why does it do this?
Any suggestions from you canoe haullers would be really appreciated.
Thanks.

[PA-18]

Prop wash hitting the aft end of the canoe possibly

[bronson]

The canoe blanks out the rudder on the side you carry it on. Ext. load belongs on the right side as there will be less damage to the tailfeathers that way. I wonder how you managed to tie a Kevlar canoe on...they always just squeezed down as I tightened and I finally refused to pack them at all!

[Bushav8er]

The canoe blanks out the rudder on the side you carry it on. Ext. load belongs on the right side as there will be less damage to the tailfeathers that way.

True. Because you are stalling the vertical causing a right turning tendency. Less damage on the right? How ya figure? It doesn't matter which side its tied on, it damages the tail assembly. I always tied left so I could keep an eye on the load.

More likely that with the reduced directional control you require need additional ventral fins, either a large one on the underside, a vertical stab forward extension, or mini fins on the horizontal stab.

I agree with the no Kevlar and fibreglass because to tie them (what I consider) tight enough, they can split or crack. If you must take one, use ropes not cargo straps.

[polar one]

Here I thought I was the only one ..those Kevlar canoes are slippier than a jackfish in July. and they also flex when you are flying. I always tied the seat things to the float struts separately, but like the others, dont carry them anymore.

As to the directional control..Beats me. sometimes pilots used to put the canoe to far back on the floats and that caused them some directional issues. I have never flown your type so I dont know, but generally a canoe should be well forward on the floats.

Hope this helps...Might also be wise to consider what many of us are posting about carrying Kevlar canoes...they really are slippery little rascals, and the bottoms do flew in and out in flight which might also be causing you some control issues.

[Lost Lake]

Slippery Kevlar?? I fly around 40 per year. If the canoe is positioned properly, it doesn't need to be cranked down hard. The center is wider than the tie down spots, so it is impossible for it to move. Can't put a square peg through a round hole. I don't have any flexing issues. We also fly 2 at a time. My 2 cents.

[boozy]

I'm not so sure about the canoe blanking out the rudder...maybe that's right, you tell me: If you put it on the left and you blank out (or stall) the air on the left side then probably the air on the right side will push the rudder a wee bit left for instance. So with the rudder a wee bit left you should turn left, but you don't. You go right. On the other hand though, it may be more than just blanking the air out on the rudder, it might do it on a good chunk of the rear left fuselage and may create a slight vacuum there. This vacuum on the left side would then obviously make you go right. But i don't know if I buy that.

I've been guessing at this for a while now, my guess is that the rear part of the INSIDE of the canoe actually grabs air more and since it's behind the C of G it pulls the left side of the tail to the left (which is a right turn). Might be caused by slipstream or just general airflow. Yeah I know at the end of the day none of this matters worth a &@#$, but I have nothing else to do. Also, it would still be nice to know what happened to that Quebec beaver since that thread got hijacked bad.

[999]

I think the canoe prevents a lot of the slipstream from hitting left side of A.C. As far as the type of canoe,pretty well any kind can be tied on . Two vertical ropes, one forward one back. Sinch rope between, and a good nose rope. Ive never had a problem.

[donttakeshi*]

I too was surprised by the opposite yaw than expected the first time I took a canoe. It is the propwash hitting the canoe. I also flew upwards of 40 canoes a season and 95% of them were Kevlar. Never had an issue. One rope on the bow of the canoe to the float tie down, two ropes around the body of the canoe and one more to cinch the two ropes together. We also used those ratchet straps which work quite well.

[Tinker]

Thank you for all the replys.