The best 206 floats?

[tiny]

Which floats are best? What makes you think so?

[Rowdy]

I flew on the bigger wiplines (3700s??) and they were quite nice, albeit heavy. I've also flown the 185 on the 206 edos (3430s) and I quite liked them too. The flat tops are great (especially after you come off the small rounded top edos) for loading etc. However my time in the 206 on floats is limited..

[Slats]

I abstain.
Mom always said, "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all."

[fougner]

.

[North Shore]

Ahhh, none? The best floats for a 206, are black and round and generally better known as wheels. If you want a bigger floatplane than a 185, then get a Beaver..

[fougner]

.

[Blue Side Down]

Flew a 2x6 with 3430's for a season. Had the Robertson kit I think... whatever the drooping ailerons are anyways. Never had a hard time with it. It needed a little more taxiing time on some days, but I never thought 'I wish this things could ... ... better'. Fly it for what it is and it'll do just fine.

[Lost Lake]

I flew for an operator in the high arctic who swore by the whips on the 206. Even had the cheek to say it could fly as much as a beaver. (Inferiority complex). Never had the bad luck to drive one. Other than that, I like 4930's on DHC-2's.

[Rowdy]

Pretty sure it boils down to this.. if you're trying to fly it like a 185.. or a beaver, you're gonna hate it. Same power as the 185, but with way more room to cram shit in it, goofy doors for a floatplane and those damn electric flaps. Also remember that it was not designed as a float plane, that was an afterthought.

But this is still about which floats. Whats the intended use? where is it going to be operated? lakes and rivers? Coastlines? ocean swells? Is the machine going to be kitted out or box stock ? Whats the price comparison between all those options? Commercial or private?

Ask 100 pilots and you'll get 90 different answers...

[iflyforpie]

Ahhh, none? The best floats for a 206, are black and round and generally better known as wheels. If you want a bigger floatplane than a 185, then get a Beaver..

[tiny]

I know, the best 206 gear is 26" mains and a landis nose fork with an 8.50 tire, but since I need a float plane, and cann't afford a second plane...Thus arrises the question of best floats. In this case its commercial and rivers and lakes, some with no dock. No ocean swells.

[208Drvr]

did a summer on the edo 3430's, they handled everything i could throw at them. was doing lots of lake and river work in northern ontario.

[Redneck_pilot86]

I'd second the EDO 3430, or the aerocet 3500 (same float but fibreglass, doesn't leak unless you break it) but I would also second the leaving it on wheels. Its a decent plane if you load it properly, nothing to write home about, but decent. The tendency is too load it too far aft and then it takes forever to get on step, if at all. Not sure if its an option with the EDO, but the Aerocet has hatches in the float that help bring the C of G forward some. Plus, you can use the same floats on a 185 (different attachment) if you ever want to upgrade.

[Hornblower]

The wips are nice when new, and good for the private owner, but I don't like them for steady hard use. The flat sides tend to get oil-canned after banging around the dock/tires for a few years (then they look like shit). I've also seen them start to leak at the glued seams after a few years of hard use.

I'd go for either the wips or the EDOs , but for rough use the EDOs stand up better.

[DHCdriver]

3430's would be my choice. I also have to agree if you need larger than a buck 85 get a beaver. I flew a set of Pk's on a 185 and hated them. Just my thought. Happy flying.

[wingsnorth]

Aerocet 3500's are the cats meow. A 206 done up with an upper inducted I0-550, wing tip extentions and 3500's will easily outperform a stock 185. The only better performing float on a 206 would be Wipline 4000's.

[supercub7]

Aerocet 3500's are the cats meow. A 206 done up with an upper inducted I0-550, wing tip extentions and 3500's will easily outperform a stock 185. The only better performing float on a 206 would be Wipline 4000's.

Adding the allison turbine would also increase the performance.

[Slats]

Aerocet 3500's are the cats meow. A 206 done up with an upper inducted I0-550, wing tip extentions and 3500's will easily outperform a stock 185.

Having experience with a couple 206's done up exactly as such and multiple 185's, I'd have to strongly disagree with that statement.

[DHCdriver]

Aerocet 3500's are the cats meow. A 206 done up with an upper inducted I0-550, wing tip extentions and 3500's will easily outperform a stock 185.

I'll have disagree with the quote also, as I have flown both. And would pick a 185 over the two.

[Caracrane]

I support the 2 previous statements. Was excited to fly the 206 mainly because easyier to load bigger stuff but have to say that No 206 fitted with extensions, Robertson etc... can't beat a 185, operated the 2 in the same environment and !!!

[Caracrane]

Bel Air Laurentien Aviation Inc. could give you some good advises on your float choice for your 206.

[wingsnorth]

Well I guess you guys know better Ive only got 3800hrs in various 206's and just under 2000 in 185's....A done up 206 with the same load as a 185 and a 185 will get downed everytime. Ive seen it time and time again. Im not speculating or trying to remember the difference here, Ive seen them head go head to head more than once....Believe what you will though. Never got to fly the allison on a done up 206 though that would be a sweet machine.

[Redneck_pilot86]

In my experience, a 185 will carry a 206 load better than a 206.

[Slats]

Well I guess you guys know better Ive only got 3800hrs in various 206's and just under 2000 in 185's....A done up 206 with the same load as a 185 and a 185 will get downed everytime.

Only a matter of time until the resumes came out.

I'm assuming when you say "same load as a 185" you're considering a legal stock 185 load which (it's been a while for me, but I seem to remember 3320) I believe would put a "done up" 206 (3800) at roughly 480 pounds UNDER GROSS.

In my experience, I found that if there was any advantage to be had by a "done up" 206 it was when it was empty. I'll admit, when empty, the ones I flew were off the water in short order. However, in my humble opinion, once they were maxed out in weight, they turned into water loving hogs. Comparing heavily modified 206's with stock 185's isn't really a fair comparison, but one that I still feel the 185 comes away from very well. I think most bush pilots would agree that a stock 185 is the better airframe to start with in terms of performance. Perhaps we should compare "done up" 206's with "done up" 185's, although I think the 206 would fair poorly. I'll admit I've never done or seen a side by side 185/206 takeoff but I have seen (on multiple occasions) a modified 206 attempt a max gross takeoff on a warm day and stick it, and 5 minutes later a max gross stock 185 depart with little difficulty. I have been a part of a side by side 185 stock engine, modified wings, 3 blade (which is probably a strike against) vs. stock Beaver with Ag prop takeoff comparison and the 185 surprised the hell out of me, getting airborne very shortly after the Beaver.

Opinions on 185 vs. 206 are like a-holes....every float pilot has one. Personally, I like a 185. If you like a 206 that's great. But for me, if I never fly one again, I'll be a happy float pilot. In the end it's all silly anyways....we'd all prefer to fly a Beaver.

[wingsnorth]

I knew youd have something to say there Slats. Its always the guy who's still shitting mustard that has something to say...lol. (jk) No really though like I said believe what you want I'm only stating my experience...... and the hours quoted are hardly my resume.