Help me finish my Full Lotus install

[jsimmo97]

Team Kitfox.... I have a Kitfox IV-1050 BH582 and I have spent part of my summer installing a set of Full Lotus 1220s. I bought the floats used from a guy in Dallas, Tx and the strut mount kit directly from Full Lotus. I have the floats completely mounted on the airplane but I am still a bit uneasy with my knowledge on the install (i.e. I have zero experience).

Additionally I had a shift of job responsibility that is killing my airplane building time as of late.

That being said I would like to find someone that can inspect what I have done, finish up the remainder (rudder install) and support cables, test fly, tweak and then provide me with the necessary transition training. I will trailer the airplane to them.

Not much to ask.... anyone out there have suggestions. I just want to ensure my bird is ready for the water and I am ready for my bird.

~Jason
Austin, Tx

[SkyPirate]

I can tell you what I have done prior to flying a plane once I put floats on it,.

1st : a new weight and balance,..make sure your in the envelope and still better fore then aft of that envelope

2nd : I float tested her and cycled the retract system if I had one,..mine did so I cycled it,..reason for this is transition from rolling on ground into the water I wanted to make sure that the forces involved didnt cause the gear to hang up in any way,.

3rd: I taxied her to get her up on step,..if it wouldn't get on step ,..I'd checked the angle of attack of the float in relation to the wing,..I made my own float attachments ,..it wasn't a factory set up so if she didnt get on step,..(which she did) I knew it had to be in my set up.

4:th ,..if you have never flown floats ,..don't fly your plane until you have flown floats with a qualified CFI with float rating,..it's not the take off where your most likely to mess up ,..it's the landing,..


Chase