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RC Plane Float Tips

Radio controlled planes typically take off and land on firm surfaces such as asphalt and grass. Adding plane floats to an RC plane gives it the added bonus of being able to traverse and safely land on water. Many experienced RC pilots make these adjustments themselves, though some planes come with floats already attached as part of the unit.

Installation
- Pilots always should set the floats parallel with one another and the plane's fuselage. Radio controlled aircraft typically use light materials that can break if users improperly align the parts.
  
  Each float should connect in at least two places to the fuselage of the aircraft and should not have any loose connections or wiggle when touched. Loose parts will cause instability in flight and might prevent safe landing.
  
  The smaller part of the float typically belongs at the nose of the craft, with the thicker portions at the rear. This creates a situation with less surface contact at the nose and allows for easier takeoff and landing.
Flight
- The addition of plane floats to an RC craft makes it much heavier in flight. This added weight provides stability but also increases the risk of dangerous crashes if the user loses control.
  
  Pilots must always pay attention to the current wind speed and direction in order to compensate for the increased weight. Planes that regularly take off from water require larger propellers to account for the drag of the water's surface.
  
  Pilots should slowly increase the elevator settings on their craft until the plane skims the surface and then lift the nose for final launch. Landing craft must always land parallel to the nearest beach.
  
  Landing parallel to nearby land surfaces ensures that the RC airplane does not have to fight any waves or wake but can ride these back to the pilot.
Maintenance
- Damaged plane floats require immediate repair or replacement. Any water that gets into the float itself will unbalance the aircraft and potentially ruin its ability to take off, fly or safely land.
  
  Pilots may repair small cracks with waterproof epoxy putties or resins, but larger areas of damage will require the replacement of the entire float unit. Floats also require careful cleaning after every flight to ensure that no mold, mildew or other foreign contaminants might compromise the craft's integrity.
  
  If a plane has detachable floats, these should be removed, stored and cleaned separately from the main craft to prevent any contamination from water-dwelling hazards.

Aviation