What is a Float Kit?

If you thought the float kit was a pair of floats, this video is for you! Mark tells you what a float kit actually consists of.
If you are coming to Placerville, consider staying at Mark's AirBnB: bit.ly/3OWxuiJ
#floatkit #airplane #pilot #cessna

[@richardblanchard5012]

I love it when you produce these detailed technical presentations. Thank you!

[@DanDan3663]

Totally agree. I never watch Skywagon U and think “I wish this was less detailed” 😅 Keep the detailed videos coming!

[@loddude5706]

Had a couple of hundred hours on a C206 ex-floatplane, by then working off a grass strip at a '90s jump centre. Most solid 206 ever, no creaking or groaning while taxiing, no 'walkabout windscreen' to spray water in your face & soak the seat after a rainstorm, - no rate of climb to write home about either! Rock solid in IMC & enough hand & toe holds to keep a gibbon fit, - loved it, trusted it. : )

[@skywagonuniversity5023]

Float kitted planes are a bit more rigid.

[@mannypuerta5086]

I’ve had my 185 (with float kit) for 23 years, instruct in Skywagons…and I learned something. Thanks.

[@skywagonuniversity5023]

Thanks.

[@cinnamanstera6388]

Wow, lots of good information. Weird random fact, the slab of metal that bolts into the forward float strut/gear mount area is often called a "Pork Chop" and can fetch a decent price on their own.

[@skywagonuniversity5023]

Very true. It's pork chop. about $800 for two.

[@blancolirio]

Thanks for posting Mark! Excellent clarifications, especially for new owners.

[@skywagonuniversity5023]

Thanks for watching, Juan Brown!

[@adrianjowett6941]

Thank you for this video. Actually laying out the structural differences and the reasoning for them was very interesting.

[@skywagonuniversity5023]

Glad it was helpful!

[@ph5915]

Wow! That was so very informative Mark, I had no idea all that was involved in a float-plane airplane! Wow!

[@skywagonuniversity5023]

Glad it was helpful!

[@dwaynemcallister7231]

Of course many early Cessna 180's were flying commercially on floats before the float kit was available they did ok but if anywhere near the coast the salty air would not be good for your bare aluminum Cessna 180 @@skywagonuniversity5023

[@zombieapocalipse2020]

Your videos are always the most anticipated. Thanks, great work.

[@skywagonuniversity5023]

Glad you like them!

[@Calvin-xp4qp]

Really good stuff explaining the differences. Thank you!

[@dwaynemcallister7231]

I was working aircraft maintenance up in the western arctic, and our boss would always buy used aircraft, but one time he bought a new one, it was a 1977 Cessna 185 with float kit. He was flying in cloud one day and hit a mountain, he was very lucky that day, he lost one Federal wheel ski and gear leg but was able to keep on flying. Long ago memory

[@skywagonuniversity5023]

Knocked it off on a mountain. How did he land?

[@dwaynemcallister7231]

He landed at Cap Parry NWT, Canada a DEW line site on the arctic coast run by the USAF to detect incoming attacks from the Soviet's. There was accommodation and food available there. It happened in 1980/81 and the DEW line closed in 1982. He damaged the propeller and a wingtip my Dad flew over with tools and a propeller repaired the landing gear to ferry the plane out. The normal Base was Inuvik 300 miles west. The Boss had more than a few crashes over the years but was a good man.

[@skywagonuniversity5023]

@@dwaynemcallister7231 People who do that kind of work will always have a few crashes.

[@dwaynemcallister7231]

Yes hard to avoid and every pilot has to deal with the risks in his own way, near the end of my Dad's career he found himself flying airplanes that had GPS onboard, he said that really took the challenge out of bush flying in the Canadian arctic. Up there compass's were unreliable and few if any VOR's existed so it was navigation by knowing the land and also NDB's, in dirty weather it really was a challenge.@@skywagonuniversity5023

[@anthonycyr9657]

Very first plane ride was in a A185F, the sound of the prop at 2850 rpm on takeoff was awesome and will forever be with me, been an airplane nut ever since.

[@skywagonuniversity5023]

2850 RPM with a long prop is a sound of joy. (if you are a pilot)

[@skywagonuniversity5023]

And not a bird sanctuary owner. ;-)

[@anthonycyr9657]

lol@@skywagonuniversity5023

[@user-kq6xf4om3l]

Great education, I had just assumed every 180/185 came with a float kit out of the factory. Thanks.

[@skywagonuniversity5023]

Glad it helped

[@jben839]

Thanks Mark, I very much enjoy the technical and knowledgeable content you produce, keep it up!

[@skywagonuniversity5023]

Thanks, will do!

[@tailwheel]

Thanks a lot Master Jedi Mark Kenobi !

[@skywagonuniversity5023]

My pleasure! The force is strong in my family.

[@bobcfi1306]

Great info. Thanks

[@paulsautocm]

A lot of shared knowledge, looks great.

[@Kramskybmw]

Thanks for the content, always a pleasure to see your videos!!😉

[@CatarineausArmory]

Thanks for the info sir.

[@arklaskanadventures]

I don’t know how you remember all that but thank you! Keep it up! Great job!

[@skywagonuniversity5023]

Me neither

[@juliojames5986]

Phew ! Super explanation. 👍🏻

[@foesfly3047]

I have zero interest in any Cessna model (except the TTX/Columbia) or float planes but your incredible breadth of knowledge makes every subject interesting. Thank you ♠️

[@skywagonuniversity5023]

Glad you like them!

[@todds3388]

Great video, love deep dives like this

[@skywagonuniversity5023]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@pto200]

Thanks for the detailed information. Always enjoyable.

[@skywagonuniversity5023]

Thanks for watching!

[@sey1yes2]

OK! You qualify for the term "university". Just a wonderful presentation of a catalogue of facts...some of which I will even probably remember! (even though I have absolutely no use for this information whatsoever! 🙂)

[@skywagonuniversity5023]

Wow, thank you!

[@JohnDoe-we9yk]

Tks Mark....so much detailed information

[@skywagonuniversity5023]

You are welcome.

[@davidmojonnier1034]

Excellent Mark Thanks

[@skywagonuniversity5023]

Very welcome

[@erniekelly2479]

Wow. Thanks.

[@skywagonuniversity5023]

Welcome.

[@Reuben-]

What a great deep dive into this aircraft, I enjoyed all of it! I think my favorite nugget was about the exhaust pipe being shaped the way it is. That was pretty cool to learn about.

[@skywagonuniversity5023]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@rauldiaz5315]

Great info! I really like the technical stuff.

[@skywagonuniversity5023]

Glad to hear it!

[@ronstowe8898]

Very good . Great technical details.

[@skywagonuniversity5023]

Yeah, I got into it a bit on that one. ;-)

[@priceyA320]

Flew 206s in the Ozzy outback in my youth. All had the windscreen brace which was handy to hang onto while adjusting seat etc. One had actually been on floats so had the big rudder. Nice in a strong crosswind.

[@skywagonuniversity5023]

The big rudders can actually bend a bit if abused.

[@ADAPTATION7]

Now I know what they mean by ''float kit''. Quite elaborate when you think about it.

[@habk8574]

Superb explanation, always 👍

[@skywagonuniversity5023]

Thank you.

[@aviation3530]

Your knowledge is amazing. Actually makes me laugh a little.

[@skywagonuniversity5023]

It makes me laugh too what comes out after all these years.

[@maxfox3399]

Great. Informative and interesting!. ( Beats the crap out of woodwork!!)

[@skywagonuniversity5023]

Both.

[@johngjacobi]

Wow. Encyclopedia! So much info

[@skywagonuniversity5023]

Glad you think so!

[@musoseven8218]

Another fascinating video, every day is a school day 👍😊💜👍 I live a long way inland and yesterday, a Cessna Amphibious (darn sure it wasn't just a float 'plane), overflew the house, you could have knocked me over with a feather! We do have some wealthy homes around lakes nearby - maybe he was going there, but those lakes are quite small🤔

[@skywagonuniversity5023]

They can land way shorter than they can take-off.

[@musoseven8218]

@@skywagonuniversity5023 😄😄 yeah I know, hope our local fella knows that too😲😄😄 My dad has had several Cessna's any pilot can get em into a strip (or lake), takes an aviator or trailer to get them out again 😲😄🤣👍✌️ My dad was a good short strip/field soft strip aviator btw😉😉👍

[@flysport_tedder]

didn't know about all these extras. I thought a float kit was .. floats. and airbnb!

[@skywagonuniversity5023]

A float kit a pretty involved thing for sure.

[@deanmitchell8473]

Enjoy all of your content. Looking for a wine barrel now lots of whiskey barrels here but wine not so many. 🥂

[@skywagonuniversity5023]

Whiskey works just the same.

[@loddude5706]

Only one fault with whiskey barrel chairs, after a couple of hours of supreme comfort, your bum will likely fail a roadside breath test . . . so clench a mint when driving : )

[@CatarineausArmory]

That was a lot of detail on the fuel tanks and the 1 cap vs. 2 cap yet I did not catch why the float kit had the extra cap for the same tank. Thanks.

[@skywagonuniversity5023]

So that you can reach the tank when it is on floats and the wing is out over the water. Use the inner so that you do not fall in the water.

[@CatarineausArmory]

@@skywagonuniversity5023 Thank you sir.

[@FlyingNDriving]

Always be careful when the plane tells you it's it's first time on floats. Count the holes gentleman!

[@skywagonuniversity5023]

Yes, Four means it's been on floats and two means that it hasn't.

[@embreeja]

This might sound picky and stupid, but have you ever considered painting your hanger door? No need to reply, just an observation. The info on floats was quite good!

[@skywagonuniversity5023]

We did paint it. That is how it came out, and it is a county hangar, and it is rented. So the sun beats on the outside and super-heats the metal so that the paint dries up and falls off, so we didn't do it again.

[@philbrammer3632]

Some time back you had a video defining such structural provisions for taking floats as..float provisions, figuring the term "float kit" was logically for the actual floats, which made sense. But, what it's called is what they call it.. Guess its a bit like aluminium vs aluminum

[@skywagonuniversity5023]

The term "Float Provisions" was instead of "Float Kit" on the new 206's because of all the confusion prior to that.

[@lancasternational2949]

For a guy in the bx, and with a float rating (rag wings), this was very very useful. Am now considering a 182 on floats and would really like to know how much of this applies to Skylanes. Thinking 550, sportsman or Peterson. When I talked to Peterson he said he didn't know much about floats on his a/c.

[@skywagonuniversity5023]

Skylanes (182's) never had a "float kit" but some float manufacturers made floats that could go on 182's specifically. This was due to the popularity of the float flying and the lack of 180's and 185's, and the wider cabin of the 182, (but they do have electric flaps)

[@FlightSimDude]

👍

[@anthonyrstrawbridge]

Well of information; not so easily obtainable. I suspect that the firewall includes a strengthened or doubled stainless reinforcement and likely the gascolator has additional part's and the POH maybe is titled Float Plane. This cache of details is more valuable than gold. Thank you Mark. * Probably the propeller is specified differently?

[@skywagonuniversity5023]

Float kitted 180 K's have 90 inch two bladed props. Longer because of the reduced RPM on the U engine in them.

[@davidspeyers5740]

What about the lower dorsal fins that I see on float 180s and 206s?

[@skywagonuniversity5023]

Mostly on 206's, mid seventies. Not 185's.

[@ryanhenry3160]

What do you think about adding floats to a 162? think it has enough rudder authority and ventral stability with the added area?

[@skywagonuniversity5023]

I do not think that 162's were ever sold with a float kit.

[@ryanhenry3160]

Definitely didn’t but can add floats to any LSA if you convert to Elsa.

[@larrystruck1908]

Did I understand you correctly? 80% of all 180/185’s have factory float kits installed?

[@skywagonuniversity5023]

Yes, roughly 80% of the three window 180's and all the 185's. 1963 180's and newer, the ones with the 185 airframe.

[@woodsensaunders]

What about the skin doubler between the gearboxes on the belly?

[@skywagonuniversity5023]

Could be part of it. I think they all have that though.

[@jrbergsten]

Nevermind all that. Where’s Dana?

[@TomasAWalker53]

Did you paint your MG green?

[@skywagonuniversity5023]

No, It came like that. It's a 76. It's for sale.

[@TomasAWalker53]

@@skywagonuniversity5023 - So soon⁉️🤔😳

[@dcannon1]

A VF-51 F-185

[@skywagonuniversity5023]

I'm not sure what this means.

[@dcannon1]

@@skywagonuniversity5023 The tail code and paint: en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/VF-51

[@adrianjowett6941]

Now, at the high risk of displaying ignorance, why has the 1986 WAG AERO J-3 CUB REPLICA on trade a plane hung around so long? Worries about the fabric/limited range/useful load.... or simply the price?

[@skywagonuniversity5023]

I'm not sure what you are asking here.

[@adrianjowett6941]

It was just a general question for all watchers of this channel. It is, along the theme of this video, a float aeroplane, but one that has been listed for over 12 months. As an aircraft dealer, I wouldn't expect you to comment directly, as that would probably be unprofessional. I was just curious if anyone had a view as to why it hasn't moved for what seems quite along time.@@skywagonuniversity5023

[@DWBurns]

New company plane?

[@skywagonuniversity5023]

I wish.

[@DWBurns]

I think you need it.