This appears to be the new solution available soon. Gotta be better than wood. Mine look a lot like yours - including the deck bolts.

Very nice! I recommend shooting the interior of those spreaders with your favorite flavor of corrosion preventive compound. I employ the CorrosionX line and the "Heavy" is what I use in applications such as this. In an attempt to seal the spreaders, (near impossible), "sweating" caused by condensation, and its inability to gas off leads to corrosion. Corrosion control products displace moisture, no moisture, no corrosion. When in storage, open the spreader bar end covers to allow air circulation and remove all hatch covers for same reason. Removing the wood and replacing with a closed cell type of poly obviously eliminates a large moisture reservoir.

TR

Has anyone had a problem with the tips of the floats digging in on floats made in 6/1986. Did the floats undergo a change in design to avoid this problem before or after 1986? and since I just acquired a set in excellent condition, is this going to be a problem installed on a C180K-1977 model. Much heavier than the earlier 180's. thanks

wolfcreek20 wrote:Has anyone had a problem with the tips of the floats digging in on floats made in 6/1986. Did the floats undergo a change in design to avoid this problem before or after 1986? and since I just acquired a set in excellent condition, is this going to be a problem installed on a C180K-1977 model. Much heavier than the earlier 180's. thanks

I previously ran Aqua 180-85's AKA 3190's under our 180H with Kenmore up gross (approved via FA for up gross with 3190's vice the EDO 2960 as stipulated in STC). I had no issues with "dig". As for your question of "is this going to be a problem?", it depends. At some point Aqua did change the design of the keelsons from an enclosed extrusion to a simple angle (see attached photo of the latter). They also changed the length of the rear strut resulting in a change in the angle of incidence between the wing chord and the float keel. This is the parameter (along with pilot technique) that has the greatest effect on forward deceleration caused by increased wetted surface at touchdown. The other parameter is the forward upper attach fitting AKA the porkchop. Using an EDO porkchop (yes, they fit the AQUA struts just fine) also reduces the float to wing AOI resulting in less tendency to "dig" as the EDO porkchop is shorter (photo attached). Note that decreasing the AOI typically results in longer takeoff runs, but better cruise. The inverse is also true.

I suggest flying it and see how it behaves. The good news is that most behavior issues can be improved with slight modification. Terry and Helen Clagett sold Aqua and since I sold my Aqua floats, I had no need to follow up on the new owner/s. They or Helen may be helpful as far as history of modifications. Another source is Levi at PK Floats. There is a reason Aqua and PK's appear very similar.

TR

Resurrecting this thread, hoping someone here can help. Seems like this is the only group of people who have any idea about Aquas. I'm running 3190s on my early model 180 up in Alaska and I'm trying to track down the installation drawings and flight manual supplement. I think the STC has been sold to some company called Outpost X Aviation but they're unreachable, not sure how else to find details on the floats besides someone here.

Separately - For all the Aqua haters...I've been flying these floats all summer and they get the job done, roll a float out of the water when heavy and my stock wing non-pponk'd 180 leaps off the water seemingly shorter than the charts say for Edo 2960. They take big water and waves well and the flat tops are legit. I've flown Wipline and Edos and these do require some technique in relation, but overall great float and tons of storage in the float hatches right on CG. Sure beats the alternative of buying a beat up set of Edos or paying $100k for a set of Aerocets.

Huge thanks in advance to anyone who has what I'm looking for!

Cheers,
RG

The Hater's and Anecdotal stories about floats on 180s go back to the no cuff wing days.

Aquas and PK's hit a wall just below take of speed of the old no cuff wing. A cuff even better with wing X fixes that.

And any bit of extra angle of attack helps. The decrease in cruise speed is so little that it makes little difference for most of us.

Also the floats require a bit of technique that slightly varies with loads once one has it figured that out they work exceptionally well.

Yes they will Digg hard if you land them flat -- easy fix is don't land them flat.