A good friend spends the summer in AK. This picture was taken a few days ago. To me it really captures the essence of The Beaver.

Neat photo - neat plane!

Excuse my ignorance - but what is that long wire trailing from the tail (with the bend near the end)?

Battson wrote:Neat photo - neat plane!

Excuse my ignorance - but what is that long wire trailing from the tail (with the bend near the end)?

LF radio anntenna????? Just a guess.

Rope for "ground handling" would be my guess

Tom wrote:Rope for "ground handling" would be my guess

Yup...

Gump

Nope, you can't reach it from the float, and only sometimes from the beach. It's a "safety thingie" if you fall off the float, gives you one last chance to stay with the plane (idling away).

NimpoCub wrote:Nope, you can't reach it from the float, and only sometimes from the beach. It's a "safety thingie" if you fall off the float, gives you one last chance to stay with the plane (idling away).

If you fall off the float and manage to catch the trailing rope how does that help? The plane will just drag you around until it comes to a stop somehow...you wouldn't be able to get back up on the float. And what the heck are you doing out on the float of a taxiing Beaver anyway without a competant person at the controls?

lol they use the rope to tie it to shore....i've seen fish stuck in them on the taxi but they usually fall off before take off
never heard anyone say its there to grab if you fall off the float, wonder what your suppose to do after you grab it, tie it around your neck? all the lake hood tie downs have a place to tie the tail rope to.

tail hook for carrier landings...

That line (rope is something on a coil, not yet being put to use... Sorry, the old Navy training kicked in there for a moment) is a ground handling line. Nose into a beach, pilot deplanes, and starts to turn airplane around. Most of these airplanes have handling lines on the bow cleats, on the wing tips and on the tail. Pilot works the airplane around, never letting go of one line till the other is in hand.

Once it's heeled up on a beach, the tail line is tied to a handy tree/rock/brush/anchor to keep the plane from moving while it's parked. Ready to go? Untie the tail line, climb aboard, fire it up and slide into the water.

MTV

One hates to disagree with all of you, but the tingy ma bobba hanging from the tail is simply the radio control antenna...

i think the op is talking about the long one with the bend near the end..not the short one under the tail...

When (if) I grow up I want a man's plane like that which can carry a nice aluminum boat on the struts! Heck with the canoe.
Chaz

i know guys that have flown snow machines externally........ on super cubs.....

Note the handling lines on this Beaver, tail/wings/toe cleats:



MTV