Good afternoon All,

This is namely a question for those flying PA-18 Replicas with Clamar Floats. What is everyone's general consensus on the amphib floats? I've been reading the forums and as always they are back and forth on the matter. Just looking for remarks and reasons why folks like or dislike them.

Thanks,

JH

The first person to tell my bro Jeremy here to go ask on sc.org will get banned for 120 days.

Hey JH, there is a website you can go to, superc….. never mind

Schwarz wrote:Hey JH, there is a website you can go to, superc….. never mind

Straight to jail

You have an alternative "option" in your quest for knowledge.

I spoke with an acquaintance who has a Cub on Clamar amphibs, he's happy with them with no significant issues to report.

I have some time on Clamars and experimantal PA-18. The one I flew was an early version and it had some nosewheel shimmy issues. I believe they rectified that with a kit and in newer production. They perform just fine on and off the water.

I've flown a few Carbon Cubs on Claymar 2130 amphibs. They are ok. If I had to pick a float for the 2000 ish gross weight cubs today, it would be a PK amphib. I've only flown one example of those, but it was very nice and the owner who has had multiple different float cubs over the years loves it.

Wips are nice, on heavier airplanes, they fit the XCub with 215 horsepower and C.S. prop much better than the lighter Carbon Cubs, even the FX3 186 hp w/ C.S. prop.

The Clamars just don't quite have the fully engineered feel to them, things squeak, nosewheels shimmy if not adjusted just right. Little things.

BRD wrote:I have some time on Clamars and experimantal PA-18. The one I flew was an early version and it had some nosewheel shimmy issues. I believe they rectified that with a kit and in newer production. They perform just fine on and off the water.

Interesting position of the front wheels in that second image.....both pointed exactly the same.....sideways. Do they have centering mechanism in the struts in the down position?

mtv wrote:

BRD wrote:I have some time on Clamars and experimantal PA-18. The one I flew was an early version and it had some nosewheel shimmy issues. I believe they rectified that with a kit and in newer production. They perform just fine on and off the water.

Interesting position of the front wheels in that second image.....both pointed exactly the same.....sideways. Do they have centering mechanism in the struts in the down position?

Good eye!

mtv wrote:
Interesting position of the front wheels in that second image.....both pointed exactly the same.....sideways. Do they have centering mechanism in the struts in the down position?

None of the one's I've flown have any centering with the nosewheels, they freely castor around 360 degrees. I've seen this before, where the wheels are angles sideways if you are beached with the gear up and push it off to turn it around, the tires can be pushed sideways and will stay that way. You need the bolt the fork pivots on pretty tight to prevent nosewheel shimmy in my experience. Having them angled in flight doesn't seem to cause any issues.

I'm more concerned about them being aligned at touchdown on a hard surface.