Looking at a set of used Lotus floats.
Apparently there is some diff in performance depending on age.
They changed the step in 1999 for improved off the water performance.
Is there any way to identify what age the floats are?
Can you tell by the color scheme?

Thanks

No the colors wont tell you anything. The change to the step was the addition of two high pressure (if you want to call 15 PSIG high pressure) air bladders right at the step to keep them from compressing. If it has the S.A.C. bladders in it there will be an aluminum plate right at the step on the top of the floats with two air valves sticking out the top. The biggest give away on old versus new is how the hull caps are attached. Are they bolted on or are they the older zip on style? The zippered hull caps are OK, but they MUST be sewn on with small binding cord. I have experienced the zipper hull cap coming loose (ripped the stitches off the zipper) on landing in a PA 12 and let me tell you, that will suck the seat right up tight!!

By getting the overal length and width of the float you can match them up to displacement size. What float are you looking at, and what plane are you planning opn putting them on?

These made in England

Tim

qmdv wrote:These made in England

Tim

Canada...

Avidflyer: These are 1260s on a 685lb Taylorcraft. I also read on the Ultrlight site where one opinion was 1260s were a little to small on Kitfox-Merlin sized planes & 1450s would be a better size?

thanks

YIKES! I had the 1260s on my Avid.. NO WAY would I put them on the Tcrate! Here is the issue. The 1260 floats were developed for pusher type planes. They have the same length from the step forward as the 1220 floats but longer tails from the step back to help float the extra weight of the engine behind you. In order to get the step of the float far enough behind the CG of the plane to be able to easily get on step at gross weight (1085# on my avid and only 950# on the kitfox that I am flying in the video on the full lotus site) you are about out of flotation on the forward half of the float. When I got mine dialed in so I could get on step easy the noses would dig in a little if you came off the power too fast when you land. I never really felt like it was going to flip me over, it is still not easy on the nerves to be shipping water over the front of the float. Also, with the longer tails on the 1260s, they like to dig the heals a bit when you go to rotate. If you put enough AOA on the wing to be able to rotate on take off without digging the heals the nose of the floats are pointed down too far in level flight so you have to run lots of up trim and your climb and cruise suffer ALOT!

The 1450 floats were developed for the kitfox / avid size planes with the nose section off the 1650 floats and the tails off the 1220s. This gives you 15 inches more float in front of the step! I have flown the 1220 and 1260 floats on the kitfox, and the 1260 floats on my avid and hands down, the 1450s are the way to go on that plane. For the tcrate I would not fly less than the 1450 and would much prefer the 1650 floats on a tcrate. I know I know, the tcrate does fine on EDO 1320s, but it is not all about the ultimate float displacement, it is the design also that will dictate where the flotation is on the float and how your plane will fly. You will have MUCH better performance on the 1450 or 1650s than you will get on the 1260. If fact, I would think the 1260 would be a bit on the dangerous side on the tcrate.

All this said, I have only done a few hundred hours of testing on the full lotus floats of various sizes on 4 different planes so you get what you pay for on the advise. I think that if you talk to Jeff at Full Lotus he would steer you away from the 1260s as much as I am trying to.

I talked to Jeff & this is the reply I recieved concerning what floats on my plane.

"Our FL1260’s do have a longer tail section that is designed for the pusher configuration aircraft, in your case it would be between the FL1220’s or the FL1450’s.

The FL1220’s are designed to carry a gross weight of 1350lbs and weigh 58lbs each

The FL1450’s are designed to carry a gross weight of 1600lbs and weigh 70lbs each

The major difference between the FL1220 and FL1450 is the fact that the front step area in the 1450 is much longer which tends to handle the rough water better, and gives you better take off performance. However with that being said the FL1220’s have been put on many aircrafts with your similar setup and work great.

Please let me know if you have any further questions."

I have hours of testing on video with various floats, planes and setups to get the optimum take off and flight performance. If you put the 1220s on the Tcraft (which has even more weight in the nose than a kitfox or avid) and get them set so they don't ship water over the noses when you come off the power on landing, you have a 98.99% chance of having a very expensive airboat that wont get on step with more than one person and half fuel (unless your have better than 100 hp). When it comes to floats, 99.99% of the time you will have better performance slightly over floated than under floated. The tcrates I have flown had much better performance (when loaded) on PK 1800s versus EDO 1320s.