Wed Jul 02, 2025 11:38 am
I have flown the Wip 2100s on a couple of airplanes, one of which was a 180 hp Cessna 170.
First, as with ANY amphibious floats, do some math involving your empty weight vs legal gross weight. A light 170 effectively becomes a two place airplane, at best. Amphibs (all of them) are heavy.
The Wips are good stout floats, and they perform well. As 8GCBC noted, ALL amphibiouis floats demand a good bit more maintenance attention, like frequent wheel bearing service, though I understand that there are now sealed wheel bearings for some floats......
Perfomrance is very good. The design of these floats is the same as their straight float of the same size, and performance is similar, with the caveat that on the same plane, amphibs will lose some performance due to weight difference, everything else equal.
And, yes, Wipaire is a true class outfit. Everyone I've ever dealt with there are simply great to work with, I"ve never had any complaints, and I've known many of the folks who work there, including the Wiplingers.
I'm not sure what the alternatives are these days, though I believe PK Floats makes a similar size amphibious float. I've flown those on a Husky, and they too are great floats. I do not know if they have an STC for the 170, however. Those folks are also great to work with.
The 170 on floats benefits from a ventral fin, in my experience....just not as much directional stability as one might prefer. But, that's easy to deal with.
If I were in the market for a set of amphibs for a 170, Wipline would be my first stop.
MTV