FoamFloats.com submission for the Wattage Crazy Max

Submitted by: David Steere

Crazy Max with 19" Hollow Floats

The floats were covered with low temperature Tower Hobbies Econokote. Hardpoints were 2" pieces of 1/32" plywood, centered 5 1/2" back from the float front end and 4 3/8" forward of the float rear end. These hard points were epoxied to the floats after first removing the covering material underneath. Oriented laterally at the center of each hard point were 1/2" sections of 1/8" ID aluminum tubing, epoxied onto the plywood and into which 1/8" carbon fiber spreader rod ends were fitted, sizing them to provide 8 1/2" lateral separation of the float centerlines.

The rear struts were made from 1/16" music wire, fitted into sections of matching ID brass tubing epoxied to 2" hard points of 1/32" plywood epoxied to each side of the fuselage near the location of the wing trailing edge. These large hard points facilitated attachment of the rear struts to the fuselage and also reinforced the fuselage where previous flying had shown a tendency for the foam fuselage to buckle. The rear strut length was sized to give roughly one degree of positive wing incidence, relative to the top surface of the floats. The plane's existing landing gear was used for the floats' front struts, noting that this landing gear had already been reinforced for land use with diagonal lengths of carbon fiber rod. The strut ends were fastened to the spreader rods by pairs of tightly knotted loops of heavy waxed twine, whose knots were secured with CA glue. This method, although casual looking, is easy to install, strong, lightweight, and easy to remove when needed. The floats were positioned fore-aft such that their steps were 3/4" rearward of the model's CG, and when so located, did not change the CG of the model, thus eliminating any need for balance weights on the floats. However, the rear tips of the floats are slightly submerged when the model is at rest on the water, and other builders might want to experiment with locating the floats more to the rear of the model. The floats and struts added about two ounces to the weight of the model.

The model's light weight and lack of a water rudder make maneuvering on the water a little tricky in any prevailing wind, but it can be done by short bursts of full power taxiing with full rudder deflection. Takeoff's are easy, taking about 30' and the model remains capable of most of the aerobatics that distinguish its land version's performance. No problems landing it, either. Overall, the float-equipped Crazy Max has a high "cute factor" and is lots of fun to fly.