Cubcrafters has started delivering Aerocet's Model 1500 amphibious floats for its popular Carbon Cub series of airplanes. For under $50,000 you too can enjoy flying in and out of lakes and ocean inlets. The carbon fiber floats are available for the factory produced Carbon Cub SS and Sport Cub S2 LSAs, and the experimental Carbon Cub EX, all of which share the same fuselage design.
In addition to water, the amphibious floats allow for landings on unimproved surfaces through its oleo shock system, which features trailing link gear. The gear is retracted through a dual-action hydraulic hand pump.
The floats add 245 lbs to the empty weight of the airplanes. As a result, the SS and S2 will have a useful load of 280 lbs with the floats installed due to the 1,430-lb amphibious LSA weight limit. As the experimental version of the Carbon Cub, which is not limited by the LSA limits, it will have a 700-lb useful load with a significantly greater gross weight of 1,865 lbs.
While no performance figures are available in flight, John Whitish said the cruise speeds of the float-equipped Carbon Cub is about the same or slightly faster as one with 26-inch tundra tires.
Ground handling with the new floats appears to be satisfactory, to say the least. Scot Warren, the principal at Warren Aircraft, reported back to Cubcrafters after trying out the AErocets on his Carbon Cub. "The Aerocets are very solid and user friendly,” Warren said. "Getting on step is a non-issue except you are almost flying before you get there. No real tendency to porpoise. Outside float stays high and does not seem to want to bury during plow turns.”
The cost for the floats themselves is $42,990. Cubcrafters will install the Aerocets for a total cost of $49,990.
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