I also installed the splash Guard on a Classic Searey. Gets up on the step much quicker , 2-3 seconds faster. Also protects the tail from water damage. Good investment
The maximum hydraulic pressure point would be the point where the wheel is in the path of the water at the highest speed of the plane. At slow speeds, the wheel is completely in the water and at high speed, it isn’t. Somewhere in that middle it is in the water and you’re still going fast. Normal operations the wheel assembly can take but throw in a boat wave that you may have missed and it will hit the tail wheel really hard. There are almost always boats around where I fly but not in this video. Boat waves can make things really ugly! Some seaplane pilots won’t fly on weekends because it is just too dangerous. Unfortunately, I’m still a working stiff so don’t have that option and usually fly early or very late.
Also , can you please share your take off technique ? I’ve been having some issues with porpoising starting early on in the takeoff that can usually be arrested by up elevator . I had a forward CG situation where it was uncontrollable and I had to reject . I noticed that you started power application with no up elevator .
Probably bad for me to not have full elevator on takeoff but I think I’ve relaxed a bit on starting roll but as soon as the plane gets out of the water I slam the stick back full and that arrests any oscillation that occurs so it is smooth after that. I can assure you though that if I don’t get that stick back in time, the plane will oscillate/porpoise. I can’t remember for sure but I think I have rejected some takeoffs and it is usually a wave that I thought I could handle and quickly realized I couldn’t and did the same thing. I have become more selective on my days I land on water.
I also installed the splash Guard on a Classic Searey.
Gets up on the step much quicker , 2-3 seconds faster.
Also protects the tail from water damage.
Good investment
Hi Jamie . Thanks for the video . What do you mean by “max pressure “ ?
The maximum hydraulic pressure point would be the point where the wheel is in the path of the water at the highest speed of the plane. At slow speeds, the wheel is completely in the water and at high speed, it isn’t. Somewhere in that middle it is in the water and you’re still going fast. Normal operations the wheel assembly can take but throw in a boat wave that you may have missed and it will hit the tail wheel really hard. There are almost always boats around where I fly but not in this video. Boat waves can make things really ugly! Some seaplane pilots won’t fly on weekends because it is just too dangerous. Unfortunately, I’m still a working stiff so don’t have that option and usually fly early or very late.
Also , can you please share your take off technique ? I’ve been having some issues with porpoising starting early on in the takeoff that can usually be arrested by up elevator . I had a forward CG situation where it was uncontrollable and I had to reject . I noticed that you started power application with no up elevator .
Probably bad for me to not have full elevator on takeoff but I think I’ve relaxed a bit on starting roll but as soon as the plane gets out of the water I slam the stick back full and that arrests any oscillation that occurs so it is smooth after that. I can assure you though that if I don’t get that stick back in time, the plane will oscillate/porpoise. I can’t remember for sure but I think I have rejected some takeoffs and it is usually a wave that I thought I could handle and quickly realized I couldn’t and did the same thing. I have become more selective on my days I land on water.