Lotus Float Durability - your experience

I had just a few hours on 1220's (KF2 N389HW) when the 532 dropped on 1 cyl while dad was flying it. Suffice to say, 532/2 is not enough! He got wet but was ok, floats were his airbag on a flipover in the water. Insurance company got the soggy but repairable plane and floats.

Like many others, I was drawn to FL after akflyer's vids in the shallow marsh and on the sea ice.

Now I'm looking for a KF 5-7 to put 1450 (1650's?) on and plan to use it in the snow and ice.

Wondering how your all's experience (or observations) have been on the full lotus durablity, especially on moderately rough ice, crusty snow, and in cold temps (plastic bottom - step damage?)

Can you operate off of wet grass?

Can it handle (durability) the same? more? less? than a skiplane?

I have a few hours in a Kitfox 4 582 on Full Lotus 1260's and really liked them overall. They make good skis in the winter and an acceptable float in the summer. I did not like them in rough water, nor did I like the amphib gear, although I see now FL makes a better amphib float gear.

If you can live without being an amphib, and it snows where you live, the Full Lotus could be a perfect float. You could leave them on year round. I'm convinced the FL is superior to any ski I have ever flown. The plastic bottoms never freeze down, and because your skis are HUGE, you never sink down into the snow, no matter how deep it is. I would always take the FL float over a set of skis. I personally think the bottoms of both are pretty close to each other from a durability perspective, and would maybe even give a nod to the FL over a conventional modern aircraft ski. I've seen some TrickAir wheel skis get pretty messed up after hitting ice fishing holes that I don't believe would have even affected the Full Lotus floats.

However, while I really like the Full Lotus, I personally still prefer the more conventional "hard" amphib float for my needs. Traditionally the hard float will have a more substantial and practical landing gear mechanism. But it does appear the new FL amphib gear design has been significantly improved. The only thing to remember is that if you want to use the FL as a ski in the winter, the new amphib gear box opening will pack full of ice and snow, so don't try to put wheels up and down in the winter. (the old gear actually could go up and down in the snow, but it really is a rinky-dink set up as a amphib gear goes imho).

With all that said, here's my bottom line on Full Lotus; if you don't mind the look of the inflatable floats vs the hard side floats, you can live with a little less cruise speed due to increased drag of open tubes and bulbous bladders, you don't need float storage compartments, and you don't mind keeping an eye on air pressures, water between bladders and bag, etc, etc,, for the money, the Full Lotus could be a good option. However, if you are to buy the new FL amphib, I think I'd go for something more conventional, as the money is going to be similar. Of course, this is just my take on it. Maybe someone with experience with the new FL amphib will have a different take. I have no experience with the new FL amphib.

Oh, and I agree the video of the Full Lotus Kitfox in the shallow water was impressive. But in reality most any float can do that. People have flown floats on and off grass for years. So if you add a few inches of water, they'll just do that much better ;) I have friends with large float planes that land them on grass every season to switch out to wheels for the winter. But I will admit that if you were to hit rocks or stumps, the plastic bottomed Full Lotus floats are likely to handle that better than the more conventional aluminum or fiberglass floats will. But then again, you should try to avoid hitting any of that with any float. Even Full Lotus will have limits of what it can handle that way.

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I have a buddy who runs them. They are nice for where we live as you can run them up on rocky sand bars. I don't have any personal experience with them.

I can land in 5 feet of powder on mine and only sink a couple inches.they are beasts on the snow

I have a set in my Hangar for my RANS S7 if you want to just take a look at them. Hangar is in Park Rapids.

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Originally Posted by WWhunter

I have a set in my Hangar for my RANS S7 if you want to just take a look at them. Hangar is in Park Rapids.

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A neighbor! Cool. Pm'd you