I still need float-rigging info

[N213RV]

Hi Lynn,

I am building a set of 1450A's right now at 26W. I sent you an email a few weeks back regarding lessons learned from your build. I will look at the above mentioned areas, but would love to get together with you soon to get some advice from you. I can either meet you at your hangar or you can fly to 26W if you are out and about. I am on vacation all next week (Thanksgiving) except for Tuesday I have to work. I can work around your schedule. Thoughts?

Thanks

[Lynn Matteson]

Hi Mike-
I'd be glad to see you and your floats. I have your number in my cell phone, and I'll get ahold of you next week to set up a visit. If the wind ever stops around here, I'll fly over there.

By the way, I just had a flash of brilliance about how to strengthen the "problem" area in the 1150 floats, and it'll probably work on the 1450, but not sure.

To people who may be following this thread, my #2 bulkhead gave way at the top, where it is bent to form the mounting flange. In looking at the crack, it is apparent that the metal there has been "working" for some time. My idea uses a different way to mount the "fixed" end of the hydraulic cylinder. I'm thinking this method out at the present. As it is, Zenair reinforces the hell out of the back face of the bulkhead, but all this "armor" is riveted JUST to the bulkhead, and the weak point is the bend that forms the flange, and that bulkhead is only 0.025" aluminum. The reinforcing doubler is also 0.025", and another piece of 0.090" sheet is riveted to that, making the reinforcing parts 0.115" thick. But this 0.115" "thickener" is riveted to the 0.025" bulkhead such that any force applied to the rigid end of the hydraulic cylinder (read: front wheels working up and down along runway/turf) is not braced by the whole 0.140" thick sandwich ( 0.025 bulkhead, 0.025 doubler, 0.090 reinforcing material) but only by the thin 0.025" bulkhead itself. I equate this scenerio to having a wall made of 1/4" plywood (the bulkhead) with no studs, then attaching a slightly smaller in size 3/4" plywood "reinforcement" to that, then having an offensive lineman smashing into the wall....eventually the 1/4" plywood bulkhead gives way. My idea would have the wall tied into the ceiling, so that any force against the wall is spread along the ceiling.

Lynn