Reportedly some wooden planes almost float but not with the engine attached.
This video shows someone packing foam into the wings of an RV.
I guess legality is one aspect, but you would need to put in an awful lot to make the average ~1000kg empty weight GA plane float, even with empty tanks.
I know the creator of the video, he explained his calculations to me and I’m pretty sure it would float. However it will do so nose down. Buyoancy is not evenly distributed and the engine compartment would fill up quickly.
Older composite homebuilts structures are light and built over foam cores.
A Jodel ditched, the occupants were rescued, and it was reported still afloat next day. (Baltic?) They have a sealed wooden mainspar. Engine was still attached.
Europa should float.
Nose dips on ditching, then comes up in all videos I’ve seen.
I owned this Jodel a long time ago, a previous owner had ditched in the sea. It was recovered and restored to airworthy condition, still flying today.
Mine floats – as long as I assure that the plugs are in the hull. I understand that Bellanca Vikings (wood wing) also float. ’Super planes to fly, but I never tested on for floating!
The questions asked were:
“ Buyoancy of GA aircraft – do any float normally””,Answer: Yes a Europa definitely does float rather well. Personal experience of getting wet, plus reported other cases.
and can this be improved?”
Answer: In my opinion. Not really. Because I feel a pilot wouldn’t be able to guarantee a perfect ditching. Landing across the crest of the swell requires good timing and judgement. The norm for me nowadays is full maritime survival kit. i.e. PLB, immersion suit, life jacket, cold sea canopy life raft, etceteras.
The Europa I can’t think of a better non amphibious aircraft to land in the sea. Innately buoyant aircraft.
Hope the above helps. Fly safe.
The guy in the video was packing a lot of foam into the wings of his RV.
Never thought of this. I should consider it as I fly a lot over water. Wondering though. In my aircraft there is quite a bit of space taken up by the fuel tanks, right at the spot where you could stick foam in at the separation point between the wing and the fuselage. Also, you really don’t want to have the foam protrude (or slide into during flight) in the area where the aileron controls run..
The CAA leaflet on ditching used to have a picture of an Emeraude floating around somewhere in the Irish Sea on its front cover.
