Seaplanes West Inc.

Floats

We build float kits for 30 years of 182 airframes
1956 thru 1986

We've tested and certified all 3 major brands of floats on the Cessna 182 airframe. We have put them thru the tests, and exceeded all requirements for certification, and done with a basic and original 0-470 engine and original 82" 2 blade prop.

Aerocet: (Click Here for more info on Aerocet Floats)

Aerocet 3500L

Aerocet 3500 or 3500L straight floats - Totally all-composite design, very good performance on water and in the air. Excellent track record as they were first manufactured in the early 1990s.

State-of-the-art!

No Maintenance	No Leaks
No Rivets	Dual Entry steps
Flat, non-slip Tops	Large Lockers
Always clean & impressive	Good factory support

Our customers by far have made this the float of choice for a Cessna 182.

With Installation Hardware For Cessna 180, 182, 185 (Seaplanes West modifications required to the airframe for 182 installations)

$36,000.00 USD

Aerocet 3400 Amphibious

Aerocet 3400 Amphib floats - For pilots that need that wheel advantage, these floats were just developed and STC'd on the 180, 182 and 185. Totally new, same hull design as the straight 3500L float. As with everything in aviation, there is a trade-off as amphibious floats do weigh more (add about 190 lbs). Our flight testing proved that the Aerocets perform equally as well as the straights ... WOW

no change to water runs vs straights
no change in airspeeds vs straights

This is actually unheardof in the amphib market. The new Aerocet models are all hydraulic actuation, which most float manufacturers have now gone to.

Aerocet 3400 Amphibs

With Installation Hardware For Cessna 180, 185	$74,500.00
Vinyl Custom Color Striping	$400.00
Custom painted-on stripes to match your paint scheme	$750.00
Double Step Arrangement [180 & 185 only] Dual steps are included in the 182 conversion.	Included
Water Rudder Retract Handle (Included for a 182)	Included
Floorboards [Set of four]	$200.00

Order Aerocet floats thru Seaplanes West Inc. These are all USD costs.
All Aerocet floats are F.O.B. the factory in Priest River, Idaho

Check the Aerocet website for additional float information: www.aerocet.com

EDO Floats:

EDO floats have not been in production for quite some time. They are all aluminum construction. There are many out there in the used market. Most floatplane pilots have flown their share of EDOs, and they are a good float. We have an STC that approves them for installation on our 182 floatplane conversion. EDO 2870 floats - Fairly common float for the Cessna 180 and some 185s. These are an economical approach to float flying for the Cessna 182 conversion and our STC covers the EDO 249-2870 and EDO 249A-2870. The extrusion type strut, and deck fittings from these used models we use on the 182. We are able to re-machine some of the old struts and hardware for the 182, new pork-chops for the 182 are supplied, new entrance steps, a new diagonal strut is supplied. We can also provide new all the attaching struts and hardware for these 56 – 61 models. The earlier 249-2870 (without the “A”) floats utilize swivel connections at the float deck and lighter strut material. These parts we cannot use in our conversion.

EDO 2960 floats - These floats were just an extended version of the 249A-2870 float. They are 18” longer out the rear. I’m told these floats were developed to receive a higher buoyancy rating needed for the Cessna 185. During 182 flight testing these floats performed well except they do require extra speeds on the water before the aircraft will rotate

Wipaire:

Wipline 3000 Floats.

Although not the float of choice for a Cessna 182 conversion, they are available.

Our float kit offers these 3000 floats to be installed in a structured 4-point attach fashion, and does not attach through a weak nose gear fitting. Our same airframe kit is used to install all EDO, Aerocet and Wipline floats. Wipline floats are now available for the early 1962 & up airframes and continues thru 1986 R models. 182 S & T models use the Wipline "3 point" attach system and are not supported through our float kit - contact Wipline directly for these models.

Wipline 3000 Straight float. Included is all the attaching gear for your airframe.

Price: $36,500. USD

Wipline 3000 Amphibious floats are same design as the 3000 straights. These floats are provided with all electrical and hydraulics for our 182 installation.

Price: $72,500 USD

Order 3000 floats for the 182 thru Seaplanes West for the approved STC paperwork. All Wipline floats are F.O.B. the factory in Minnesota.

Check the Wipaire website for additional float information: www.wipaire.com

Aluminum vs Fiberglass DVD

We've all seen or heard about the comparison Wipaire published about the aluminum vs composite floats DVD. We feel it did very little to compare the two styles as it was a "GM vs FORD" comparison. The two types have their basic design features which is all good.

Our Take: The whole development of the DVD, especially since it was narrated/funded by only Wipaire themselves is a bit comical to say the least. No input from the "other side". Bob (the owner of Wipaire) narrates it himself as to have gone to great lengths to "prove" that the 2 test aircraft are identical and the tests are without flaw or any favoritism.

Weight is probably the largest factor when comparing floats. Perhaps Bob just overlooked why the Wipline floats had zero steps in the weighing procedure, and the Aerocets had four steps not removed. This was quite obvious while viewing but perhaps was just maybe a slight oversite by the Wipaire support staff? It begs the viewer to just have a camera "peek" into the float compartments ... for whatever else could be in there?

Aerocet has done their deligence and advertises that fiberglass can absorb up to a total of 1.7% in weight. This equates to 6 pounds for the whole assembly - in which not the while float is below the water line, and also sheds this weight once out of the water.

You've heard the old adage of aluminum in the water ... it will always corrode and yes it will, and when they leak ... well it's got something to do with thousands of holes had to be drilled, and plugged with "aluminum" rivets ... and the sorry consumer scrambles every season to keep everything at and under the water line from leaking. But sure, they are great when they are new ... hey, I didn't see anything about that aspect in the film, or the ugly dock rash ALL aluminum floats have. Composite floats almost completely maintenance free, which is huge in maintenance costs savings and needs some large attention in a non-partisan video.

We, at Seaplanes West have developed a float conversion kit for the Cessna 182 and we support the installation of Aerocet, EDO and Wipline floats. We did this to accomodate all customers wanting the various floats, and we have completed all engineering, static tests, flight tests, and all requirements needed to achieve for the STC process and we obtained these approvals.

So ... why didn't WE do the DVD? Yes, we were invited, but declined for obvious reasons. Not simply because the performance and other various factors didn't amount to spending any energy comparing the two, actually we valued it as a negative for the floatplane community. Composite floats started our business and made the Cessna 182 a very viable floatplane in the market. It was the perfomance and support of Aerocet floats that gave us this lead. I guess one could support that claim by looking at the efforts Wipline has gone thru, to do this comparison of the Cessna 182.

Apparently Wipaire will send you a copy of the DVD ... if anyone wants one.

It's my opinion,

Jim