PK 3500 on a 185

[cory_trevor]

Wondering if anyone has used these floats on a Cessna 185 and what your opinion of them is. Any input would be nice.

[hydraulic fluid]

garbage....

[black hole]

Thats my choice: flat top, lots of flotation, deep keel for rough water, good dead-rise from step to tail (works good with STOL kit) easy to fix.


BH

[brokenwing]

I have flown pk's (not 3500's tho) and didnt like them. The best float for the 185 is the edo 3430. Allthough, if i was a private guy, i would probly go with cap 3000 d or e's for the extra speed and good water handling. Thats my 10 cents. I have never flown whips, so i can't really comment on them

[Hornblower]

I flew and maintained one, and like Blackhole said, they're a strong float and easy to work on, but there is no other straight float that has a more detrimental effect on the take-off performance of what is Cessna's best performing single. The one I flew had an R-STOL and was still piggy. The owner has since installed the ART wing extensions, and apparently that has helped a lot, however I have not flown it since, so that info is anecdotal (from a reliable experienced source however).

I used to work on a 206 with the PK 3500 amphibs. That thing was the worst performing float plane I ever saw, although I never flew it myself. A fully loaded 747 could get off shorter, ... I shit you not.

[hydraulic fluid]

The caps are good floats as long as you are not at gross on a hot calm day,fast in the air,good in rough water.Pks are a solid float but add alot of distance to the take of run.Edo 2960's are a good all around float if you do not need flat tops.3430 are the best float out there,other than areocets(been flying floats for a living since 1982)

[angry inch]

Just one more opinion.... I loved the PeeKay 3500's & thought the EDO 3430's were not that great. Hard to beat the EDO 2960's in rough water & the airplane performance you get with the 2960's is excellent...

[tcraft]

Just one more opinion.... I loved the PeeKay 3500's & thought the EDO 3430's were not that great. Hard to beat the EDO 2960's in rough water & the airplane performance you get with the 2960's is excellent...

I can`t disagree more, the 3430`s are by far the best, the 2960`s are faster but don`t handle rough water as well as the 3430`s. But having said that, the 2960`s are a good all around float,a lot of 180`s, 185`s are on them. The Pk 3500 are as stated earlier are not even close.

[GreenStar]

cory_trevor,

I asked this same question on here over a year ago and got a lot of good answers. Also did a lot of inquiring elsewhere over the years. The 3430's seemed to be the ones most recommended. After looking for good used 3430's and not liking the prices or condition, I ended up with new 3500L Aerocets (there were no used one at the time). They are of the same design as the 3430's, but are a composite material. All the reviews on these floats were positive. I got them at the end of last summer, so only had about a months use with them on the 185. I don't claim to be a float pilot, but from what time I had on them, they seemed to do a good job. Flat tops, big compartments and they don't leak. From what I have heard, if you damage one, they are easy to field repair. There was a used set on Barnstormers a couple of weeks ago. Just another option. I am sure some on here, will have more experience and information on this brand.

[glideric]

Depend on the kind of job you do....

2960 ...Worst I flew, the spot is tide, and they too long, it drag in the water when you on the take off run.

pk3500...Good floats if you go in big waves, ie. big lake...easier to steer than 2960,...easier to take off than the 2960. But on small lake with no waves,....hard to put it out of water if you're not on the spot, you got to use more trim to get off the water.

3430...Good floats, float good, easier than the pk3500 to get off the water, large spot, steer very good in water, best of all...

I didn't try the aerocet or the cap3000, but I met a guy who fly on cap and he said to me than he got 10 mph more in cruise than the pk3500 I flew...

Again depend, the kind of job you do.

[Hornblower]

Depend on the kind of job you do....

2960 ...Worst I flew, the spot is tide, and they too long, it drag in the water when you on the take off run.

Glideric;
What do you mean "the spot is tide"?

Si vous voulez, expliquer en français . I like the 2960s they work well and aren't as slow as the 3430s. Although I've never flown the 3430s on a 185, I have no problem with the 2960s (except for working on them, I hate those things when it comes time to fix 'em)

[Kzanol]

I have no problem with the 2960s (except for working on them, I hate those things when it comes time to fix 'em)

I think the designer at EDO made the access panels that size as a cruel joke. You have to be a skinny alien man to get your arm down to the bottom in the step compartment.

[glideric]

Depend on the kind of job you do....

2960 ...Worst I flew, the spot is tide, and they too long, it drag in the water when you on the take off run.

Glideric;
What do you mean "the spot is tide"?

Si vous voulez, expliquer en français . I like the 2960s they work well and aren't as slow as the 3430s. Although I've never flown the 3430s on a 185, I have no problem with the 2960s (except for working on them, I hate those things when it comes time to fix 'em)

Okay, le "sweet spot" pour sortir de l'eau est très concentré, il faut vraiment être dessus pour les sortir de l'eau...les flottes sont tellement longue, que si tu n'est pas dessus, elles drag dans l'eau et te ralenti dans ton step.

[Hornblower]

Ok, je comprends maintenant, mais puisque j’ai piloté les 185s avec les 2960s seulement, à part de quelque vols dans l’un avec les PK 3500s, j’ai ne detecté ça jamais. Ils ont marché bien pour moi. (pardon mon français SVP)

[Dr. Mcillicuddy]

In canadien, 3500s not worth a shit, anphib 3500s= widow makers, next up the ladder, the real gems the aqua,s they were real gems. imhop .dr

[cory_trevor]

Were the Aquas any good? I don't know much about these floats.

[black hole]

Well: according to PK the Aqua floats are a scaled down copy of the 3500 accept they moved the step forward that makes them difficult to get on the step if your loaded.


BH

[kevinsky18]

The Aerocets are really the way to go. In addition to what already has been mentioned they don't corrode, they are very slick and smooth through the water and have a vey short take off distance and are very fast through the air again due to the smooth lines.

They are also about then times stronger than traditional aluminum floats. I've been running a set for a couple of years and love them.

They are hard to find used becuase no one sells them unless they are swaping between strait aerocets and amphib aerocets.

The company I work for has Edo 2960s on their 180 and they spent 10-15 grand on their maintenance last year. In otherwords 2 to 3 years worth of maintenance would have covered the cost of buying a brand new set of aerocets. My boss says everytime that he wishes he had aerocets on the 180.

[cessnafloatflyer]

Edo 2960s on their 180 and they spent 10-15 grand on their maintenance last year.

Yikes! Good sets sell for less than half of that...