Murphy Aircraft Online - 3600 Series Floats

Following in the tradition set by the Murphy 1500 and 1800 series of floats, the new 3600 Series of floats get prepped for water testing.

Being mounted to a Fast Build SR3500 Moose fuselage in the factory, this picture shows the fuselage sitting on a wooden support while the mounting struts and fittings are fabricated. The floats feature multiple water tight compartments and large storage compartments for carrying extra gear or the day's catch.

Pictured before the bottom skins are installed, you can see the multiple compartments separated by bulkheads. The three slots in the front bulkheads are for the C-channel beams to strengthen the float.

How do we know how much weight the float will displace? We weigh the float, fill it with water and re-weigh it. The weight of the water tells you how much weight the float will support since displacement equals the amount of water displaced. This is also a great time to check for leaks.

Seen to the right is a rear float attach fitting on the float supporting the uprights to the fuselage and the cross support. The custom made fitting is machined from solid stock 6061-T6 aluminum for maximum strength and the best protection from corrosion. The uprights are made from a streamlined extrusion owned by Murphy Aircraft.

Also noticeable is the use of solid rivets in the manufacturing of the 3600 Series of floats.

Darryl Murphy stands in front of the float mounted Moose to show its height. These floats will be fully prepped at the factory and then displayed at the Arlington and Oshkosh Fly-Ins before being mounted on the factory demonstrator in late August, early September.

The straight floats will be tested first to ensure everything works as expected: performance in the water, on the water and in the air. Once satisfied with the design, amphibious floats will be tested.

At this point of time, the floats will be released as a ready-to-mount product only. No pricing is available at this point.

See the floats at either the Arlington EAA Fly-in in Arlington, Washington or at the EAA Airventure in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.