L Bird Questions

[EDowning]

Does anyone know if any of the various L Bird series were used on floats? If so, which type? WWII? Korea? Vietnam? What type of floats?

[tom d. friedman]

great question.... i love anything on floats. a much ignored topic re : air combat!!

[skymstr02]

I've seen pictures of LC-126's and Beavers in Alaska on floats. It was during the Cold War period.

[AirJimL2]

I've a photo of a Stinson L-5 on Floats. I think that is the only WW2 era L-bird I've seen on floats.

Jim

[Forgotten Field]

The L-1 was built with floats and I believe was actually used in CBI on floats.

[Roger Cain]

The Cessna L-19 was also used on floats.........

[JBoyle]

The recent Squadron paperback "US Liaison Aircraft in Action" has a drawing and photo of an L-1 on Floats, and a photo of an L-5.
Peter Bowers' book on Piper Cubs has a neat shot of a postwar L-4J on floats.

Yes, L-126s and L-20s were also used on floats...check the NMUSAF website.

For info on the L-19, get "The Lovable One-Niner" by Thompson, in it there is a color shot of a ROK L-19 on floats, and a 1950's shot of a natural metal US Army machine waterbourne.

No L-2 or L-3s were float equiped by the military...they weren't rated for overseas duty so they probably didn't bother. After the less than stellar safety record of the L-2 (stall/spin accidents) I'm not sure I'd want to put floats on it. Surplus machines may have ended up on floats..especially in Alaska.

[Jerry O'Neill]

Though not an L-Bird, there was at least one Republic of Korea T-6 that had two wing floats and a centerline float in a set-up similiar to the OS2U Kingfisher. I don't know if they made more than one, but I've seen a photo of it.
Jerry.

[tom d. friedman]

i'd love to see that!! ultra rare!! assuming it was experimental??

[marine air]

Stinson L-1 I have seen photos of them in Panama Canal Zone and maybe one pic of one stateside during the war manuevers on floats.

Taylorcraft L-2. I've never seen one on floats but believe it would be excellent, especially if upgraded to 85 hp.
Aeronca L-3, never seen a pic. Would be lousy on floats-already has too much drag, too little surplus hp.
Piper L-4, havent seen it but they probably had Edo 1200's or 1420's. They did everything else with the Cub. Fantastic on floats w/85hp upgrade.
There are pics of the L-5 on floats and I don't believe it would be that great on the water. (opinion based on it's climb rate on land)
Cessna L-19 , Excellent on floats and the military used them. They added extra fins on the horizontal stabilizer.Edo floats
Cessna LC-126 (C-195) Used on floats at Elmendorf AFB Alaska. Circa 1949 and elsewhere. The magazine "GA NEWS" had one on their Nov.05 cover. Gorgeous airplane-polished metal with red tail.
L-20 Beaver, fantastic on floats if you have $450 to $650K
As a seaplane CFI, my recommendation would be to put an L-21(135hp Supercub) on Wipaire 2100 amphibs, upgrade engine to 180 hp. and add the 2000# weight increase. Phenomenol perfomance, easy to fly, for between $100k and $200K depending on your tastes. If you aren't hung up on authenticity you have a lot of paint scheme choices! It's a blast!