ISSUE DATE:
PAGE
TITLE: Service & Maintenance Manual
FILE NO.
REVISION
DATE:
SUBTITLE: Model 3400 Amphibious Floats
REVISION
1Introduction and General Float Information
This service and maintenance manual is applicable to Aerocet Model 3400 Amphibious Seaplane Floats and their
general application to a variety of airplanes. The Customer Parts List in the appendix provides pertinent data
referenced to in the text of this manual. Strut geometry, boxing (flying) wires, specific hydraulic line routing, pump
mounting – electric and emergency, specific wiring, water rudder retract routing, and landing gear advisory
mounting are unique for each STC or TC application to aircraft. Installation of the Aerocet Model 3400
Amphibious Seaplane Floats should be done according to the FAA approved drawings supporting these different
applications.
The Aerocet Model 3400 Amphibious Seaplane Floats are twin all composite float hulls separated by spreader bars,
which incorporate hydraulically operated retractable landing gear allowing for landing on either water or land. An
airplane-mounted electric-hydraulic pump, with a backup hand pump operates the hydraulics. The float utilizes a
double fluted bottom contour from the step forward and has a flat top deck design with built-in antiskid. Each float
offers a single large storage locker. Each float has six compartments for safety. Access to the inside of these
compartments is through screwed on access panels on the deck or through the storage locker hatch cover. Water
rudders are mounted on the stern of each float for water taxi operations. The floats are mounted to various airplanes
by aerodynamic aluminum struts. These are rigidly mounted. Boxing (flying) wires are used to stabilize the
mounting of the floats to the airplane.
The floats incorporate pump locations into each compartment, and these are used to remove any excess water
through condensation, leakage from the access panel gaskets, bolts, or pump-out plugs, or leakage from a damaged
float hull. These pump locations will also show hydraulic leakage, which is red in color.
The main landing gear utilizes a trailing arm link design using a 6.00 X 6 tire and an oleo shock strut. The nose gear
is full swiveling, has a centering device, and uses a composite strut for absorbing the landing loads. Steering of the
airplane is done through differential braking.
A panel mounted landing gear advisory and gear position switch is used. It includes an up and down lever, lights for
each gear and their position, a pump operation light, and an audio output to advise the pilot of gear position when
triggered at a set speed. An optional smaller, dash mounted, landing gear position light system is available giving
the pilot more heads-up awareness of the landing gear condition prior to landing.
If the pilot, when on the water, strikes rocks or debris, assess the damage as soon as possible. Continuing into a
high-speed situation with the floats, will typically exaggerate the damage due to high water pressure. If the pilot
makes a hard landing on the runway, stop and examine the landing gear parts and supporting structure for
damage. The composite nose strut should not have any delamination, the main gear truck should not have any
sheared rivets and all the metal should have no distortion. The drag brace (the metal part which connects the
oleo strut to the step bulkhead) should not be bent (especially in the area of the over center stop contact point).
The K-66 “auxiliary” unit is only available with the K-65 Gear Advisory, and is not
useful or compatible with the newer, Model GC600 Gear Advisory units.
