I think it would perform much better if I changed the AOA between the floats and the Aircraft but there is no free lunch and my cruise would suffer.
We have a way to do that: more flaps.
Before, with the 800, each take-off was an adventure. There was a limit of 20 degrees of flaps on floats. Keeping it straight at the beginning of the course was a challenge. The plane wanting to go left. Pushing hard on the rudder. Then the heels were dragging when i wanted to rotate. Finally, when it was flying, it was with the slats pop out and the plane close to be behind the power curve.
So i decided to change the AOA. Big job. Did cost a lot.
One day, my motor flaps was out of service ( electric flaps on the 800 ). I was going for a trip. Without the flaps, i was sure it would never took off. But i tried. So much more easy. Going on the step was faster. It was like if i had gain a 20% power increase. Keeping it straight was easy at the very beginning. It was asking for more speed for the rotation, but it was easy, more positive.
Then i saw how they di it with the caravan. No flaps until your are on the step. Then you put the flaps and the plane goes up.
I tried it on a unmodified 800. It worked great. Easy.
I had a limit on the POH of 20 degrees for flaps. I tried 25. No flaps until on the steps, then 25 degrees. The plane was popping out the water. Putting 25 degrees of flaps, on a wing that have so long flaps like the Helio, is like giving 5 degrees more AOA without any work.
25 degrees of flaps instead of 20 remove that feeling of not having enough AOA with the heels dragging in the water when we try to pull it from the water. But if you put them at the beginning, you can't keep it straight, and it takes longer to go on the steps.
Not putting any flaps at the beginning also works well in deep snow with skis.
When i switched to a 295, i had Wipline 3400 amphibious field approved. ( LSTC ) Works well. I still see the difference when i don't put any flaps at the beginning. By beginning, i mean no flaps until ready to fly. A lot better too to help going straight. You don't have to push the rudder as much. Some energy saved here too.
On both machine i have electric flaps. The switch still reachable your hand on the throttle.
Might be the only good thing about an electric flaps. But it makes it easy on floats.
Wich floats ? The Wipline !! But you would have to convince Wipline to do the STC. They could use mine to fly test it.
louis