Aeroplane float ID

Short Bros floats for DH60 Moth

Hi all,

I am still hoping to find info about those floats! I am looking for dimensioned drawings and hopefully also some all side photographic views. It is still my intention to build a large true to scale flying model of a Cirrus or Gipsy Moth!

Any input is most appreciated!

Kind regards
Hans, Switzerland

Interesting thread. I am in the market for a pair of restorable Shorts floats for a Tiger Moth – well, actually a Queen Bee. What are my chances of finding original ones? Am based in Seattle, but would be prepared to ship from anywhere. Also interested in any technical data for same.

TIA,

Ian

Thanks

Hi,

Try searching the Flight archive, there are many, many references there http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/index.html

[ATTACH=CONFIG]220736[/ATTACH]

Thank you John Aeroclub & Schneiderman for the info, will follow up, P&P.

Hi,

Try searching the Flight archive, there are many, many references there http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/index.html

[ATTACH=CONFIG]220736[/ATTACH]

What happened to the set of Osprey floats that were in Sweden in the 70s? I believe they made their way to the UK eventually.

At roughly 16′ long these are a small float an consistent with Moth type aeroplanes. The floats on the Osprey were nearer 23′.

John

Short Bros floats

Am looking also for proper dimensions!
Martin[/QUOTE]

Looks identical to photo of DH 60 floats in AAM Bankstown, thanks for that.
Dimensions are :
4,840mm long X 700mm wide (top view) X 540mm high (side view).

Surprisingly light to pickup, like lifting a kayak, unfortunately badly corroded.
So far I can figure that Shorts made ‘one off’ floats for Schneider racers (Supermarine & Gloster), then developed the Short S7 Mussel prototype with floats to market a light trainer. The Mussel floats were then put on a DH 60 in 1926 (Janic Geelen “Moths, Majors & Minors”) which worked well, stimulating the setup of a production line for the manufacture of floats for DH60 Moths, subsequently DH82 Tiger Moths through the 1930’s. I am trying to work out whether the Hawker Osprey (1932) would have used the same floats, given it was made in small float equipped numbers and I doubt a custom float would have been produced by Shorts for this aircraft, though I could be wrong ! In the Hawker Osprey setup the floats are thrust forward, I guess to shift the centre of gravity forward to cope with a heavier engine. In photos, the rear of the floats are always lower in the water than the front, when the plane is resting.

All up weight of DH 60 is given as 1,750 lb and Osprey as 5,560 lb so I guess that the Osprey float would be more robust in construction, but maybe not bigger ? Schneider Cup Supermarine S.6 all up weight is given as 6,086 lb and the original floats were developed from this application.

The Hawker Osprey is described as having F45 type Short Bros floats (Alex Crawford “Hawker Hart Family”). In photos, these floats have different inspection openings on the top surface to the DH60 float, a hole “midships” allowing the insertion of a wheel and axle in the float to allow the aircraft to be drawn up a slipway and a small rudder arrangement. In a separate publication the Osprey is described as being equipped with Short Type 1 floats (Ray Rimmel “Aeroguide Classics No.5 – The Hart Family”)

Surely there is a Short Bros expert out there that can put me out of my misery. F45 ? Type 1? How many different type of floats were there ? Even better, where are copies of Short Bros float plans ?!

The floats were probably all of the same basic design only differing in mounting hardware and size, to suit a particular aircraft type or types. They would have to have been built to provide the appropriate buoyancy for a particular aircraft weight for it to ride the water properly, I would have thought.

With Shorts’ long experience of seaplane building it makes sense that they would have been a manufacturer of floats for other aircraft, perhaps as a sideline to their main aircraft manufacturing business. This would be why they look very similar to each other.

Anon.

Surely Short Brothers floats.
Have attached a bw image of Short Brothers floats on a DH.60 (AAM Bankstown)
[ATTACH=CONFIG]220600[/ATTACH]

Am looking also for proper dimensions!
Martin

Thank you

For about 20 years we had a pair of float the same as this one in our hanger roof, they were Ex Tiger / Gipsy Moth. We got them from the 1987 Christie’s Auction at Bournemouth – Ex-Leisure Sport Ltd ( They are now with a Gipsy Moth owner in Sussex – G-AALY ) I did see two other pair, one pair in LA and one pair in Oz which were the same model.

Thank you for the ID for aircraft, makes sense. Are these Short Bros floats ? What model number ? My understanding is that Short Bros supplied generic floats which could be fitted to any aircraft, eg Hawker Osprey ? Are there any plans or technical information on these floats out there to aid in rebuild ?

For about 20 years we had a pair of float the same as this one in our hanger roof, they were Ex Tiger / Gipsy Moth. We got them from the 1987 Christie’s Auction at Bournemouth – Ex-Leisure Sport Ltd ( They are now with a Gipsy Moth owner in Sussex – G-AALY ) I did see two other pair, one pair in LA and one pair in Oz which were the same model.

Those appear to be Gipsy Moth floats. Probably not specific to the Gipsy but that is one fitment.

We have a set here that are going on a Gipsy that is being rebuilt currently. If you have a few quick dimensions I can confirm but from the photos they appear the same.

Something suggests Seafox to me. Dimensions?

John