New Horizontal Tail Improves Flight Handling for Floatplane Versions

After buying all the rights to the Drifter series of light aircraft, Lockwood Aircraft has been evaluating the design ... along with delivering kits.

Drifter, which is widely known as a recreational aircraft, is often configured as a floatplane. Lockwood Aircraft announced a design change to the horizontal stabilizer and elevator assemblies Monday which it says has noticeably improved the flight characteristics of the design.

"The new horizontal stabilizers and elevators add approximately two feet to the span of the tail," said Lockwood President Phil Lockwood. "They are designed to increase pitch stability and elevator authority on float-equipped Super Drifters." Super Drifters are powered by the Rotax 912 engine, while other models use two-stroke Rotax engines. "Our goal is to overcome the additional nose-down pitch force created by adding floats," he added.

Phillip Lockwood

"Testing of the new tail is going very well and it is doing exactly what we wanted," said Lockwood Aircraft manager George Weber. "We first tested a set of end plates for the horizontal stabilizers, much like the ones you find on many floatplanes. Our testing showed this approach offered very little improvement."

Lockwood Aircraft reported the new horizontal stabilizers offer much more pitch authority when rotating off the water, especially with heavier pilots up front. This allows the Super Drifter to lift off the water at the lowest possible speed, dramatically reducing the take-off distance. They may also allow for an increase an in the CG envelope. "They really work well," said Lockwood.

"The new horizontal stabilizers will be available as a retrofit kit for existing float-equipped Super Drifters and standard on new kits going on floats," indicated Weber. "We expect to complete the testing and engineering this winter. Providing testing continues to go as expected the new parts should be available by March, 2010."

FMI: www.lockwoodaircraft.com