The FT Otter is our first water plane made from water-resistant foam board! The Otter is designed to land in and take off from water, and it makes a great beginner sea plane. It has a single engine and is simple to build with a highly mounted power pod for ease of throttle management.
Water planes are heavy and require a lot of power to get airborne. If the plane is drifting, give it a shot of power and rudder command to get the plane where it needs to go.
If you’re flying in saltwater, be sure to waterproof everything in your plane beforehand. Check out our Waterproof Your Airplane and Waterproofing Electronics episodes for tips on waterproofing.
Stefan had never flown a sea plane before, so we had him test the Otter. He flew really well for a newbie flying a sea plane in gusty wind conditions…though his plane did end up in a tree. :)
This design does have some limitations. The Otter is meant for calm conditions and was prone to flipping over in the gusts off the lake. If you’re new to flying water planes, you’ll have a much better experience with this design in conditions with little wind and a calm water surface.
Stay tuned for the Otter Build Episode, and share the water planes you’ve come up with in the comments or in an article!
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