Lake Amphibian

The bad news for amphibian airplane owners and pilots is that, no matter how cleverly you design it, putting a boat hull on an airplane does not make for efficient aerodynamics. You also wind up with a complex airplane that has all the costs of maintaining a retractable landing gear and constant speed prop, plus the expenses of keeping a boat alive and well. There are those who assert that you should combine those costs and then square the sum to get an accurate number for owning an amphibian. Oh yes, and you get to own an airplane that can sink.

The good news is that Lake Amphibian owners tell us that, almost without exception, they love their airplanes. They happily put up with cruise speeds well below book (we've used book numbers in article—owner feedback says to take them with a healthy helping of salt), the challenges of maintaining an engine set way up in the air and insurance requirements for serious initial and recurrent training in return for the ability to land at some of the most scenic places on the planet—and where no land airplanes can alight.

After seeing some of the photos of Lakes in their natural environment sent in by owners, we're tempted to chuck it all and find a way to go be Lake Amphibian bums.

The Lake evolved from a design developed by Grumman, the maker of now classic multi-engine flying boats, as a potential entry in the civilian market after World War II. The company built a prototype but decided not to go any further, letting two of its engineers—Dave Thrust and Herb Lindblad—take the design, which Grumman called the Tadpole, and start building it in 1948 in Sanford, Maine, as the three-seat 150-HP Colonial C-1 Skimmer.

Ten years later, they made it a four-seater with a 180-HP engine and called it the C-2. In 1960, they extended the bow and wings and dubbed it the Lake LA-4. About 250 Skimmers and LA-4s were built before production ended in 1962. There were some company changes that saw the manufacturing side become a separate entity, called Aerofab, from the sales and service side, an arrangement that continued until production stopped. The type certificate was acquired by Consolidated Aeronautics (Conaer) in 1963, which moved its corporate headquarters to Texas but kept the factory in Maine.

The Lake Buccaneer (LA-4-200) was born in 1970 when Conaer put a 200-HP fuel-injected Lycoming on the LA-4. Over the years, a few turbo models were made and at least one non-amphibian water-only model.
In 1979, Armand Rivard, an independent Lake distributor, bought the company and moved it to Kissimmee, Florida. He introduced the LA-4-200EP. To reduce cooling drag and noise, it had a new nacelle and its prop shaft extended five inches farther aft. It also had "batwing" fillets at the wing/fuselage junction to improve low-speed handling by eliminating eddies and turbulence that disrupted prop performance.

Rivard also introduced the Renegade in 1979, a six-seat version with a 250-HP IO-540, a beefed-up structure, a rear cabin door and larger tail. It easily outperforms its predecessors and is even more stable on the water.

Beginning in 1981, the Lakes all got more grease fittings, polychromate primer, an improved canopy and more rust-resistant cabin vents.

A turbo version of the Renegade became available in the late 1980s through an STC, so technically it is a mod done by the factory. Its Lycoming TIO-540 is rated at 270 HP.

In 1991, Lake started making the Seafury, a Renegade with lift rings, survival equipment, a custom tool kit, aux power receptacle and stainless steel brake discs, plus extra corrosion-proofing in an extra coat of chromate primer inside and out and a ceramic coating on the steel parts.

Finally, Lake developed the Seawolf. It's a Seafury modified for the military as a patrol, reconnaissance and special ops aircraft that has proved popular on the international market.

The company had a hiccup when Armand Rivard decided to try retirement. Bruce had no interest in taking over the factory so, in 2002, Armand sold his end to a Maryland FBO operator, Wadi Rahim, who called the company Global Amphibians and shut down the Maine factory.

Only two of its veterans moved to a new factory he opened in Florida, according to Bruce Rivard. Things did not work out and before long, his father got the company back. Bruce handled North American sales and service out of New Hampshire (go to www.teamlake.com), including finding good used Lakes and upgrading them for sale with a warranty. Production slowed to special orders only and, in the last few years, stopped.

When we spoke to Armand recently, he reported that he is in "mature" discussions with prospective buyers for the company. He anticipates that the airplane will go back into production. As for himself, Armand said that he's nearly 80 and has plans to take his Lake, head out and go fishing.

Prices for Lake Amphibian models have a very wide range from $15,000 average retail for a good C-1 Skimmer (a rare find; fewer than 25 were built) to $370,000 for a 1997 LA-270 Turbo Seafury, according to the Aircraft Bluebook.

Prices have been trending down, as they have been for many airplanes, although the EP model has shown some price resiliency. It has been praised as the best compromise among Lakes between cost and performance. The Bluebook puts a 1983 LA-4-200EP at $81,000 average retail.

"Instant vacation" is what one owner has called the Lake experience, and Lake Amphibian fans say there is nothing else short of homebuilts and a couple of exotics (anybody know of a clean Seabee?) that lets them fly as easily into a remote lake or stretch of river as on or off a runway. But that flexibility comes at a price in cruise efficiency. The airplane, for its power, does not go fast.

A 200-HP Lake Buccaneer performs on a par with a 150-HP landplane—one owner said that he flight plans his Lake at the same speed he does an older Cessna 172. Owners reported that book cruise numbers for Lake Amphibians were not realistic. They reported cruise speeds in the 105-115-knot range with fuel consumption of about 10 GPH. A Renegade cruises at about 122 knots and one owner told us he burns 13.5 to 14 GPH. The turbo version shines up high with cruise speeds closer to 150 knots.

The Lake EP does better than the Buccaneer, cruising at about 120 knots. It also has hull strakes that improve water handling and allow the hull to break free of the water at a lower speed—45 knots instead of 53 for a Buccaneer (50 knots with a batwing mod). A Renegade pilot told us, "The EP is the best of the lot … It's almost as fast as the Renegade. It has better short-field performance and it's more economical. A 90-gallon EP has a 9- to 10-hour range."

Company specs for the 250-HP Lake list cruise as 132 knots true at 6000 feet with 75-percent power with a 900-FPM best rate of climb at sea level. The turbo version, with its 270 HP, has the same performance except up high, where true airspeed is said to reach 155 knots. The EP's best rate of climb is 980 FPM, according to company specs, and the Buccaneer's rate is optimistically listed as 1200 FPM. An LA-4 with 180-HP is said by the book to climb at 1000 FPM.

Owners have complained that a heavily loaded Lake Buccaneer (it can carry about 1000 pounds) is sluggish during climb. Some call it a two-place airplane with baggage or a four-place airplane with reduced fuel and bags. Lake's 180-HP models should be avoided by buyers looking to carry a lot. At gross weight, climb will be around 500 to 600 FPM and cruise will be about 105 knots, max.

The Lake's tendency to nose down when power is added and to rise when power is reduced because the engine is mounted high above the CG requires a good initial checkout, in our opinion. Lake owners reported that it's wise to practice low-altitude go arounds because of the nose-down pitch with power—one said, "Cobb the power on a bounced landing, while low and slow, and you're going to break it—probably badly." The high rate of accidents following bounced water landings we saw in the NTSB reports seemed to confirm this owner's concern.

In flight, the airplane is agile by seaplane standards. The ailerons are light but the rudder is a bit heavy, and flying the Lake well requires good rudder skills in the air and on the water. Stalls occur just above 42 knots or so, indicated. Recovery is gentle and predictable.

Having a Lake is not so much about its cross-country flying abilities, which are fine for shorter flights up to 300 miles or so. It is all about getting yourself right into the countryside for whatever fun you have in mind. The airplane shines on the water, owners say, because its hull is inherently stable and strong and its CG is low. Marc Rodstein of the Lake Amphibian Flyers Club says a proficient pilot can make a step-turn takeoff, rising off the water in a circle in case of a tight fit.

On a hot day, it takes precise technique to get a heavily loaded Lake on step for takeoff, especially the older models without hull strakes, available as a mod to reinforce the hull and reduce water drag. They also add more stability in turns.

Nevertheless, the airplane does not have a deep-vee hull, as does a Seabee, so it does not handle rough water well. In addition, it is a short-bodied flying boat, making it at risk for porpoising. It is a descendant of the Grumman line of flying boats and shorter than the smallest of the marque, the Widgeon, which was not at all tolerant of errors in pitch attitude on landing—many Widgeons were lost to porpoising events.

The Lake accident records are loaded with water mishaps. Catching a sponson in the water landing in a gusty crosswind can cause an upset and a lot of damage. Bad landings or rough water can end with the Lake trying to play submarine. In anything but calm air, docking is a major challenge because the mid-level wing and its sponson may not clear the deck.

On the ground, the Lake pilot needs a knack for steering with differential braking because the plane does not have a steerable nosewheel.

It's absolutely essential—and required for insurance coverage—to get Lake-specific training. The active and, in our opinion, effective Lake Amphibian Flyers Club can provide a list of highly qualified Lake CFIs (not to mention knowledgeable Lake shops, an absolute must for any pre-buy inspection).

Lake Aircraft's Team Lake in Gilford, New Hampshire, offers a one-day introductory ground school that opens the new Lake owner's eyes to what the airplane can do and what to be careful about, not the least of which is the lack of a gear-warning horn and the potential for landing gear up on a runway (not so bad) or gear down on the water (very bad). Also note there's no squat switch to prevent a gear collapse on the ground if you accidentally flip up the gear switch. Lake also offers a five-day ground and dual course. Be prepared to work.

Useful load in real life averages about 800 pounds for a 180-HP Lake without an IFR panel. It's about 950 pounds for the 200-HP version and 1200 pounds for the Renegade.

Lake Amphibians tend to be nose heavy, a trait that is aggravated by the fact that the CG moves forward as the airplane is loaded. Marc Rodstein of the Lake club, however, says his forward CG problem goes away when passengers get in the back of his airplane, making ballast unnecessary. The point is it's not a load-and-go airplane. Having the CG beyond limits for a gross-weight takeoff with a lot of pine trees beyond the beach is asking for trouble.

Only mods and the Renegade airframe have a back seat/cargo hatch, so expect to utter a few expletives when it's time to get in all your fishing and camping gear through one of the two front clamshell doors.

Fuel capacities range from 30 gallons in the Lake Skimmers and 40 gallons in the old LA-4s. The Lake Buccaneer had a 55-gallon option and the Lake Renegade carries 90. There's a mod available for the older Lakes to put fuel in the sponsons, adding 14 gallons total.

There is elbow room up front, a bit less in the back. In older models, the hard seats adjust only fore and aft and the cabin is noisy. The EP model has more foam and customized features, and the Renegade has the nicest interior of all; its price reflects it.

There's no muffler cuff ahead of the firewall to collect heat for the cabin. Through 1973, Lakes used Janitrol gasoline heaters, for which an AD required complete overhauls every two years. Lake switched to Southwind heaters in 1974, but they had only on and off switches so the choice was cook or freeze. Lake went back to improved Janitrols in 1983.

For a complex airplane that performs in a tough environment, the Lake has amazingly few ADs.

Hydraulics are used extensively on the Lake, running trim, flaps and gear all through one accumulator, pump and reservoir. All the actuator static and dynamic seals are plain "O" rings and the failure of one will incapacitate the whole system. "You may replenish the supply from your squirt bottle and position the gear, flaps and trim," an owner told us, "but the flaps and trim will bleed to the trail positions."

All seaplanes leak. It's a fact of life. The hull of the lake is broken into compartments with drains at the bottom of each—accessible when the airplane is on land. To purge the bilge water when on the water, there is an electric pump located near the step. So long as the airplane is sitting level, owners tell us that it will get rid of most of the water in about five minutes.

The problem comes if the airplane is parked, on its gear, in the water with the tail low, as in the picture at the beginning of this article. The pump will not remove the water in the aft portion of the hull and can lead to an aft CG on takeoff. From owner feedback and a review of accident records, we think this has led to at least one accident. The bilge pump should be run after the airplane is sitting level in the water with the gear up.

A big issue, of course is corrosion. During the 1960s, the 180-HP Lakes had no zinc chromate treatment and some didn't have alodine. Check for a faint gold tint to the aluminum on the interior structure of any pre-1970s airplane. No tint, no alodine.

The absence of green zinc chromate primer makes the airplane susceptible to corrosion, especially if it flies into salt water, and a bad case of corrosion can render a Lake worthless. Starting in the 1970s, all Buccaneers were alodined and zinc chromated; starting in 1983, an additional polychromate primer was applied.

Corrosion isn't the only water worry. Lake Amphibians take a beating from waves and junk in the water that can lead to dings and dents. Gravel, rocks and sand strip paint and gouge the hull. Watch for it. Also check for internal damage at bulkhead station 97, a stress point for the hull. It was beefed up beginning with 1982 models.

There have been a few complaints about the turbo 270 model. Oil dripping from the crankcase breather tube makes a mess of the tail.

A search of Service Difficulty Reports going back a decade did not yield a lot of them. About a third involved cracks in structural components; there was no distinguishable pattern among the remainder.

Owners were unanimous in telling us that having a pre-purchase examination done by a shop that knows the ins and outs of Lakes is essential. One owner passed along his experience of taking his prospective purchase to a shop that had little Lake experience and that gave him a thumbs up on the airplane. He said that he bought the airplane for $80,000 and then spent $200,000 getting all of the undetected problems fixed.

Bruce Rivard's Lake Aircraft is praised for good service and accessibility. The Lake Amphibian Flyers Club (www.lakeflyers.com) in Boca Raton, with about 450 members all over the country and a Canadian affiliate, has a newsletter and holds an annual "Lakeathon" fly in that was recommended by several owners. Marc Rodstein, the executive director, is highly knowledgeable and accessible by phone or email. He can give you a list of experienced Lake CFIs as well as shops for mods, repairs and inspections. He's at 561-483-6566; email him at contact@lakeflyers.com.

The website contains an impressive amount of technical data on the Lake, as well as providing a list of recommended shops that know Lakes and their systems. The club can also provide names of instructors qualified to give Lake checkouts.

Popular mods are wing fillets or "batwings" to smooth airflow into the pusher prop and improve low-speed performance. Vortex generators also make for better slow-speed handling. There's a "hydro-booster" kit to fit strakes on the hull to stiffen it and allow for easier water liftoffs. A cargo door is a boon for getting into the back seats and the cargo area. Adding hatch holders is a good idea and turning the sponsons into auxiliary tanks is another option.

Over the years I have owned three Lake models, a 180-HP LA-4, an LA-4-200 and an LA-250. The 180-HP version is OK for two people, but that's about it. The LA-4-200 can handle four people of average weight. All are especially noisy, so get noise attenuating headsets.

As the airplanes age, they develop more hydraulic problems, probably due to dry seals. Aerodynamically, it's a flying brick, but you get the versatility of land and water operations. The LA-250 is much more stable in fairly rough water than the smaller models. Docking is a problem with the outlying sponsons.

Warren C. Rolen
Via email

After 28 years of flying, including the last 17 owning a Maule on wheels, I bought a Lake Renegade two years ago and haven't been able to get the grin off my face since. The choice was between a Cessna 185 on amphibious floats or the Renegade because I needed to carry a reasonable load in and out of lakes at over 4000 feet MSL.

The Renegade has no trouble getting off the water, near gross, at lakes as high as 4600 feet elevation.
The main disadvantage of the lake is coming up to a dock. At remote sites, that is not a problem; the ability to put the rugged gear down and get the airplane partially out of the water is wonderful. It is a good rough airfield plane with its wide, trailing link gear and light weight on the nosewheel, not to mention having the prop out of the way.

I plan on 110-115 knots at 11.7 GPH LOP for cruise. The Janitrol heater, when working, is excellent. I cannot say enough about Elton Townsend and Lake Central in Gravenhurst, Ontario, for training and support of the aircraft.

Dave Ross
Via email

Elton Townsend at Lake Central deserves mention for both training and parts. He always answers questions and has an amazing amount of experience in flying and maintaining Lakes. It is no exaggeration that in five days of training with Elton, one will do between 150 and 300 water landings and takeoffs.
The Lake and Air amphibious gear warning is a must, in my opinion—and it's hilarious. If the gear is up and one hits a specific speed, a nice lady announces, "Gear up for water landing." If the gear is down, then the guy who does the Dodge truck commercials comes on with the voice of doom and says, "Gear down for runway landing." A gear-down landing on water is bad news. Passengers always laugh the first time they hear the guy.

David Ross
Via email

Visibility is fabulous—best of any fixed-wing I've flown. Flying characteristics are benign. The trim is hydraulic, which makes changes slow. The flaps are crucial for low-speed maneuvering—without them, the Lake seems to wallow about disconcertingly.

The Owner's Manual for the 1971 LA-4 is something of a joke. It is badly reproduced from a larger document, so the charts are muddy and the photos murky. Some of the numbers are sheer fantasy. It claims a 146 MPH max cruise—110 is more like it on a good day. It says 1200 FPM sea level climb—we never see better than 600-700 FPM.

On my first gross weight takeoff, a boat wake tossed the Lake into the air before it was ready to fly and it came down hard—scary hard. I quickly learned to avoid rough water at high speed and any wave action greater than 12 inches. Nevertheless, the LA-4 is the greatest toy I have ever owned.

William Corwin
Via email

We owned a 1975 Lake Buccaneer LA-4-200 for five years and had loads of fun with it. If you think of an LA-4-200 as a Cessna 172 in terms of speed and useful load, but with a 10 GPH fuel burn, you're close on performance.

Fuel capacity is 40 gallons, with optional tanks in the sponsons that hold eight gallons each. (You can't use that fuel after a water landing, however, as it may be contaminated.) If you fly for one hour and then transfer sponson fuel to the main tank (that takes 30 minutes or so), you end up with a full main tank and have flown 150 NM. With only 40 gallons, we fly three hours and land. No messing around.

The pitch change with power change is just opposite to most aircraft, so be sure to get a thorough checkout from an experienced Lake instructor. The Lake Amphibian Flyers Club is a great asset.

Stan Dodge
Via email

I can say with perfect honesty that my only regret was that I did not get a Lake until late in life, in 2000 when I was 60. A prospective buyer should be cautioned that Lakes are so much fun that they are often ridden hard and put away wet. Beware of any Lake not maintained by one of the Lake Master shops listed with the Lake Amphibian Flyers Club.

When properly trained in a Lake, it is forgiving in all aspects. If not properly trained, well, there are too many sad examples of Lakes seriously damaged or destroyed with injuries and deaths when well-meaning smart-alecks do not take training from a Lake Master instructor.

Peter F. Hartmann
Via email

Maintenance costs are high compared to a land plane. Parts are easily available. Three shops deserve mention: Amphibians Plus, Bartow, Florida; Lake Central, Gravenhurst, Ontario; and Lake Hamilton Seaplanes, Lake Hamilton, Florida.

Lakes are easy to fly, but can be dangerous in the hands of a pilot with little or improper training.
I pay $3400 for $100,000 in hull coverage and $1 million smooth liability coverage—new pilots will pay more. The Lake Insurance Program through Phoenix Aviation Managers has specialized insurance for Lake owners and it requires annual proficiency training. The result is, according to Phoenix, a reduced rate of claims for owners in the program.

Marc Rodstein
Lake Amphibian Flyers Club

The Lake is a pretty docile airplane. It has a big rudder, making crosswind landings easy. The stall is gentle with plenty of warning due to the prop warbling prior to the stall. Practicing low-altitude go arounds, because of the nose-down pitch when adding power, is a good idea.

The airplane behaves differently than floatplanes on the water. It is quite sensitive to pitch. For a potential buyer, I suggest: Join the Lake Amphibian Flyers Club; read Steve Reep's Go to Hull; attend a Lakeathon fly-in and do research into the wide variations in the airplanes over the years.

Ben Mitchell
Via email

Persons purchasing a Lake should have a Lake Master advise them, and get flight instruction from a Lake Master. The airplane is forgiving, except when landing on water. It does porpoise and if you are not trained to deal with it, the airplane will wind up upside down.

David Walter
Walter Marine