The flying I'm doing now is essentially all-business, and even though I love it, it's not "fun" in the way it was when I was arcing around in a 172 or A36.

so i've been thinking it would be fun to have something to fart around on weekends, and have looked really hard at the Air Cam, but I'm a bit loathe to get back into an experimental (ie, it might be difficult to sell).

Super-cub on amphibs? or Aircam on amphibs? what say you? (I live close to the coast, and I am enamored with the idea of floats).

how hard is it to sell a supercub?

If you haven't already, get your seaplane rating. Although lots of fun landing on water, I’ve found seaplanes to be a combination of a bad airplane and a bad boat. Burns lots of fuel going slow, and sluggish in roll. Insurance can also get real $$$

Air-Cams seem to have a pretty large following, and most seem to sell for around the cost of the materials to build one. If you haven’t been around an Air-Cam much, parts of their construction are more similar to an ultralight than a pa18 or Husky, which may or may not be an issue for you.

I would think that both would be selling to a similar audience, that are in a similar situation to you. The biggest resale hit will be landing in salt water, which might scare away many buyers.

There's a flight school just south of Birmingham, AL that has an AirCam on floats if you wanted to get a feel for one.

https://www.waterwings.com/copy-of-aircam-training

A Super Cub is an easy sell in any config. Usually over-priced for what they are (especially when you're buying) but their performance and handling are basically unaffected by the addition of floats. In fact the J-3s are Jack Browns on floats perform better than most J-3s on wheels I've flown!

CAUTION: Don't go get a float plane rating unless you can afford to buy a float plane! Float flying is more contagious than COVID-19!

George

awesome. thanks guys. keep them coming...

You need a seaplane.

Find a Widgeon if you want to have some serious fun:

-Extremely well made
-useful 6 person airplane
-fast enough to go somewhere 140kts
-hauls a load, a real 6 person and bags and full fuel airplane
-flies like a fighter

-Air Cam flies truly terrible and is totally impractical. A Searey LSX is the most bang for the buck fun you can have if you don't want to spend Widgeon money.

+1 on the seaplane rating first. And remember that the AirCam requires a multi-engine sea.

Also +1 on seaplane flying being the most fun thing in the entire world. No exaggeration.

Oh, and the cost. . . . .

If it's true that a boat is a hole in the water into which you throw money and an airplane is a hole in the sky into which you throw money, a seaplane is holes with you throwing money in both directions!

Maybe in a relative sense but I struggle to imagine a Searay sucking as much money as my current ride.

A Widgeon OTOH... but wow, yeah, I'd like a Widgeon.

I have only ridden in an Air Cam once, but I have owned multiple Cubs (all on wheels).

I currently have a Super Legend Cub- basically a Super Cub. I went flying on Sunday morning with both doors open, got a little chilly, and closed the doors. You can do that in an Air Cam. An Air Cam is a commitment to open air flying. It is beyond awesome, until you get cold. I would also imagine that cross country flying in an Air Cam is more difficult than in a Super Cub.

To summarize my thoughts: for local flying in good weather for pure fun: go Air Cam. If you want to travel at all, fly in colder weather, with a lower (maybe) entry price, with a (maybe) larger market for exit: go Super Cub and still have a lot of fun.

If I lived on the gulf coast with enough beach to launch and land it, an Aircam would be a much cooler jetski type of toy. A Supercub with both floats (a few months) and wheels (the rest) would be my choice just about anywhere else.

Husky? looks like a Super Cub still in production.

have .7 in a Husky- it was cool.

Neither would a moped.

In case you have seen it already, the Aircam can now be built with a enclosed canopy.

I love the Husky, and think you can get way more airplane for the dollar than you can in a 180hp Super Cub. Well equipped, well restored PA-18s go for crazy money. You can find very nice, modern Huskies with very low time for the same or less.

Find something with more composite than metal. Chasing corrosion sucks.