LA-4 Seaplane

Please Note that this is the ONE and ONLY Lake Seaplane ever built.  It is a pure Flying Boat Seaplane and is not an amphibious aircraft.  It has no retractable wheel gear and none can be added because there is no structure or hydraulic lines built into the airframe.  Beaching wheel gear (supplied) is easily installed and removed when the aircraft is floating on the water.  Saving the 200 pounds of the amphibious wheel gear and structure provides over 1000 pounds of Useful Load and an excellent Rate of Climb.  It is a superb performer according to all who have flown it!

Serial: 410

Registration: N4120FB since July 12, 2011 (Stands for Serial #410 Flying Boat)  Formerly: CF-HYZ  (Jan 05, 1974 to  June 1997) then N286ME (June 1997 to July 12, 2011)

N7637L from manufacture to Export in January 1997

Model Year:  Variously described as a 1968, 1969 or 1970 Model Year depending upon source.  Credible, experienced persons who attended the factory in 1968 examined it on the assembly line under construction in about July or August of that year.  The Seaplane was apparently flown in 1969 by none other than John Staber, a long-time Lake (and Colonial Skimmer) stalwart.  For marketing purposes, the company may have chosen to call it a 1970 Model Year aircraft.

Includes:  Custom heavy duty trailer with new tires and replaceable axles as well as Beaching Gear with Tow Bar

LCAS Wing Root Fairings to be installed and painted.  These are a great performance booster!

Airframe:  725.5 TTSN

Engine:  725.5 TTSN, 98.6 STOH with Chrome Cylinders and Rings (July 1989), Lycoming IO-360A1A, 180 hp, Carburetted

Prop: Hartzell HC-C2YK-1BLF Q-Tip, Overhauled by Northwest Propeller, June 12, 2007, Installed July 7, 2007,   0.0 Hrs SOH  (Looks brand new)  New Hub eliminates AD and reduces prop weight by 10 pounds over old hub design. (Sept 15, 2006)

Options:
1) Factory Batwings
2) Factory Baggage Door
3) Standard Fuel  (40 US Gallons Main Tank, no sponson fuel tanks)
5) Canopy Gas Lift Struts

Huge, long nose Foredeck Storage Compartment.  It’s amazing how big it is!

Complete with:
A) Factory Original Aircraft Flight Manual (AFM)
B) Magazines and magazine articles from the period photographing and describing the Seaplane.
C) All Canadian Logbooks from Import and FAA prop Logbook.
D) Numerous small parts and pieces pertinent to this aircraft.

Gross Weight:  2400 lbs  (This is the Standard MGTOW for an amphibious Buccaneer, though the Seaplane was built about 200 pounds lighter)

Basic Empty Weight:  1340 lbs  (Lake’s Design Target for the Seaplane was to reduce BEW by 200 pounds over the amphibious Buccaneer by removing all wheel gear and its hydraulic system. This goal was achieved.)

Useful Load: 1060 lbs  (Said to be the highest LA-4 Useful Load ever built by the factory!)

Interior:  New 2002, Excellent Condition, Floors are beautifully crafted and finished.

Avionics:

King KX 170B Nav / Comm

AmeriKing AK 450 121.5 ELT

Paint: July 22, 2011 by Renue Aircraft Inc., Bristow OK.  Paint is of excellent quality and well applied.  Scheme is very classic and tasteful.  An easy 9.5 / 10

Battery:  Gill 12 Volt,  New in 2021

An Approximate Chronological History (All information subject to purchaser’s verification);

1) Imported to Canada Jan 05, 1974 from the US into BC. at only 37.20 TTSN.  US Logbooks not retained. Registered CF-HYZ.

2) Flew primarily in BC from 1974 to June 11, 1992  (Pitt Meadows, Cultus Lake, Salt Spring Island, Vancouver, Campbell River, Toquart, Nimpo, Ft. Nelson, Widgeon Lake, Sechelt, Revelstoke, Kamloops, Ft. Langley, were common destinations)

3) Ferried out of Langley B.C to Moses Lake Washington June 11, 1997 at 667.5 TTSN.  Canadian Journey Logbook Entries end with this Ferry but Canadian Tech Logs continue to present. (A wise decision adopted by a number of US aircraft owners for their superior physical size and detail.)  There is no FAR requirement for a US aircraft to keep a Journey Logbook, so they did not.

4) Imported into the USA as N286ME at 667.5 TTSN about June 1997.  Aircraft remained in this registration until changed to N410FB on July 12, 2011 by present owner.

5) Old (original?) Hartzell PropellerHC-92ZK-8L and blades scrapped March 31, 1991 by Northwest Propeller.  New Hartzell Propeller Hub installed CH41721B installed March 10, 2003 but no mention is made of blades at this time.

6) Aircraft stripped and painted base White with Blue Stripes with Black hull.  Stainless Steel Screws installed.  New hydraulic reservoir tank installed. Overhauled fuel bladder and petcocks installed. All new Plexiglass cabin windows and rubber seals.  New ASI, Altimeter and Tach. New Bilge Pump. Interior painted to match. Wing Attachment AD completed.  H-Stab AD listed for completion. May 11, 2003 at 700.7 TTSN, Tach 692 hrs at removal.

7) Sale from James Dean Wilson of Moses Lake, Washington to Arrowhead Investments LLC of Anchorage Alaska, May 17, 2003 at 700.7 TTSN.

8)  Ferry Permit Maintenance Release issued May 4, 2004 but does not say from which location to destination.  May have remained at Moses Lake for the previous year since sale and then flown to Alaska?

9) Arrowhead Investments LLC of Lake Hood, Anchorage, Alaska sold to Michael D. Landa, Landa and Associates and Vulcan Management of Arlington, Washington April 24, 2007 at 701.96 TTSN

10) Hartzell Q-Tip Propeller HCC2YK-1BLF, Serial CH1809 Factory New, Stored since 1979, Installed June 07, 2007 Tach Time 7.45 hrs on new tach. Puts TTSN at 700.15 hrs.

11) Sale from Vulcan Management of Anchorage, Alaska to Stephen and Jann Burnett of Granby, Missouri  May 9, 2009. 700.15 TTSN

12) Building of heavy duty custom aircraft trailer by S&J Burnett in June and July, 2009. Travel to Anchorage with truck and trailer to dismantle, load and bring home N286ME to Granby MO,  August 2009.  Stored indoors upon return. 700.15 TTSN

13) Re-registered from N286ME to N410FB July 12, 2011 by S&J Burnett, Granby MO. 700.15 TTSN

14) Repainted by Renue Aircraft inc, Bristow, OK , New Registration, N410FB, included.  July 22, 2011.  700.15 TTSN

13) Installed Horizontal Stabilizer Kit completed to comply with AD 2005-12-02 by STC SA 02153NY and SA 05-71, August 20, 2020 by Jerry Rigden A&P  725.4 TTSN

14) Wings and Horizontal Stabilizers removed at Granby MO and aircraft loaded onto the custom trailer and secured for transport to Canada.  Trailer tires and axles were replaced for safety and security for the trip. August 24, 2021 by Jerry Rigden A&P and Steve Burnett  725.5 TTSN

15) Aircraft stored on its trailer in a private, clean dry Aircraft Bay of a barn near Orangeville, Ontario since September 2021.  725.5 TTSN

Other Notes;

The Seaplane has always been kept indoors, particularly since 2009.  The paint looks fresh and the plexiglass is clear and excellent, nearly new condition.  It is an impressive looking aircraft and a time machine all at once.

Beaching Gear takes about 15 minutes to put on or off and it tows easily behind a small truck or ATV.  It usually takes two people to safely and smoothly use the Beaching gear for In / Out of water.

The aircraft has been fueled and run including as recently as August of 2021.  Video was taken and it looks, sounds and runs great!

The Lake Seaplane needs a new home and new lease on life by the right steward going forward.  The time is right to own and fly this gorgeous one-of-a-kind Lake LA-4 Seaplane legend!