Mr. Originality Nut?

[hilltop170]

CLICK ON PICS TO ENLARGE

Right wing taxi/landing lights

Baggage door

Can anyone guess who might have installed these two modifications on his ORIGINAL (mostly) for the right reasons,, C-170B?

You guessed it, the one and only George Horn!

Humble owner of the new baggage door, George Horn

And just in case anyone thinks the picture was reversed.............

He won't toot his own horn (no pun intended) so I'll do it for him.

Both mods were beautifully done by Del Lehmann, of Mountain Airframe Services, Mena, Arkansas.

Congratulations George, I'm sure nobody will ever try to rub it in.

[GAHorn]

I told Del Lehmann that I wanted it to look original by Cessna.

And that's exactly what he did! (And more! Article soon to be in the 170 News, issue after next.)

You oughtta see how those lights light up the black holes I land in! I landed at Reklaw after dark (as usual) and it lit up that runway like a ball-park! No dark hole on the right side of the airplane, and with those flood-lamps in the dual taxi position, it's a nice, W I D E area that's lit up!

Best mod I've ever done! (And with a reduction in current-draw for two lamps illuminated...which results in more taxi-lighting. Great anti-collision value too. It looks like a Boeing 737 on final. See the upcoming article!)

... @ Reklaw (... re: George's new goodies) He turned those lights on Friday night at his camp site & I thought a 747 was getting ready to taxi. Neat set up. ...

[blueldr]

My god, I can't believe it! That can't be "Mr. Originality Personified". The Guru of "As Built" himself! I know I won't be able to sleep for a week.

[mit]

Oh my god!

[SteveF]

Perish the thought - could George be mellowing with age?

[Joe Moilanen]

At least he took the camera port out. That camera port has made me enough money to buy 3 170's

Joe

[Showboatsix]

Nice mods, You will love the baggage door, I installed mine back in 1997, it should have been there from Cessna.

By the way, what landing lght did you use on the faceted bulb? How many watts of power is it rated at?

[GAHorn]

(dual) GE 4461, 12.8 volts, 60 watts, rated 300 hours. They put out a WIDE trapezoid pattern, about 45-degrees wide X 20-degrees high, with the highlighted beam rated 6,000 CP. Everyone wants $17-$25 each for them. Del charged less than $12. http://www.mountainairframe.com/
Phone: 479-437-3333

BTW, Folks, just to give ya'll a head-start on a few of the upcoming article's details: No change to the panel's switches or placards are required with this mod. We used two solenoids...same as the battery master solenoid... on the firewall to switch the lamps, retaining the cockpit "off-taxi-land" switch and placard exactly as original, except now it no longer supplies power directly to the lamps, but instead operates two solenoids (one switch position for the taxi lamps, the second position adds the land lamps) which supply power directly to all four of the lamps. That way the switch is not overloaded either, as all it does is supply an electrical ground to each solenoid. I'll post a pic of the solenoid installation when I get home this week.

[hilltop170]

I just noticed ANOTHER non-standard mod on George's plane while looking at the baggage compartment door picture.

There is a trailing edge bulb on the flaps and ailerons!








Sure wish I had that one on my plane after last night!

How to see stars for a few minutes!

This is the first time I have drawn blood but I have a good excuse, I've only been flying these Cessna taildraggers for 35 years.

[GAHorn]

...There is a trailing edge bulb on the flaps and ailerons!....

Not on the ailerons! (Illegal and balance problems.)


Sorry about the "badge-of-experience". Ouch!

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

George probably has more documented modifications on his "original for the right reasons" 170B than I have on A model.

[GAHorn]

George probably has more documented modifications on his "original for the right reasons" 170B than I have on A model.

Ha! That's probably true!

(Notice, I've never claimed my airplane was original..... I just claim to be an "originality nut".... (mostly).... for the right reasons.)

[blueldr]

George,
The picture of the baggage door looks wrinkley just forward of the new door. Is that some sort of reflection?
Did you use the STC of "Harry the Delicate"? How about the right wing lights. Is there an STC for that too?
I just bootlegged mine.

[N171TD]

BL -- boy do I like your attitude for all the right reasons.

[cfzxo]

Bl
If you look real close those wrinkles just forward of the baggage door appear to be the person taking the picture. might be Richard

Cheers Bill CFZXO 55 170-B 180