Is this 49 original?

[AWilson]

Found this under my rear seat upholstery. Seems original. I have more pictures if this is significant. Will be taking my side panels apart and front seats eventually.

[DWood]

Probably original.

Search this 170A as it is probably one of the best 170A restorations. I believe Steve sold it but there are alot of articles and pictures out there:

Steve Jacobson, Fort Worth, TX
1950 Cessna 170A, N5752C

[AWilson]

I can’t seem to find info on 49.
But thanks for the tip. I’ll keep looking

[n2582d]

I agree with Dan that you’re looking at original back seat upholstery. If the moderators agree that it’s original, I’d suggest they place the photo of it with the photo documentation of the 1949 C-170A in the Mx Library. An article in Plane & Pilot Magazine of Jacobson’s 1950 C-170A says,

“One of the biggest challenges we encountered during restoration was finding cabin-interior fabric details and specifications,” says Jacobson. “This information was not readily available until Cessna started producing the 170B model. Just when we were about to give up on the original interior, Steve Fushelberger, a former Cessna employee, put me in touch with Ron Partridge, Customer Service Manager, at Cessna’s Propeller Division. With the permission of Jack Pelton, Cessna’s CEO, Ron was able to provide me with archived factory engineering interior drawings for N5752C. This included the original fabric specs, as well as the dimensions and locations of the stitch lines.”

“Using this information, Ronnie Broadhead, owner of Buster’s Upholstery in Porterville, Calif., re-created the original interior. Ronnie has restored several award-winning Cessna 195 interiors and is well known in California for his custom interiors in helicopters and collector cars,” Jacobson explains.

As you can see in the attached photo the fabric is different than yours but I think that could just be a change from 1949 to 1950.

N5752D Interior

As a side note, looking at your aircraft records, it once had Metco-Aire tricycle gear installed. In the ‘80’s it was returned to the taildragger configuration by a mechanic who, until a few years ago, worked at my home airport.

[DWood]

You have enough evidence to prove that the upholstery is original.
The vinyl design on the rear seat matches what I have seen even on 48's.
The fabric appears a little darker than I have seen but as an Oshkosh judge, the picture and a fabric sample in the presentation book would be enough evidence to prove it is original.

[AWilson]

I greatly appreciate your reply. I feel a responsibility to at a minimum provide anything I can offer to the forum records. I just don’t know what to document. I think alot if not all the interior paint colors are correct at least in some spot. I was told previously that my panel was one of the most original they have seen.
The baggage area behind the seats is enclosed in green canvas. This same material is on top of the seat springs. So I will see whats under the side, door, and front seat panels.

[AWilson]

As a side note, looking at your aircraft records, it once had Metco-Aire tricycle gearg installed. In the ‘80’s it was returned to the taildragger configuration by a mechanic who, until a few years ago, worked at my home airport.
[/quote]

My aircraft is in annual so the mechanic has the records. But I have a picture of it on the tri gear. It was that way I believe 20 years. Looked goofy.

Ill post it later this week.

[DWood]

The baggage area behind the seats is enclosed in green canvas. This same material is on top of the seat springs. So I will see whats under the side, door, and seat panels.

A 48 I owned had the green canvas in the baggage compartment. That is original and heavy. Since it might be worn out, have one made that looks like canvas that should be lighter. Doubt you would loose any points.

Here is the judging manual for AirVenture.
https://eaavintage.org/wp-content/uploa ... ture-1.pdf

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

As Dan has said, that green canvas is original. Nice pictures of it would be nice fo the archives.

[n2582d]

Here's a photo from Robert Brown of the Barkweave Brown and Barkweave Green rear seat backs side-by-side. Could you place this in the 1948 Photo Documentation Bruce?

Click to Enlarge