The International Cessna 170 Association

Jazasaguma, ive been following your thread and enjoying it. Keep it coming.

If no one takes up your offer on the AN instruments, don't pitch them. They are valuable to the warbird crowd. I was just at Keystone Instruments in Lock Haven, PA about a week ago and they were telling me about how those AN gyro instruments are tanks and last forever, much longer than modern gyros, and that they are needed for warbird restorations. So if no one responds, i suggest you call Keystone. 570-748-7083.

Well I like your trailer idea. I've seen a few versions but I like the simplicity of the angles attached at the back. Just thinking about it, would it not be safer to have a u channel of the same width rather than an 90 degree angle piece, so that the wheels couldn't splay out ? Most of the time, I've seen trailers that try to have the bulk of the weight forward and hence a means to retain the wheels at the front. What about the weight distribution when an engine is still hanging?

All great questions Jim. I had the same thoughts and I'll share why I chose this configuration. Yes.... I almost bolted the extensions on upside down to create a Channel.... but if you notice.... I mounted them lower than the bed so in effect.... they are locked in! I considered the possibility of splaying but will simply strap between the wheels to prevent that. As far the weight of the engine hanging off and causing the trailer to fishtail... I actually did a weight and balance with a 170 loaded, tail feathers removed, engine on, both wings flat and forward on the bed as well as the tail feathers and struts. The tongue weight of the trailer was just under 200 lbs and the center of mass of the loaded trailer was 2" behind the forward axle. So..... the load may look tail (engine) heavy, but in reality, it's almost a perfect weight distribution. Think of a loaded pontoon boat with the huge outboard motor hanging off the back. Kinda the same thing, only better/safer in my case. Now..... I actually ran the numbers with the plane facing forward and the tongue weight was horrendous!! I'd be more concerned about the trailer structure with the center of the mass of weight so far forward of the axles. I do have a plan in case I ever haul a nose dragger tho..... the axles bolt onto each frame rail with two bolts on each side. I'll simply drill new holes and move the axles forward a couple feet or three. Being that there are torsion axles with no leaf springs, it's a 30 minute operation. Thanks for your questions!!

skipping back to the horizontal stab posts. If you still need one, I have one complete and the other with all but the skins on the left half. I think they are pretty much corrosion free. The complete one had some work done around one inspection hole. It isn't in perfect shape - and is zinc chromated. PM me if you want more info.

Nice healthy piece of wood right??!

Yep. One would assume it is. One of my "other" hobbies is restoring Antique cars, and I like the OLD OLD cars. Pre-1925-26......most are wooden framework, skinned with sheet metal. Well....I bought a 1923 Franklin (yes....same company as the Franklin aircraft engine, but that came later), car was way ahead of its time. Air cooled straight 6. Wooden frame, aluminum body.....and committed to building a speedster to run the Great Race again. Well.....cutting off the old body that I assumed was solid (it's ok, it didn't "chop it" as it was half missing anyway) and to my surprise, I found that termites had already taken up residence and completely hollowed out the wooden structure!!!!! Why post this..... well.... there are some guys with 170s that may have other Antique airplanes with wooden spars! PLEASE check them out carefully during restoration!!

Scary isn't it?? Now I can't speak to the appetites of termites as it applies to flavors of wood. This is Ash as opposed to Spruce....but I can only hope spruce leaves a bitter taste in their mouths!! Do they have mouths?? Lol. Anyway.... for anyone following my journey on the 170B resto.... I have Haven't thrown in the towel....I've just been in the process of converting my two car sweat box garage into a 3 car air conditioned dream shop/airplane restoration factory..... as anybody who's been to south Louisiana in summer can attest.... it's get HOT AND HUMID here, starting in April!!! So I bit the bullet and went all in so I can kick plane butt year-round! More plane pics and progress to follow soon!!

Anxious to see more progress as your project continues to unfold.

Back in the late '60s I heard a Bellanca salesman reassure a buyer who was skeptical of wooden structures by saying, "I'll trust termites to metal-fatigue anyday!"

Although wood is the original composite material.... that photo would take the steam out of the salesman's pitch, heh?

Yep. Now don't get me wrong.... I LOVE wood! I've had a cub with wooden spars, a Monocoupe with wooden spars, and even built a KR-2 with wooden spars. It's an amazing building medium. Does not fatigue. Easy to cut, shape, laminate and is cheap and plentiful. My intention was not to freak out anybody with those pictures..... simply to not underestimate Mother Nature and be aware of what "can" happen. I'm sure 99.9% of wood spar planes are fine.

Ask american champion why they exchanged their wooden spared main planes for all metal main planes . I saw their nails becoming loose in the spars . Most Proctor aircraft [british built] have been grounded due to the glue breaking down . NAH!!Give me a spam can any day with corrosion , cracking , and metal fatigue any day . dont start me on Tupperware ware aircraft [plastic ].

Question for uber knowledgeable Cessna guys...... will Cessna a set of 1960 172A wings bolt up and function normally on my 1955 170B? Would I have to modify or swap anything out? Is it a legal swap? Thanks in advance.

Wing swap discussed here and in this video a Cessna Rep. talks about six things to consider when swapping wings.

Jazasaguma wrote:Question for uber knowledgeable Cessna guys...... will Cessna a set of 1960 172A wings bolt up and function normally on my 1955 170B? Would I have to modify or swap anything out? Is it a legal swap? Thanks in advance.

In a simple nut shell, yes this is probably a bolt on swap. As the video points out, you should probably plan on using your old fuel tanks with fuel quantity system and fuel lines though you may find them the same.

Is it a legal swap? If you do it legally. This means you gather the information on the wings you want to use. Contact Cessna and though they will not approve the swap, they have in the past, issued letters of support for the swap. The 2014 video indicates they may still do this and this is in line with the older letters we have in our files. You take that evidence to the FAA for their approval on a 337.

Bruce,
I agree that such a swap should be done in consultation with one's local FSDO but I doubt if it would require a 337 form. In this case one is replacing the same part number, not going to a later or different Cessna model wing. It is not a major alteration or repair which is what a 337 form would be used for. Might it not just require a logbook entry detailing the swap? One catch might be how the airframe logbook total time is calculated. Say you put an 8000 hour wing on a 3000 hour fuselage. Do you now include "wing total time" and "fuselage total time" in every logbook entry?