Getting closer to the dream...

How to keep the Cessna 170 flying and airworthy.

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Iceman07
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Getting closer to the dream...

Post by Iceman07 »

But I do have a couple of questions:

1) The airplane (C-170A) I am looking at does not have shoulder harneses. What would be a fiar estimate for an installation?

2) I am an avid cyclist (I do a lot of triathlons also). I would love to take my bike with me in my C-170. Is it possible to remove the rear seats so I can lay my bike down in the back?
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tshort
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Post by tshort »

1) Check http://www.basinc-aeromod.com/ ; the base price for the harness alone is 950 or so; not sure what the install would cost.

2) You should be able to remove the rear seats without any trouble ... not sure how easy it would be to put a bike in there, though.

p.s. are you looking at the plane on aso.com that is at Mt. Comfort airport?

Thomas
Thomas Short
1948 C170 N3949V
RV-8 wings in progress
Indianapolis (KUMP)
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Bruce Fenstermacher
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Post by Bruce Fenstermacher »

Iceman there are several threads about shoulder harness which will get into more detail so do a search on them.

From memory ther are 2 setups. The one lat may work the best and cost the most is the BAS enertia real system. I would think that may cost a little over $1000.

If your lucky and your aircraft (B models after '53 I think) has the provisions for simple shoulder harnesses you can buy them for about $150 get some hardware which consist basically of a bolt and spacers, and install the belts yourself.
CAUTION - My forum posts may be worth what you paid for them!

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Iceman07
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Post by Iceman07 »


p.s. are you looking at the plane on aso.com that is at Mt. Comfort airport?

Thomas
No, it's at Indy Aero in Greenfield.
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tshort
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Post by tshort »

Oops ... that's the one I meant.
Are you local or do you have someone here? I could go take a look at it or I have some contacts in Greenfield that might be able to look at it...

Thomas
Thomas Short
1948 C170 N3949V
RV-8 wings in progress
Indianapolis (KUMP)
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tshort
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Post by tshort »

Wait a minute ... Indy Aero is at Mt. Comfort (KMQJ).
I was confused for a minute...
Let me know if I can help.

Thomas
Thomas Short
1948 C170 N3949V
RV-8 wings in progress
Indianapolis (KUMP)
Iceman07
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Post by Iceman07 »

tshort wrote:Wait a minute ... Indy Aero is at Mt. Comfort (KMQJ).
I was confused for a minute...
Let me know if I can help.

Thomas
No, I'm not local, I live in West Hartford, CT. I have contacted the Mechanic at Marion that you recommended, and he will be doing my pre-purchase inspection.

I will probably have them do the inspection before I get over there to actually see the airplane. If the inspection goes well, I will just get to Indy and fly it home.

If you get a chance, you could drop by and take a look at the airplane. If you do, please feel free to drop me a line to let me know what you think. (You better not buy it out from under me, though!)

Also, when I come to get the airplane, it would be great to meet you.

Rich
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tshort
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Post by tshort »

Rich-

When are you having the inspection done?
Let me know if there are specific things you want me to look for ... I live about 10 minutes from KMQJ and could pop over there and look it over. I have a good friend who is an A&P/IA (only does work on his own planes) who would probably go with me.
Don't worry about me buying it - I already have a '48 170 and a skyhawk and am building an RV-8 ... I have more than enough airplane stuff to keep me busy!! :D

Let me know if I can help at all
tmshort_at_gmail_dot_com

Thomas
Thomas Short
1948 C170 N3949V
RV-8 wings in progress
Indianapolis (KUMP)
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Kyle
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Post by Kyle »

Rich,

Greetings from Cape Cod .. I have a 52B model and installed the BAS reel type harnesses last October.

Quantas Blue - Harnesses 940.00 + tax
Install - 3 hrs = 144.00 (S. Carolina Labor rates - It's much higher in the North East)

Hope this helps ..

Good luck, also Doug Mowry has a B model over at Mansfield MA. Consider a breakfast trip this spring if you get it.

Regards,

Kyle T.
Kyle Takakjian
Truro, MA
52 C-170B, N8087A
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Joe Moilanen
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Re: Getting closer to the dream...

Post by Joe Moilanen »

Iceman07 wrote:But I do have a couple of questions:

1) The airplane (C-170A) I am looking at does not have shoulder harneses. What would be a fiar estimate for an installation?

2) I am an avid cyclist (I do a lot of triathlons also). I would love to take my bike with me in my C-170. Is it possible to remove the rear seats so I can lay my bike down in the back?
Your bike will fit in the back if you take your front wheel off. I use a folding Montague for my flying excursions though...no need to remove the seat.

Joe
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Bill Hart
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Post by Bill Hart »

I looked at that airplane before I found the one I bought. I thought I had some pictures of it still I will look and e-mail them if I still have them.

I had the people at Indy Aero take some photos of the wind attach bolts behind the headliner and a few other places and they were all clean and free of corrosion as far as I could see from the photos.
n3833v
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Post by n3833v »

As for bicycles, I have two Dahons that fold. I remove thr rear seat back and one bike goes behind the seat with tha seat belt and the other goes on the seat and belted. I still have room for other :) STUFF.

John
John Hess
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JMACFLY
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Shoulder Harness

Post by JMACFLY »

How long are your arms? You flap handle on the A model is shorter than the B models, so if you have long arms, standard issue and about a 6 ft. frame, then the Hooker Harness will work for you. I have an A model and Hookers. I flew a B model last autumn with fixed shoulder harness and couldn't reach the button on the flap handle. Solution was to keep the flap handle unlocked and pick up the bar when needed without having to reach the button. Hookers are a good brand and less than half the price of the BAS inertia reel. I've had mine for 9 years. I don't think MAF or JAARS use inertia reel shoulder harness.
John
1949 C170A
TIC170A #4747
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jrenwick
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Post by jrenwick »

I have flown my 170 with two full-sized bicycles (one road bike, one trail bike) in the back seat, each with both wheels removed. I didn't remove the back seat to do this, and it wasn't hard to do. Is there another 4-place airplane under 150HP that you can do this with? :)

John
John Renwick
Minneapolis, MN
Former owner, '55 C-170B, N4401B
'42 J-3 Cub, N62088
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GAHorn
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Post by GAHorn »

I don't remember which issue or which publication I read it in, ... but...
We had a member once who modified a Honda 70 or Honda 90 trail bike so it would fit into the back seat area. He and his wife would use it to run around when they got to their destination.
It was a simple mod. He cut the wiring harness where it ran down the step-thru frame and installed a connector-plug so it could easily be plugged back together with the bike re-assembled. He next cut thru the frame just above the engine at the same place he cut the harness. This cut was just above the engine head. (It's an almost round, tubular frame at that point.) He then inserted a steel pipe into the forward frame tube and drilled thru it and installed a bolt, to hold the pipe within the tube. The other end of the exposed pipe would insert into the aft end of the frame tube, and a hole drilled thru it accepts another bolt.
Remove one bolt, disconnect the harness, and stick it in the rear of the airplane. At the destination, re-assemble the tube frame, install the bolt, connect the harness cannon plug again, and Voila! A road-legal motorscooter! Weighed about 220 lbs, as I recall.
'53 B-model N146YS SN:25713
50th Anniversary of Flight Model. Winner-Best Original 170B, 100th Anniversary of Flight Convention.
An originality nut (mostly) for the right reasons. ;)
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