The International Cessna 170 Association

Ok, I got such good advice regarding tail pull handles.... what do you guys think about an extended baggage compartment?

Do any of you have an extended baggage compartment? Do you find it especially useful? How do you secure stuff back there? How do you secure stuff in the regular baggage area to keep it from moving aft when the extended area is empty? Is it practical to have the extended baggage without a baggage door? Do they look nice once installed or would it put me in the rat plane category?

If you don't have one, have you found yourself thinking that you wish you did or have you never needed it?

Thanks in advance,
Keith

Hi Keith,

I have an extended baggage area, and it's nice. I think it goes about two feet back from the regular compartment, and it doesn't detract in any way from the looks of the airplane. You can only put 20 pounds back there, so it's good for light, fluffy things like sleeping bags, pillows, etc., or for carrying long items that aren't so heavy they'd exceed the weight limit for the part of them that's back there.

I could pretty easily get along without it -- whether it's worth something to you really depends on what you're going to be doing with the airplane.

John

I'm planning to fly back and forth from Georgia to Alaska a couple of times during the next two years so I am sure that I can find something to put in an extended baggage area.

I was thinking that while I was having tail pull handles installed it would be a good time to install an extended baggage kit since the mechanic would already be back there working. (rear seat removed, etc.)

Do you also have a baggage door?

Keith

Keith-
If you decide to put in an extended baggage, make the first trip to Alaska without it and have Mike Petrie at Birchwood , 907-688-0346 install his on a field approval. Call early and make an appointment, Mike is booked-up well in advance. It is flat with the floor and the best one I have seen. It is only for the 170B. The 170A has a control cable run just behind the standard baggage compartment which will not allow the extended baggage. The one pictured is in a C-180 but it is essentially the same for a C-170B.

Thanks Richard,

I like the looks of that one. And the tie down rings answer my question about securing the load.

Does it also have sides and / or a top?

It has a back, but that's all unless you fab something.

Selkirk also mfr's an extended baggage compartment, and is STC'd I believe. I also believe it is only for the B-model due the A's and ragwings having control cable interference issues.

Be very careful on figuring the load. The effect of that extra 30+ inches of "arm" is significantly higher than you might expect. Also as your fuel load burns off the "moment" creeps aft very markedly. If you use this chart ( http://www.csgnetwork.com/c170wbcalc.html ( as his disclaimer says "at your own risk") there is no provision to calculate the load beyond 100" aft. Even without that a pilot can see a fairly drastic change in the numbers from 90" to 100".

Just be really careful. I have flown old '93D "over gross" many times and always noted that it really does not like "way aft" loads and that is what you get as you burn down your fuel load to near reserve. If there was a supplier for the under belly pod it might be something to consider.

Here is another "calculator to play with ------------ http://www.eflite.com/software/wb_demos/301/23/
And - - - http://www.dmjwilliams.co.uk/gbsep_weight_balance.htm

Uh... Ol' Gar... Uh.... I think as you burn fuel off...the CG moves forward.... not aft.... in a 170.

My extended baggage area is limited to 20 lbs maximum. Are there extended baggage mods out there that have a higher limit? It's true that the large arm of the extended baggage really exaggerates the effect of any weight you put there.

Absolutely, it does! Work a few wt/bal problems and watch what happens. And rear CG is very dangerous, a stall can be unrecoverable, and a spin can go flat.

flyguy wrote:Be very careful on figuring the load. The effect of that extra 30+ inches of "arm" is significantly higher than you might expect. Also as your fuel load burns off the "moment" creeps aft very markedly. If you use this chart ( http://www.csgnetwork.com/c170wbcalc.html ( as his disclaimer says "at your own risk") there is no provision to calculate the load beyond 100" aft. Even without that a pilot can see a fairly drastic change in the numbers from 90" to 100".

Just be really careful. I have flown old '93D "over gross" many times and always noted that it really does not like "way aft" loads and that is what you get as you burn down your fuel load to near reserve. If there was a supplier for the under belly pod it might be something to consider.

Here is another "calculator to play with ------------ http://www.eflite.com/software/wb_demos/301/23/
And - - - http://www.dmjwilliams.co.uk/gbsep_weight_balance.htm

gahorn wrote:Uh... Ol' Gar... Uh.... I think as you burn fuel off...the CG moves forward.... not aft.... in a 170.

This should start an iteresting discussion. Studying the the Weight and Balance program mentioned by "flyguy" as George says the CG does move very slowly forward as fuel is burned off however as the Gross Weight is reduced by fuel burn the forward CG limit moves forward faster that the CG moves forward making the CG seem to move aft. Magic

Yeah, I was afraid that comment would start a CG-Wars thread. (But I couldn't resist giving Ol' Gar a blown brain-fuse.

So, I'm still curious. Is there an extended baggage mod that's legal with more than 20 pounds of baggage in it?

jrenwick wrote:So, I'm still curious. Is there an extended baggage mod that's legal with more than 20 pounds of baggage in it?

I would posit that the 20lb limitation is precisely for the reason discussed in posts above - W&B - and not from any inherent weakness in the materials. Some of Selkirks other kits have 30 and 40 lb weight limits depending on the aircraft. I doubt that you will find any thing else with a higher authorized weight for the 170.



It is on my list for purchase and installation before next winter because I have the specific need to stow bulky but light wing and cowl covers during winter flights.