Cessna Flyer

“Members” menu, click on “Parts Locating” and fill out the form. We’ll get on it as quickly as we can. You can also email kent@aviationgroupltd.com. What kinds of parts do we locate? Here are some recent finds: Teflon should harness retainer for 172L; Cowling for a 1967 182; Gascolator for a 1962 182E; Rear propeller for a 337 Skymaster; 60 amp alternator for a 1978 206; Fuel gauge sensor for the right tank of a 1968 150H. And a couple that took a little extra effort, much appreciated by members: “I ordered the [P210 anti-ice shield] you found, and indeed, it was not cheap—but it was less than I was expecting. It is exactly what I was looking for: a rare part, completely refur- bished and good-to-go. Your service will be bragged about to all within my aerosphere.” —Drew Chitea “Mack had [the 1974 172M lighting knobs] I needed and we made the transaction. Your help in finding these rare parts was awesome and quick. Thank you.” —Kevin Horner We almost always find the part—or find it at a better price. Occasionally, we get stumped. Right now, we are on the trail of a door strut for a pressurized 210 that’s proving hard to find. If you happen to have one packed away in your hangar, give us a call. And don’t forget to take advantage of this valuable member benefit—it’s there for you when you need it. Blue skies, LETTERS to the EDITOR Send your letters to editor@cessnaflyer.org CFA supporter Desser Tire offers good customer service to Cessna Flyer member Dear Cessna Flyer, I want to relay to you my good experience with Desser Tire. By mistake, I ordered the wrong- sized tire for my plane. Unaware, and not ready for installation, the tires sat all wrapped up in my closet for many months. When I got ready to install, I discovered my error. I called Desser Tire to explain, accept blame—and to ask if they could help. Ralph at Desser could not have been nicer in shipping out the cor- rect tires and telling me how to ship the improper tires back for a full credit. I was so pleased and relieved. This is a first-class company that I would urge Cessna Flyer members to support. Sincerely, Tom Wukits Mansfield, Texas Publisher’s reply Thank you for taking the time to write and share your experience with Desser. We will pass this along. Best, Jen CES SNA F LYE R (08) J U NE 2018 Recently completed parts requests. ©2018 Honeywell International Upgrade your CitationJet for ADS-B Out with less downtime. To learn more, call 1.855.250.7027, contact your local BendixKing dealer or visit bendixking.com/V4/CNI5000 BendixKing knows your flight time is valued. That’s why we created an unparalleled ADS-B Out upgrade for your CNI 5000 Integrated Avionics System. It is the only affordable, quick and easy retrofit made to replace existing KT 70 transponders, thanks to new KT 74s. We even provide a simple path to stream ADS-B wireless Wi-Fi weather to your tablet. ADS-B Out compliance for your CitationJet model 525 or 525A is here and it’s easier than you may think. Don’t wait and risk being grounded. Upgrade today. we go all-out by offering spectacular dis- counts on our most popular products and provide a chance for our loyal customers to meet our vendors. Come join the fun and get a chance to win big prizes. Enjoy a free grilled bratwurst and cold soda sponsored by the Red Canoe. 8 am to 3 pm. For more information, phone 877- 795-2278 or 519-759-5017. Jun 18–19 — Olathe, KS. G500/G600 & GTN Pilot Training at Garmin Head- quarters. A two-day class for pilots who are considering an avionics upgrade or those who already have an existing GTN 650/750 and/or G500/G600 installed in the panel of their aircraft. The col- laborative environment is designed to help pilots transition from analog flight instruments and offers attendees the op- portunity to practice real-world in-flight scenarios with Garmin avionics. 8 am to 5 pm both days. $625 for instruction and a factory tour, lunch and Kansas City barbeque dinner. To see a list of all classes and register, visit https://fly.garmin.com/ fly-garmin/training/. Jul 23–29 — Oshkosh, WI. Wittman Regional Airport (KOSH). EAA AirVen- ture Oshkosh 2018. The World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration with daily airshows, activities for youth and young adults, and thousands of forums and workshops. Special events, static displays, mass arriv- als, exhibitors, concerts and more. Daily tickets and weekly passes available. For more information, visit airventure.org. Jul 25–27 — Clinton, IA. Clinton Munici- pal (KCWI). 18th annual Cessna 150-152 Club National Fly-in: “The Confab in the Corn.” Flyers from all corners of the United States, Canada and even overseas come together for family fun, flying and CFA EVENTS Jul 21–22 — Waupaca Municipal (KPCZ). The 14th annual Gathering at Waupaca. CFA’s annual pre-OSH event with fun, food and friendship. Saturday night welcome reception at KPCZ sponsored by Wipaire. Informative seminars with reps from Continental Motors, Eagle Fuel Cells, Electroair, UTC, Parker Hannifin and more. Lunch and an evening banquet on Sunday. Motor coach to and from Oshkosh for the first three days of EAA AirVenture sponsored by Tempest (two days) and Uni- vair (one day). Registration is $125. Visit CessnaFlyer.org for more details. FEATURED EVENTS Jun 16 — Brantford, ON. Brantford Mu- nicipal (CYFD). Aircraft Spruce Canada Super Sale. This is the time of year when SEND EVENTS to editor@cessnaflyer.org continued on Page 12... As the LARGEST Single-Engine Cessna Used Parts Dealer IN THE WORLD, we’ll help you find everything you need ...with only ONE call! AIRFRAME Wings, Cowlings, Interiors, Control Surfaces, Landing Gear, Tail Surfaces, Engine and Flight Instruments AVIONICS King, Narco, ARC, Collins, Nav/Com, Transponder, AME, DME, Autopilot Trays and complete harness included! All units 100% satisfaction guaranteed Wentworth Aircraft Inc. • 6000 Douglas Drive N. • Crystal, MN 55429 CESSNA | PIPER | HOMEBUILTS WENTWORTH AIRCRAFT, INC. Huge Volume | Fresh Stock | 80,000 Sq. Ft. of Indoor Storage | 30-Day Satisfaction Guarantee RFQs Online, Fax or Phone Hard-to-find parts aren’t hard to find here! Phone 763-231-8484 Fax 763-231-8482 Email wentacpart@aol.com ENGINES LYCOMING O-235 to IO-540 CONTINENTAL O-200 to IO-520 Complete engines with accessories and complete logs! Also Cylinders, Mags, Accessories CES SNA F LYE R (10) J U NE 2018 SIX DAYS. 18 FORUMS. 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The information is priceless. NE W FOR 2018: SELEC T SUPERIOR AIR PARTS FORUMS QUALIF Y FOR FA A A&P I/A RENE WAL CREDIT! Events continued from Page 10... nextgen ads-b mandate is fast approaching! If so, contact us today for a quote on an ADS-B installation in your aircraft and BEAT THE RUSH! www.brantaero.com friendship. Flying contests (spot land- ing, Nerf football drop, flying scavenger hunt); seminars on maintenance and other subjects pertaining to the C150 series airplanes. Thursday night luau. Friday night banquet where contest awards are given, as well as many door prizes. Contact Dale C. Larsen, dclarsen@ubta- net.com or phone 435-823-2934. Visit cessna150-152club.com. Sep 29 — Corona, CA. Corona Municipal (CAJO). Aircraft Spruce West – Super Sale. This is the time of year when we go all out by offering spectacular discounts on our most popular products and provide a chance for our loyal customers to meet our vendors. So come join the fun and get a chance to win big prizes. Enjoy a free Southern smokin’ cookout and soda on us. 7 am to 3 pm. For more information, phone 951-372-9555 or 800-861-3192. OTHER EVENTS Jun 2 — Hot Springs, SD. Hot Springs Municipal (KHSR). Fly-in Family Fun Day. Be a part of this inaugural event to be held the first Saturday in June each year. Breakfast 7 to 10 am; lunch 10:30 am to 1 pm. Tethered hot air balloons, flour drop competitions, STOL demonstration. Glider rides available. For more information, contact Ed Jensen, Airport Manager, at 605-890-6479. Jun 4–5 — Salem, OR. G500/600 and GTN™ Regional Pilot Training Seminar. A classroom-based training opportu- nity covering the G500/G600 and GTN 650/750 avionics suite. This course explores all of the capabilities the G500/ G600 retrofit glass-panel and GTN series of navigators have to offer. Hands-on, scenario-based training with a strong emphasis on flight planning and instru- ment procedures. $795. To see a list of all classes and register, visit https://fly.garmin. com/fly-garmin/training. Jun 9 — San Antonio, TX. San Geronimo Air Park (8T8). EAA Chapter 35 Picnic. Come join our annual picnic! 11:30 am to 3 pm. Contact Jose Garcia, 915-203-1361. Visit eaa35.org. Jun 8–10 — Willow Springs, MO. Willow Springs Memorial Airport (1H5). Fly-in/ Camp-out. Come for the weekend! Live music, Friday evening meal; pancake continued on Page 14... CES SNA F LYE R (12) J U NE 2018 W W W . D A V I D C L A R K . C O M © 2018 David Clark Company Incorporated ® Green headset domes are a David Clark registered trademark. HYBRID Outlast ® is the only head pad technology that actually absorbs excess heat buildup from the top of your head, virtually eliminating ‘hot spots’ to keep you cool and comfortable in flight. And it’s only found on David Clark DC ONE-X headsets. Order the DC ONE-X headset online at www.davidclark.com or call 800-298-6235 for more information. An Employee Owned American Company Think of it as clim ate controlforyourcockpit. T Th hiin nk k o off iitt a as s c clliim m a a o ollffo orryyo ou urrc co oc ck kp piitt.. Visit Us At EAA AirVenture Booth #2104-2105 breakfast Saturday, sandwich lunch, fish fry Saturday evening; biscuits and gravy and more on Sunday morning before de- parture. Static displays, Young Eagle rides and so much more planned. Rain or shine! Contact Tom White, 417-252-0332. Visit 1218.eaachapter.org. Jun 9 — Brainerd, MN. Brainerd Lakes Regional (KBRD). 2018 “Grass is a Gas” Poker Run. Start at KBRD, fly to four Northern Minnesota grass strips, pick up a sealed envelope with a playing card at each stop. Play your hand back at KBRD. Great prizes for top hands, many door prizes—everyone goes home with some- thing. Event is FREE! Fuel discounts from NorthPoint Aviation and fun at every stop. 8 am to 1:30 pm. Contact Mike Petersen, 612-750-2981. Jun 9 — Smoketown, PA. Smoketown Airport (S37). Smoketown Airport Fly-in/ Cruise-in Breakfast. Fly-in breakfast with old car show and live music. Young Eagle flights for ages 8 to 17. 8 to 11 am. Break- fast $7. Rain date June 10. Contact Jack Henderson, toytug@msn.com or phone 717-872-5297. Visit eaa540.org. Jun 9 — Clearfield, PA. Clearfield/Law- rence Airport (KFIG). Fly-in/Drive-in Pancake Breakfast. EAA Chapter 748 will hold its annual pancake breakfast from 8 am to 12 pm. Meal includes all-you-can- eat pancakes, sausage, eggs, coffee, tea and orange juice. Adults $7; children 6-12 $4. Contact David McCracken, eaa748clfd@ gmail.com or phone 814-857-7261. Jun 9 — Cookson, OK. Tenkiller Airpark (44M). Cookson Jubilee Fly-in Pancake Breakfast. Pancake breakfast with the Cookson Jubilee Music Festival held adja- cent to the airport June 8-9. Tent camping permitted; fuel available for check or cash. Come camp, enjoy the music and join us for breakfast 7:30 to 10 am. Cost is your donation. Sponsored by EAA Chapter 1040. Contact Val, veedster@aol.com or phone 918-457-4774. Jun 9 — Massey, MD. Massey Aerodrome (MD1). 47th Antique Airplane Fly-in. Judged Antique airplane fly-in now at MD1 (formerly the Horn Point Antique Fly-in) conducted by the Potomac Antique Aero Squadron (PAAS). Contact PAAS fly-in director Mike Strieter, strieterstin- son@verizon.net or phone 301-440-5294. AAA judging from 9:30 am to 2 pm. Events continued from Page 12... continued on Page 94... CES SNA F LYE R (14) J U NE 2018 FOD: MEET DURATHERM ® New, advanced element design is less likely to ground your aircraft. Goodrich patented DuraTherm® technology is resistant to foreign object damage (FOD), providing continued operation if struck. It offers better operational efficiency through more uniform heat distribution and is fully interchangeable with current prop de-icers. Learn more at goodrichdeicing.com 800 DE-ICERS (800 334 2377) | deicers@utas.utc.com continued on Page 18... Kevin Garrison’s aviation career began at age 15 as a lineboy in Lakeland, Florida. He came up through General Aviation, retired as a 767 captain in 2006 and retired from instructing airline pilots in 2017. Garrison’s professional writing career has spanned three decades. Send questions or comments to editor@cessnaflyer.org. THE HIGH AND THE WRITEY KEVIN GARRISON …your aircraft, combined with your piloting skills, have taken you to places and spaces that most humans never experience. Oh, The Places You Will Go! No matter what type of pilot you are, you have surely traveled to some pretty cool places. Congratulations! Today is your day. You’re off to Great Places! You’re off and away! —Dr. Seuss, “Oh, The Places You’ll Go!” Some pilots are “A-to-B” kind of people. They own and fly airplanes because they want to travel fast and high to places that may not be available any other way. Other pilots are “A-to-A” types. They enjoy flying just for the sake of flying. An hour of practice landings at their home air- port is more than enough to satisfy their need to aviate. Of course, most of us are a combina- tion of both—we use our airplanes to go to various destinations, but also enjoy the occasional sightseeing or training ride. I started out as an A-to-A guy, transi- tioned to a long-term A-to-B pilot when I was flying professionally, and have recently morphed back into a sunny-day, VFR A-to-A person. An hour in my Cessna 140 on a calm day more than refreshes my flying mojo. Sometimes, a small fly-in or lunch date will send me cross- country, but I am now content to hang around my hangar and watch the contrails of aircraft I used to fly pass overhead on their way to mundane or exciting destinations. Places and spaces I was a liberal arts major in college. This means I may not be able to do all the exotic math required to fly over the North Atlantic or to map the terrain into Reno, Nevada, but I can probably write a nice poem about how I feel about them. Looking back on those two geographical points on the planet, I don’t remember being particularly impressed when I was flying over and into them. It was a week or two later when I said to myself, Wow, Kevin, you really did fly an airliner over the Atlantic! When I was a younger college-aged person preparing for my upcoming lifelong career flying airplanes, I spent a lot of time in philosophy classes discussing the concept of “space” in life and society. I know, it sounds very liberal arts, doesn’t it? We discussed space in terms of mental attitude, physi- cal location and the sacred importance of the space you are occupying or discussing. “Sacred,” in this case, means “venerated” space. For example, if you have flown over Pearl Harbor, Oahu in Hawaii you may have had a feeling that this airspace was special because of the attack that began the United States’ journey in World War II. You might feel a sadness followed by pride. There is no actual physical pride or sadness in the air—you are feeling the sacred- ness of the airspace. I used to get a chill when I flew airliners into London’s air- space. I remembered how a few Spitfire and Hurricane pilots managed to save civilization in the same nitrogen/oxygen mix I was currently flying 300 tourists through. I would see the White Cliffs of Dover and think back on how welcoming that sight must have been for our bomber pilots nursing their battle-damaged aircraft back to England after a day of terror and death in the skies over the Reich. You have flown through your own per- sonal sacred airspace. It may be less historic than Pearl Harbor or London, but it makes you think and remember and feel things you would not in any other way. You might get this feeling when flying the traffic pattern at your home airport that was also the home airport to your dad or mom. You are trave- ling the same downwind, base and final that your ancestors flew before you were born. Fly low over Niagara Falls, or close around Mount Rainier, or do the VFR climb eastbound out of Salt Lake City and you’ll get the feeling that you are a privileged person flying through sacred air. If you have flown long enough to see some of these sights—and then felt sorry for ground-bound people who never saw a circular rainbow or the Northern Lights— you must admit that your aircraft, combined with your piloting skills, have taken you to places and spaces that most humans never experience. Bathroom to bathroom I am often asked by people who don’t know me and most likely don’t care about me to tell them what it was like to fly to so many sometimes-exotic places. My answer is a cynical one: “Oh, my flying career has mostly been made of flying from one bathroom to another.” CES SNA F LYE R (16) J U NE 2018 Avemco Insurance Company is a member of the Tokio Marine HCC group of companies. ADS0156 (11/16) We want to make it right again. Call us. (800) 822 9123 Avemco.com Avemco Insurance Company is a member of the Tokio Marine HCC group of companies. ADS0162 (01/18) CES SNA F LYE R (18) J U NE 2018 This usually gets them to leave me alone, but there is some truth to my snarky answer— and you might even agree with it from a practical standpoint. Flying cross-county for so long for so many years tends to make you more than a little jaded. You go from thinking, “Wow! I get to fly to Paris tomorrow night!” to “Crap! I have to fly to Paris again tomorrow night.” You may have dozens of examples of places you’ve flown to that don’t fire up your imagination or memories, other than to think, “Meh, Vegas…” It is human nature to do this. I worked with space shuttle astronauts a little bit back when I was a 767 instructor, and even though they would sometimes talk about the wonder of spaceflight, their conversations were mostly about the day-to- day of the job in space. What is my favorite place, for real, without cynicism? San Diego. I used to fly there every week back in my early 727 flying days. I had a bicycle at the hotel (it may still be parked under the stairwell, if you want to borrow it) and I always had at least a 24-hour layover. I was young enough to go to sleep after a full day with a clear head and wake up in the morning with nothing hurting. Life was good, and KSAN was beautiful and warm. Future destinations As a Cessna owner-pilot, you have almost total control over the places you will go. Other than the places you feel you must fly to, like to a visit with family or to a training date, you can pick and choose—and your choices are unlimited. Where will you go? I must plan my future destinations carefully because, like you, I am limited by how much things (like fuel) cost. I don’t have the money to decide to bop off to San Diego on a whim, and I bet most of you must plan where you are going with a lot of care and attention to detail like I do. It used to be when I flew professionally that I went places for the simple reason that the job required me to. Lots of times it wasn’t fun because of weather, or was a lot of work for other reasons. Now, I am not only a liberal arts major, but also a liberal arts pilot. I get to choose my destinations. Here is how I pick the places I will go. Each trip must be at least one of these things: • It must be fun. If I can’t see any fun in going, I don’t go. • It must serve a purpose. Transporting cancer patients or adoptable puppies would apply here. • It must be an adventure. There are still places I haven’t flown into that would be a blast and a challenge to attempt. • It must have some special meaning to me. Like the airspace over London, or the air over Oahu or an approach from the east into KSAN. Where have you flown that has had a special significance to you? Places and airspaces that have made you happy, got- ten your fun meter pegged, or given you goosebumps? Log on to the forum at CessnaFlyer.org and look for the topic “My Special Flight(s)” under the Magazine Extras category. ON YOUR NEXT COUPLED APPROACH, MAKE SURE YOU CAN TRUST YOUR AUTOPILOT TO BE RIGHT THERE WITH YOU. GFC™ 500 AUTOPILOT FOR MORE DETAILS ABOUT SUPPORTED AIRCRAFT AND WHAT WE’RE WORKING ON, VISIT GARMIN.COM/GFC500. © 2018 Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries. *With appropriate equipment. LOW-MAINTENANCE DESIGN ULTIMATE IN PERFORMANCE Now for selec | V-Tail Bonanza | | Cessna 172 | Cessna 182 | | Piper PA-28 | AVAILABLE ATTITUDE-BASED AUTOPILOT SAFETY-ENCHANCING ESP™ AND LEVEL MODE ADVANCED AUTOPILOT MODES COUPLED GO-AROUND* Cracked landing gear parts on an R182, understanding airspeed limi- tations of a 182P and a missing spring on a 210 air induction door. Hi Steve, I’m faced with a serious problem. I am the proud owner of a 1978 Cessna R182 Skylane RG. It’s been a very good airplane for me and my partners. It’s the sole airplane in our four-mem- ber flying club. One of our members suggested we take our airplane to a Cessna Service Center for this year’s annual. We met, and we agreed— based on what you and others have written—that it would be a good idea to get a new inspector to look from time to time. We aren’t upset with the guy who has been doing our work, but he fell and cracked a couple of ribs recently and he told us he wouldn’t be recovered in time to get our annual done before it runs out of calendar time. The Cessna shop said they were very familiar with the R182, so our airplane is in annual right now. The member who suggested the Cessna center, Ted, has been able to keep one eye on the proceedings and has told me that he’s happy with the profession- alism and what he calls the “good work ethic” of the shop. We were very surprised when the shop called to say that both landing gear hydraulic housings were cracked and that both landing gear pivots were cracked. The shop manager suggested we sit down before he told us the price to replace these parts. When he said the cost of these four parts new from Cessna listed at over $65,000, we couldn’t believe it. We asked him to make sure that he couldn’t get the parts for less. He said he would try. Can this be true? Bad-gear Gary Dear Gary, The Cessna Service Center found the cracked parts because they complied with a couple of Cessna Service Bulletins. Your previous mechanic may not have performed inspections spelled out in these bulletins because there is no requirement for own- ers to comply with Cessna Service Bulletins. Based on the report about what they found, I’m sure you are both grateful that the service bulletins were done—cracked landing gear parts are no joke—and aghast at the cost of returning your airplane to flight status. Steve Ells has been an A&P/IA for 44 years. He is a commercial pilot with instrument and multi-engine ratings, and loves utility and bush-style airplanes and operations. Ells was a tech rep and editor for Cessna Pilots Association and associate editor for AOPA Pilot. He owns Ells Aviation (EllsAviation.com) and lives in Templeton, California. Send questions and comments to editor@cessnaflyer.org. I’ve listed a few service bulletins that apply. These bulletins call for inspections for cracks. From field reports I’ve gotten, the cracks are originating and promulgating from poor machin- ing and less-than-ideal surface smoothing and finishing on the original Cessna parts. I urge you to ask the service center to attempt to polish out the areas that look cracked. Often very slight surface defects appear to be cracks. In some cases, what looks like a crack can be polished out without affecting the airworthiness of the part. There’s a big “if” in my polishing advice, though. If the crack in the pivot referred to in SEB 11-2 (below) has advanced to the point that the brake pedal feels mushy, that means the crack has gone through the pivot and the part must be replaced. The service bulletins that likely were performed are SEB01-2, 01-2 Revision 1 and 01-2 Revision 2 that contain informa- tion for inspecting the main landing gear actuator housings in Cessna 172 Cutlass RG, R182 Skylane RG, TR182 Turbo Skylane RG, and all Cessna 210 models starting with the 1962 210 through the 1986 210, T210 and P210 aircraft. The initial inspection should be at 3,000 airframe hours or at next inspection if the airframe already has 3,000 hours. The inspection requires removal and disassembly of the left and right gear actuators to gain access inside each actuator housing. Once the housings are disassembled and cleaned, one area must be inspected for cracks using the fluorescent dye penetrant method. If cracks are found, the housings must be replaced. According to SEB01-2, the original housings installed on your 1978 R182 may be one of three part numbers; Part No. QUESTIONS & ANSWERS STEVE ELLS CES SNA F LYE R (20) J U NE 2018 R182 main landing gear pivot location. CES SNA F LYE R (22) J U NE 2018 1281001-4, 1281001-5 or 1281001-6. One of the three parts is installed on your airplane. The approximate cost for a new housing from Cessna ranges from $5,800 to $13,300, depending on the part number. If the inspection shows no cracks, reassemble the actuator and reinstall it and the landing gear pivot and gear leg. Use new seals and O-rings during reassembly. SEB01-02, which Cessna considers mandatory, cites a rein- spection interval of 500 hours. Labor for the inspection is cited at eight hours per side. When you have the actuator housings out and clean, I recom- mend that any surfaces that have sharp edges be smoothed out. This smoothing reduces the possibility of a crack originating from a stress riser in the metal surface. Another bulletin, SEB11-2, calls for non-destructive testing (NDT) of steel landing gear pivots. It applies to all R182 and TR182 serial numbers. SEB11-2 requires the removal and inspection of the left and right landing gear pivot assemblies to inspect for cracks around the splined area of the pivot. The pivot must be inspected both visually and by using either the Magnaflux method or by the fluorescent dye penetrant method. Both inspection techniques are well-defined in the bulletin. If cracks are found, the pivot must be replaced. A new pivot from Cessna for your R182 lists at $23,900. Since these parts are very expensive, many salvage yards are now selling used serviceable parts that offer a significant sav- ings over new parts. Some salvage yards do perform the inspec- tions called out in the service bulletins. If you want to explore using a used part, check with your mechanic. Assuming he/she is willing to approve the installation of a used part, you may want to ask Cessna Flyer Association for help in locating the part. I hope you’re back in the air soon. Steve Hi Steve, I have a 1976 Cessna 182P Skylane, and when reading the POH (I try to do it often) I noticed under Section 1, “Performance/ Specs,” the airspeed was listed as “Max. at sea level: 148 knots; Cruise at 75 percent power/6,500 feet: 144 knots.” However, in Section 2 under “Airspeed Limitations,” VNO is 141 kias. Why is there a difference in the airspeeds in Section 1 and Section 2? George Hi George, V NO is the speed at the top of the normal operating range on your airspeed indicator. You can identify it on your gauge as the top of the green arc. VNO is also called “maximum structural cruising speed.” Flight at speeds above VNO bring the aircraft into a point in its operational envelope where significant vertical wind gusts could overstress the airframe; causing structural damage or even failure. According to the FAA, “If you fly above VNO,—in the yel- low arc or ‘caution range’—and you encounter air that is not smooth, you could cause damage to the aircraft.” Your POH’s Section 2-5 states “Operations [above VNO] must be conducted with caution and only in smooth air.” If you’re going to cruise at or above VNO, do so carefully. You asked about the difference between VNO and the 182P’s maximum speed listed in the POH. The 148-knot maximum speed which you see in the book is also known as VH . The FAA defines VH as the “maximum speed in level flight at maximum continuous power.” As you noted, the 182P’s VH at sea level as 148 ktas. That is above the 141 ktas VNO speed. However, very few 182 operators SEB11-2 calls for inspection of the splined area of the landing gear pivot assembly. INSPECT HERE INSPECT HERE ©2018 Icom America Inc. The Icom logo is a registered logo of Icom Inc. 42570 NEW A25 Series Powerful NAV/COM Air Band Portable with Built-in GPS & Bluetooth® * www.icomamerica.com/A25 *Built-in Bluetooth for A25N A25N NAV/COM A25C COM ONLY Follow us today. EAA Airventure Oshkosh 2018 Booth: #2027-2028 July 23-29, 2018 continued on Page 26... CES SNA F LYE R (24) J U NE 2018 cruise at 100 percent power at sea level for any length of time. At maximum power at sea level while clean and well- trimmed, a 182P like yours should be able to achieve 148 ktas. But if the air gets rough, slow down to below the 141 ktas V NO speed. Remember too that indicated airspeed typically decreases as your altitude increases. Cessna lists the 182P’s maximum per- formance cruise at 144 ktas; assuming a standard day at 6,500 feet msl. That 144 ktas will show only 131 kias on your air- speed indicator. That’s well below VNO . The short version is that in normal cruise flight, you will nearly always be below the marked VNO . The other significant “structural” airspeed is VA, or maneu- vering speed. VA is the speed at which maximum and/or abrupt control inputs of a single control surface will not overstress the airframe. If you fly at or below VA, the aircraft will stall before structural damage occurs. V A doesn’t appear on your airspeed indicator because VA var- ies with aircraft weight. At a MTOW of 2,950 pounds, your airplane’s VA is 110 kias. At lower weights, the VA speed is much lower; only 89 kias at 1,950 pounds mtow. Your POH’s airspeed limitation table in Section 2-1 provides V A at varying weights. If you get into very turbulent conditions where abrupt con- trol inputs are required to maintain control of the airplane, slow to VA. If you have further questions, let me know. Happy flying, Steve Left: Airspeed limitations for a Cessna 182P as shown in Section 2-1 of the POH. Below: Operational envelope diagram illustrating maneuvering speed and maximum structural cruise speed. Connect with us @BoseAviation © 2018 Bose Corporation *in select models A V I A T I O N A 2 0  A V I A T I O N H E A D S E T There wasn’t an aviation headset that met our standards. So we built one. The A20® offers the right combination of noise reduction, clear communication and comfort. With Bluetooth® for streaming audio and communication, auto-on*, auto-off, side-swappable mic and FAA TSO certification, the A20 is the choice of pilots the world over. Hear the A20 difference today. Visit us at Bose.com/A20 or call 888.757.9985. CES SNA F LYE R (26) J U NE 2018 Steve, I own a 1964 Cessna 210D Centurion. The spring is missing on the alternate air door on the induction system. I am looking for a copy of a service bulletin, SE78-25, which I understand addresses this issue. Any info would be appreciated. Thanks, Fred Hi Fred, I’ve attached a copy of the bulletin. The bulletin does not give the part number of the spring; it details an improved meth- od of installing the spring to reduce wear. The part number of the spring is 1250310-1. List is around $15. Happy flying, Steve Know your FAR/AIM and check with your mechanic before starting any work. Resources Cessna Single Engine Service Bulletin No. SEB11-2 “Main Landing Gear Steel Pivot Assembly Inspection” Cessna Single Engine Service Letter No. SE78-25 “Alternate Air Intake Door Spring” Both documents are available at CessnaFlyer.org/forum under “Magazine Extras” “VITESSE: MASTERING THE MAZE OF V-SPEEDS” Federal Aviation Administration https://www.faasafety.gov/files/notices/2015/Nov/V_Speed_ Review.pdf Part# 1250310-1 THE HIGHEST QUALITY CONTINENTAL® FAA-APPROVED PARTS FOR LYCOMING®* ENGINES CONTACT YOUR AVIALL DISTRIBUTOR AT 1-800-AVIALL-1 FOR DETAILS AND ORDERS. Continental Motors™ makes OEM-quality parts in the same facility where we make parts for our own engines. We have the same exceptional quality, with complete in-house control of the production process. Thanks to vertically integrated manufacturing, we reliably produce the same parts time and time again. Fully compatible with LYCOMING®* engines, these cost-effective replacement parts are certified by the FAA and accepted by EASA. If you’re looking for the same high quality gaskets, gears, cylinder kits, cylinders, pistons, piston rings, crankshafts, camshaft liners for your LYCOMING® engine, ask them by name: Continental® . NOW SHIPPING FROM 14 GLOBAL LOCATIONS WITH AOG 24-HOUR DELIVERY WORLDWIDE. ©2018 Continental Motors Group. All rights reserved. WWW.CONTINENTALMOTORS.AERO TEL: 800-718-3411 * LYCOMING ® is a registered trademark of Textron Innovations Inc. Any reference to LYCOMING ® or associated trademarks, word marks, and products is only for purposes of identifying engines with which Continental parts are compatible, or for which Continental offers maintenance services. Continental parts compatible with LYCOMING® engines are aftermarket parts and are not original equipment parts. Continental is not connected to, affiliated with, or sponsored by, or endorsed by Textron Innovations Inc. or Lycoming Engines, a Division of Avco Corporation, or any of their affiliate companies. CES SNA F LYE R (28) J U NE 2018 Exhaust System 101: Inspection and Maintenance CES SNA F LYE R (29) J U NE 2018 ircraft exhaust systems require detailed inspections and regular maintenance because of the highly corrosive and hot envi- ronment in which they operate. Cracks and leaking connections can cause significant amounts of damage to other engine parts, as well as possibly exposing airplane occupants to carbon monoxide. Understanding how to promptly identify exhaust leaks and repair them correctly can help owners and mechanics avoid ex- pensive and/or dangerous problems down the road. (While owners can perform sev- eral of the visual inspections outlined in this article, consult your mechanic before performing any disassembly, assembly or repair. —Ed.) Exhaust system anatomy and construction Most exhaust risers and mufflers are made of stainless steel or Inconel. (For those who aren’t familiar, Inconel is a trademarked name for a superalloy used in high temperature applications. —Ed.) Some older exhaust systems also con- tained parts that were made of carbon steel. The pipes and muffler are manufac- tured with fairly thin walls to help keep the exhaust system as light as possible. The thin-walled construction and the use of special metals in the construction of the exhaust system can make weld repairs difficult to accomplish in the field. Most items are typically sent to specialty shops that have jigs to prevent warping and have the correct replacement metals and welding rods. The single pipes that connect the muffler to each individual cylinder are called risers. A set of pipes that connect each cylinder to the muffler, but which are joined together into one section before reaching the muf- fler, is referred to as a stack. The outlet from the muffler is the tailpipe. Each connection of one exhaust com- ponent to another can be accomplished by welding, by use of clamps, or by slip joints. Welding creates a strong, but rigid and immovable joint. Clamped connections utilize clamp halves of various sizes. The clamp halves are connected with nuts and bolts that occasionally corrode over time and re- quire replacement. The clamps can leak and require repositioning or retightening. Slip joint connections have one pipe in- serted a few inches into the adjoining pipe. The mating surfaces fit closely together, but allow for some movement. These con- nections make the exhaust system removal and installation easier and permit some movement to relieve operating stresses. It is important to lubricate all joints using a high-temperature MIL-PRF-907F qualified anti-sieze compound such as Locktite C5-A (up to 1,796 F) or Jet-Lube Nikal (up to 2,600 F). Heat and corrosion The exhaust system’s job is to remove all the hot exhaust gases from each cylin- der head exhaust port and deposit them overboard. Exhaust components heat up quickly, but they also cool down rapidly at shutdown. Extreme temperatures and rapid temperature changes create an environment that produces metal fatigue and cracks. Connections such as slip joints, cylinder exhaust flange attachments and clamps can all deteriorate and begin to leak over time. Exhaust gas is very corrosive and can do severe damage to any metal component that is exposed to a leaking area. Muffler inspection All heat deflectors and muffler shrouds Thin metals and fluctuating temperatures can literally “exhaust” your airplane’s exhaust system. Read on to learn how an aircraft exhaust system is constructed and get several practical tips to identify common trouble spots and prevent unnecessary damage. By Jacqueline Shipe A CES SNA F LYE R (30) J U NE 2018 should be removed when inspecting ex- haust components. Bulges or wrinkles on the muffler are signs of overheating and metal fatigue. The sidewalls and lower sections of muf- flers are prone to deteriorate and become thin. Areas where thinning is suspected can be probed with an awl to see if it punches through the material. A bright light or an inspection camera can be used to check the internal struc- ture of mufflers. Straight tailpipes provide a fairly large opening that allows access for a bright flashlight and inspection mirror. Exhaust systems with tailpipes that have bends or that are some distance away from the muffler itself can still be inspected internally by using an inspection camera with a small-diameter, long, flexible shaft. Broken baffles that are loose in the muffler can be an immediate danger because they can partially cover the exhaust outlet. Jagged or distorted baf- fles can create hotspots that can cause premature metal fatigue. Detecting exhaust leaks Some exhaust leaks can be found by a visual inspection. Most exhaust leaks leave a gray or black sooty residue around the leaking area. Some leaks leave a yellow-tinted stain on the exhaust sys- tem itself. However, not all exhaust leaks leave a stained area behind. Some aircraft require substantial pres- sure test to pass. Always consult the air- craft maintenance manual to ensure that the mufflers are pressure-tested to the re- quired point. Some only need 2-3 psi and some as high as 15 psi. One of the most thorough ways to inspect an exhaust system for leaks is by use of a shop vacuum, some duct tape and a bottle of soapy water. To perform this inspection, the shop vacuum hose is inserted into a cold ex- haust tailpipe and thoroughly sealed us- ing tape. The vacuum switch and/or hose attachment on the vacuum should be set to “blow,” so that air blows out the hose rather than being pulled into the vacuum. Once the vacuum cleaner is turned on, the air blown in from the vacuum will Clamped connections from exhaust risers to muffler. Tailpipes and other exhaust pipes can erode over time with exposure to exhaust gases. Eventually, they get so thin that they begin to deteriorate. A clear view is essential for a thorough inspection. Remove all shrouds and heat shields. Connections such as slip joints, cylinder exhaust flange attachments and clamps can all deteriorate and begin to leak over time. Engineered to Lead. www.tempestplus.com 800.822.3200 Tempest® knew there had to be a better way to change oil. The result: Tempest’s patented Easy Drain™ oil filter tool—a drain tool that makes oil changes easier and cleanup faster. With its simple three-step process, the Easy Drain tool saves time, prevents drips and spills, and makes cleanup as easy as 1-2-3. Innovative, forward-focused design — proof that Tempest is engineered to lead. Manufactured by CES SNA F LYE R (31) J U NE 2018 This yellowish stain was caused by a leak at a slip joint connection. A tiny leak around an EGT probe caused this white exhaust stain. Using a shop vacuum to pressurize the exhaust sys- tem for a leak check. CES SNA F LYE R (32) J U NE 2018 pressurize the exhaust system enough to check for leaks. Slip joints, clamps and the welds around the muffler itself should all be sprayed with the soapy solution. Leakage will be immediately evident as the soap solution will begin to bubble. If it is possible to remove the compo- nents from the aircraft, a tank of water can be also be used to check for leaks. The flange attachments on the cylin- ders are prone to leaking, especially on the cylinder flange attachments that have only two studs. Most Lycoming engines and a few Continental engines have the two-stud attachment. These flanges are elliptically-shaped, with a hole on each of the small sides. The flange on these con- nections is inserted over two studs on the cylinder port and drawn up tight with nuts. A gasket is used to seal the gap be- tween the flange and the cylinder port. Over time, the flanges can become warped and get bent upward on the ends, leaving a gap in the center, which allows exhaust gas to leak past the gasket. Leaks in these areas can be detected by pressurizing the system as described above or by using a small feeler gauge to check for gaps in the gasket’s mating surfaces. If the flanges are warped, use of a spiral- wound gasket makes the problem worse. Heat damage and corrosion As previously mentioned, leaks in exhaust systems should be immediately repaired, not only because of the danger they pose from possible carbon monoxide exposure or fire hazards, but also because the hot corrosive exhaust gas may cause rapid damage to anything that it blows on. This may include components near the exhaust, like the engine mount tubes shown in the picture (top, this page). Cylinder exhaust ports and exhaust flanges The effects of exhaust heat and cor- rosion are especially pronounced on the cylinder flange attachments. (Refer to “Detecting exhaust leaks” on Page 30. —Ed.) The cylinder port attachment for the exhaust flange is aluminum. The flat aluminum surface has two or more threaded inserts with steel studs installed. Corroded studs and light pitting from a leaking exhaust gasket. This leak was caught early, result- ing in minimal damage. A bright, clean cylinder exhaust port with new studs installed on a brand-new cylinder. Heat from the exhaust causes deterioration of the paint, which leaves the bare steel structure of the engine mount vulnerable to corrosion. The mount will re- quire constant cleaning and repainting to prevent rust and corrosion. The engine mount could be damaged from the heat/exhaust blow-by. This can be costly. Exhaust port crack caused by a prolonged, severe exhaust gasket leak. The crack extends all the way from the edge of the port to the exhaust valve guide. … the vacuum will pressur- ize the exhaust system…. Leakage will be immediately evident... CES SNA F LYE R (33) J U NE 2018 Engineered to Lead. www.tempestplus.com 800.822.3200 Tempest® innovation is changing industry expectations and, in the process, making its competitors go back to the drawing board to play catch up. Tempest leads modern aviation spark plug design with its fired-in suppressor resistor—others have since followed. In oil filter design, Tempest leads the way with its proprietary, internal magnetic, secondary filtration system. Plus, Tempest’s Spin-EZ® oil filter is an industry first with its patent-pending, non-stick seal technology. Forward- thinking differences like these set Tempest apart and prove what others now know—Tempest is engineered to lead. Resurfacing an exhaust flange on a belt sander. It should be noted that if the tube is separating from the wall of the flange, the pipe is at risk of cracking. There should be no gap (or minimal gap) on the engine side of the flange face. Over time, the tube pulls inward, leaving a gap, and the exhaust breaks at the flange. The corrosion on this hold-down stud was a result of a leaking exhaust gasket. Another instance of a leaking gasket. Note the eroded threads on the inboard exhaust stud. CES SNA F LYE R (34) J U NE 2018 “No-blo” spiral-wound gasket on the left; stainless coupled gasket on the right. Exhaust system with new exhaust gaskets being reinstalled. A new exhaust gasket, studs and hardware will help ensure that this cylinder flange won’t develop a leak in the future. The aluminum degrades and pits quickly when leaking exhaust gaskets al- low exhaust gas to blow out between the cylinder head and gasket. The gap and the exhaust leak will get larger with sub- sequent use if left unchecked. If the leak is not addressed, extreme pitting can occur to the point that resur- facing the pitted area on the cylinder is required. This is a laborious repair that involves removing the uneven metal to recreate a flat sealing surface. Surfaces that are severely eroded can’t be fixed and the cylinder must be replaced. There is no high-temperature silicone or sealant that will help to seal the gap. Proper sealing requires mating surfaces to be in contact with the exhaust gasket all the way around the gasket seal. Silicone is not effective as a sealing agent because it can’t withstand the extremely high ex- haust gas temperatures. In addition to causing erosion of the cylinder surface, exhaust leaks in the cylinder port area allow cold air to flow directly into the cylinder port through the gap. The cold air in the hot aluminum exhaust port causes the hot aluminum sur- face to crack. These cracks are not usually detectable during a cylinder compression test be- cause they occur in the exhaust port area outside of the exhaust valve. When the exhaust valve is closed, this area is sealed from the combustion chamber. There is most likely a crack present in a cylinder exhaust port that has had a leak- ing exhaust gasket for several hours of operation, whether or not you can see the crack by visually inspecting the cylinder exhaust port. The exhaust port is typically covered in hardened exhaust deposits. The only way to remove the deposits is by use of a media blast material—chemical cleaners won’t cut through it—and this requires cylinder removal. An untreated gasket leak that causes an exhaust port to crack requires cylin- der replacement. Replacing the cylinder is an expensive repair that is prevent- able by detecting and correcting exhaust leaks quickly. The flanges on the exhaust risers them- selves can be resurfaced by holding them flat on a belt sander and removing the high material until the flange has a per- fectly flat surface again. This can only be done if the flange material on the riser is thick enough to allow some removal of the material without weakening the flange. If too much material is removed, the thin flange will become warped quick- CES SNA F LYE R (35) J U NE 2018 Engineered to Lead. www.tempestplus.com 800.822.3200 Surpassing others in starting power, energy efficiency, and performance reliability, Tempest® is the leading influence in engine starter/alternator innovation. Our PowerFlite® starters can reduce current draw by up to 20% compared with other brands. Plus, Tempest starters are designed with aerospace quality brushes for longer life, a proprietary ball bearing design for less internal friction and heat, and a newly designed, field-wound electric motor. Pair these with our FAA/ PMA-approved PowerFlite alternators and you’ll agree: Tempest is engineered to lead. All others can do is follow. ly and begin leaking again. It may also develop a crack. Hold-down studs Leaking exhaust gaskets also cor- rode the hold-down studs to which the exhaust flange is attached. The threads can become damaged and cause stripped nuts that won’t tighten prop- erly or hold torque. The studs also can vibrate and loosen in the threaded cylinder inserts. In this case, an oversize stud or new insert may be needed to hold the stud in place. Exhaust gaskets There are two main types of exhaust gaskets that are used on the cylinder flange attachments. The most popular and the longest- lasting are spiral-wound gaskets, also called “no-blo” gaskets. These gaskets are made of a thick carbon steel outer area surrounding an inner sealing area. The seal itself is made of layers of alternating stainless steel and asbestos. Spiral-wound gaskets are less prone to erosion and are more effective than other types of gas- kets—provided the mating surfaces on the cylinder and exhaust flange are flat and not pitted. Some mechanics will reuse or reinstall spiral-wound gaskets when they are found to be in good condition. The other gasket types (sometimes called “blo-proof” gaskets) are thinner and made of stainless steel or copper. These softer and more flexible gaskets are in- stalled in pairs. They don’t last as long in service as spiral-wound gaskets, but they are more pliable and work better to help seal slightly uneven surfaces. The draw- back with these coupled gaskets is that they will eventually begin leaking and so must be replaced periodically. In addition, if the exhaust system is removed for any reason, these gaskets may not be reused. Cracks and slip joint leaks Leaks due to cracks or excessive leaks around slip joints can only be fixed by removing the parts and having them re- placed or repaired. It’s best to send repair work to specialty shops that have the jigs to hold the parts in place as they are welded to prevent deformation. These specialized shops also have the correct repair material, which ensures a long- lasting weld repair. Some manufacturers recommend as- sembling slip joint connections with a small layer of ultra-high temperature anti- seize compound to help ensure a smooth disassembly later on down the road. Maintenance and operating tips Here is a list of best practices to help preserve your airplane’s exhaust system. • Pencils shouldn’t be used to mark exhaust components during maintenance because the graphite can weaken the metal as the exhaust heats up in use and cause a crack. • Occasionally during an engine runup and magneto check, a pilot may acciden- tally turn the ignition switch all the way to “off” instead of selecting one magneto. If that happens, the engine starts to die. Most pilots will realize what has hap- pened and will try to suddenly turn the switch back to “on.” This action can cause a severe and potentially damaging after-fire in the exhaust system. If the ig- nition switch is accidentally shut off dur- ing a magneto check, it’s best to let the engine shut down and then restart it. • As with all engine components, keep- ing the engine as cool as possible on clim- bout and as warm as possible on descent helps to minimize sudden temperature changes and extends the service life of ex- haust components. Conclusion Detailed inspections completed at regu- lar, close intervals can save aircraft own- ers money in the long run by catching problems before they do too much dam- age. Basic visual checks of the exhaust system should be a part of every preflight inspection; more detailed inspections should be performed regularly with the help of a qualified mechanic. Know your FAR/AIM and check with your mechanic before starting any work. Jacqueline Shipe grew up in an aviation home. She soloed at age 16, has her CFII and ATP certificate and also obtained an airframe and powerplant license. She has worked as a mechanic for the airlines and on a variety of General Aviation planes. Shipe has also logged over 5,000 hours of flight instruction time. Send question or comments to editor@cessnaflyer.org. Detailed inspections com- pleted at regular, close intervals can save aircraft owners money in the long run by catching problems before they do too much damage. CES SNA F LYE R (36) J U NE 2018 The Making of N182AP: Part Two Anything worth doing is worth doing right; or at least that’s the operating theory behind Michael P. McRobert’s refurbishment of a Cessna 182Q. However, he discovers that the questions of “what to upgrade?” and “when?” don’t always have definitive answers. By Michael P. McRobert CES SNA F LYE R (37) J U NE 2018 Mike McRobert grew up around his father’s airplane in Kansas City and fol- lowed him into the cockpit as a dedicated flyer. Then life came along, and is so often the case, he left the cockpit for a number of years. When the opportunity again presented itself, he jumped back in with both feet. He had specific desires for his new airplane and, not finding it in any one option, set out on a path few others attempt at one time. The project, which he calls The Making of N182AP, ended up as a tip-to-tail remanufacture with Air Plains Services in Wellington, Kansas, as the prime contractor. Here is part two of the story. fter deciding to purchase N7476S, my next question was what particular 300 hp conversion would be done and who would do it. In the meantime, Keith Hetrick, who’d been helping me with the project, pointed out N7476S’s fuel bladders were over 25 years old and the wheels were the old style. I had him replace the bladders with new Aero-Tech bladders and install new McFarlane fuel senders, along with a Cleveland wheel and brake conversion. And now for 300 hp Air Plains, Texas Skyways and Peter- son Performance were my three primary considerations for 300 hp upgrades for my 1977 Cessna 182Q due to their repu- tations and proximity to my home base. My task was simply to understand the differences and to compare costs. (See the August 2016 issue of Cessna Flyer for a report from Steve Ells on Cessna 182 en- gine upgrade options. —Ed.) I scoured the websites of all three pro- viders and then did searches on multiple aviation forums looking for any and all information. When I spoke to them on the phone, all three of the companies were great, with knowledgeable staff and good products. Being Kansas City-based, I do not have ready access to backcountry flying or gravel bars to land on. However, watch- ing videos of this type of flying is entic- ing. If I lived closer to Idaho, it might be a different story. I enjoy an occasional A …I planned on this being my last aircraft; what some refer to as my retirement aircraft. CES SNA F LYE R (38) J U NE 2018 grass-strip landing, but what I really wanted was speed and climb. Peterson Performance’s tire and canard upgrades seem like great tools for their intended backcountry applications. The cost of the canard was substantial and backcountry flying wasn’t something I was particularly focused on, so I trended away from the canard and Peterson. Texas Skyways suggested their 285 hp Continental O-550 F/TS engine. The Texas Skyways modification of the Con- tinental O-550 changes the fuel delivery system from fuel-injected to carbureted, and the idea of a carbureted engine didn’t appeal to me. I had encountered carburetor ice from time to time while flying my previous 1979 182Q. I had just put over 200 hours on an injected Piper Arrow, and I liked the idea of fuel- injected engines. During my conversion research I had stumbled across articles for the AOPA 2011 Sweepstakes Airplane, which they called “The Ultimate Skylane.” Air Plains had a part in that makeover. AOPA’s four-month series of articles detailing that remaking of a legacy 182 became a part of my blueprint toward my conversion odyssey with N7476S. I spoke with Carolyn Kelly at Air Plains multiple times, and I have to say she did not always tell me what I wanted to hear. However, Carolyn was always honest and direct. After searching forum after forum, I could find nothing but praise for the folks at Air Plains. I liked the Air Plains turnkey package pricing— all-in, all done. Air Plains happened to have a timely opening available. It all seemed to come together. I decided on the Continental IO- 550 versus the IO-520, albeit at an added cost and fuel burn, because I thought it was the better engine—and I could needle Monte that “mine was bigger.” In late September 2016, I mailed Air Plains a check to take a November 2016 slot. I was off and running toward a com- plete IO-550/300 hp/three-bladed propel- ler conversion for N7476S. Best-laid plans When I mailed the deposit to Air Plains, my plan was to just get N7476S mechanically perfect, replacing eve- rything firewall-forward. I would then catch my financial breath and figure out what came next. That initial plan was short-lived, as I kept reading on internet forums and plan- ning. Interest rates were very low during fall 2016. I now had access to funding and was in a position move straight through to do the job right, similar to the AOPA 2011 Sweepstakes makeover. I understand that when it says “air- plane” on it, nothing comes cheap. Addi- tionally, aircraft maintenance is arguably more difficult today than 20 or 30 years ago as there are fewer active aircraft and fewer repair shops. Thus, one of my goals was to depart Air Plains with N7476S mechanically complete and in a posi- tion where I expected to have very little known, needed ongoing maintenance, other than oil changes. To that end, the project evolved into a tip-to-tail renova- tion—The Making of N182AP. I use an analogy, one that potentially a lot of people have experienced, of replac- ing a timing belt or chain in a car. You spend a whole bunch of money on labor to tear the front of the engine and acces- sories off to replace a belt or chain. Are you really going to put all those old used parts back on that engine when they have 100,000 miles on them and don’t cost that much to replace? After you spend $600 to $800 in labor, are you really not The aircraft was a legacy airframe and my goal was a proper makeover. That included corrosion prevention while we already had things apart. Fresh from Air Plains: a factory-new 300 hp Continental IO-550-D. CES SNA F LYE R (39) J U NE 2018 Patience (and a lot of masking) helps make a great paint job. Headliner removed and original overhead panel exposed. Completely stripped and ready for masking. Paint stripping at R&B Aircraft Painting. Air Plains’ chief tech Eric Papon unwrapping the RMD wingtip assembly. Seaplanes West engine mount installed and ready to hang. CES SNA F LYE R (40) J U NE 2018 going to replace an $80 water pump with 100,000 miles on it? I planned on this being my last aircraft; what some refer to as my retirement air- craft. My friends and family were going to be flying in it. I wanted things to be as right as I could make them. Fuel considerations If there is a downside to a Cessna 182 IO-550 conversion, it is that fuel burn goes from around 12 gph to 18 gph if you are running it hard, so 75 gallons of usable fuel didn’t seem like so much. We added Flint Aero internal tiptanks with an additional 11.5 gallons usable per wing to bring the total usable fuel on board to 98 gallons. I liked that the Flint Aero fuel system would provide real-world IFR range that would help me avoid the hassle of shoot- ing an additional instrument approach just to top off the tanks. LED lighting Since the wingtips had to be removed for the installation of the Flint Aero tanks, I also wanted to upgrade the lighting. We added RMD Wingtips with high-intensity discharge wingtip landing lights. At the same time, we switched out the nav/strobe lights with Whelen Orion 650s, and also changed the tailcone light to a LED. This was a labor-saving effort. If I had chosen to do those upgrades sometime in the very near future, I would have had to reopen things and remove those items again. Ultimately, every exterior and inte- rior light bulb on N182AP was switched out for an LED upgrade, which on paper removed almost 20 amps of load from the alternator. Various plastic pieces, such as the tail- cone and elevator edges, were cracked. We replaced those while we had access. Corrosion prevention The aircraft was a legacy airframe and my goal was a proper makeover. That included corrosion prevention while we already had things apart. I asked Air Plains to treat every nook and cranny of N7476S with zinc chromate. Every wing cavity or fuselage area that was opened was treated to head off future corrosion issues. Engine monitoring Adding the IO-550 to a Cessna 182 begs for a new engine data system, so we added a JPI EDM 930 to ensure I could manage the engine properly. Then, given today’s lean-of-peak (LOP) world, I opted to go with GAMI injectors. New interior soundproofing installed by Air Plains. New glass and windscreens all around. Wingtip removed for installation of Flint Aero fuel tanks and RMD wingtips. CALL AIR PLAINS TODAY | 1.800.752.8481 WWW.AIRPLAINS.COM 172 | 180HP 180 | 300HP 182 | 300HP “I really wanted more power and the Air Plains upgrade has it. We’re getting a big increase in speed and a 1000-feet-a-minute climb rate, and we’re really pleased with the gas consumption.” Jeffrey Spence ODISTANCE the Your Cessna was designed, built and maintained to last generations, and it’s our mission to ensure your flights only get better with time. See our work for yourself, and visit us at our industry-leading aircraft maintenance facility and machine shop in Wellington, Kansas – just down the road from where Clyde Cessna turned a passion for flight into the name in aircraft quality. Make this the day you finally turn an idea into action. Give yourself and your aircraft the power and performance you were always meant to harness. CES SNA F LYE R (42) J U NE 2018 I asked Air Plains to work with TCM to get credit for the TCM injectors that came with the brand-new (not remanu- factured) IO-550 engine I had purchased. With a new engine monitor and top-of- the-line injectors, N182AP was set up to operate LOP. Engine mount and engine heat I read quite a bit about the big-bore engines adding vibration. I initially was just going to Magnaflux and paint my existing engine mount. However, I came across the Seaplanes West engine mount, triple-sturdy with oversized Lord mounts that reportedly reduced vibration. Again, wanting to be completely new firewall-forward, I added the Seaplanes West engine mount. (Seaplanes West is a division of Acorn Welding Ltd. —Ed.) To the same end, I opted for a Tanis engine heater. Winter weather in Kansas City, Missouri, is, well, winter. It’s cold, and preheating is a way of life here. By now, you may have noticed my pattern: I had a brand-new engine sitting on an en- gine stand; there would never be an easier time to put a Tanis heater on. Glass, plastics, headliner, seat belts We all know you have to stop some- where, but it’s all but impossible to not replace obvious items. Case in point, my now great friend Monte McDowell had cracked on me when he looked over N7476S one day while he was in Topeka and told me, “You’d better replace that old windshield soon.” If I was going to replace a 40-plus- year-old windscreen, then I was going to replace all the windows at the same time. The headliner and all plastic parts on the inside of N182AP were also replaced, as they were worn and brittle. Air Plains used the term “potato chips” for the plas- tic interior parts which often broke if you touched them. We sourced new parts from Plane Plastics. Air Plains fitted, painted and installed them. While the headliner was out, BAS seatbelts and inertial reel shoulder harnesses were installed for the front seats and the rear seat belts were re-webbed. To paint or not to paint? Initially, I had considered painting the complete aircraft, but had decided to wait and catch my breath. During the refurbishment process, many small parts and pieces had been replaced that needed spot painting. My proposed spot painting bill with Every step in the painting process was performed with care. Cowl interior masked to prevent overspray. Knots2U wheel pants and fairings at the paint shop. CES SNA F LYE R (44) J U NE 2018 Air Plains had grown to a meaningful enough number to where I considered a complete repaint. I decided to have N182AP repainted by Greg Hoefer of R&B Aircraft Painting in Topeka. As I was engaging R&B for the job, I asked Greg, “How do I decide what to paint it?” Greg said, “I tell people to go look on the internet, find a paint job they like, then send me a picture of it and we’ll match it.” Or, he said, I could hire a de- signer for around $3,000 and have a cus- tom design specified. I guess to prove that I was not com- pletely out of my mind, I did not hire a custom designer. Rather, I found a paint scheme and colors on the internet I really liked, which happened to be a 2007 Cessna OEM paint scheme and colors. R&B matched it perfectly, did a great job, and I am very happy with the exterior look of N182AP. N182… Now, I know you’re asking an obvious question. Why renumber to N182AP? Since the decision to repaint was al- ready made, I immediately started think- ing about a vanity N-number. I played on Freshly-painted top cowl. DETAILS: Hardware and subscription sold separately. SiriusXM Satellite Radio and Marine (Aviation) services each require a subscription sold separately, or as a package, by Sirius XM Radio Inc. Service automatically renews and bills at then-current rates until you call 1-800-985-9200 to cancel. Fees and taxes apply. See SiriusXM Customer Agreement for complete terms at www.siriusxm.com. All fees and programming subject to change. Not all devices are capable of receiving all services offered by SiriusXM. Data displays and individual product availability vary by vehicle hardware. Current information and features may not be available in all locations, or on all receivers. NOTE: SiriusXM Service may include weather and other content and emergency alert information and data. Such information and data is not for “safety for life,” but is merely supplemental and advisory in nature and, therefore, cannot be relied upon as safety critical in connection with any aircraft, sea craft, automobile, or any other usage. SiriusXM Visa Prepaid Card is issued by MetaBank® , Member FDIC, pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. © 2018 Sirius XM Radio Inc. Sirius, XM, SiriusXM and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Sirius XM Radio Inc. All rights reserved. Purchase a SiriusXM compatible receiver Choose a SiriusXM Aviation subscription package Activate your service at siriusxm.com/activate or call 1.855.796.9847 Start flying worry-free Superior features SiriusXM ADS-B No Altitude Limitation or Line-of-Sight Restrictions ✔ X Coast-to-Coast Coverage from Taxi to Landing ✔ X High-Res Composite & Base Reflectivity Radar ✔ X NEXRAD Storm Cell Attributes ✔ X Lightning Strike Locations ✔ X Cloud Tops & Echo Tops ✔ X High-Res Surface Winds ✔ X Purchase any new eligible aviation satellite weather receiver from January 1 to December 31, 2018, activate it with any SiriusXM Aviation weather subscription package from SiriusXM by December 31, 2018 (see DETAILS below), maintain 60 days of continuous paid service and receive a $200 SiriusXM Rewards Visa ® Prepaid Card. See Rebate Offer Details at siriusxm.com/CESSNA. Get the first 3-MONTHS FREE with GDL™ 52/52R & subscription purchase. Details at siriusxm.com/GDL52Trial. SiriusXM® Aviation weather and entertainment are now available through the new Garmin GDL™ 51/51R and 52/52R portable and remote mount receivers. Get the in-depth weather info you need on the aera® 660, 795/796, the G3X Touch™ and Garmin Pilot™ app. You’ll have essential features you won’t find on ADS-B right at your fingertips. Plus you get a 1-year AOPA membership with purchase of an eligible receiver. Learn more at aopa.org/siriusxm. 3 months of the best weather on the Garmin GDL™ 52. Plus a 1-year AOPA Membership. CES SNA F LYE R (46) J U NE 2018 the FAA website for a couple of nights looking and considering as many N-num- bers as I could conjure up, then checked if they were available on the FAA Registry. I came up with the not-so-original thought of “N182” for the number, com- bined with various trailing letters like my initials or other combinations. This was all to no avail. For some reason, one night I thought to myself, “This is an Air Plains conversion. I wonder if N182AP is available?” I was certain it would not be. I was stunned when it was. I immediately re- served N182AP that night. I made the decision to change the N-number soon enough that the JPI EDM 930 could be properly programmed with the new N- number, saving a little time and money. Vortex generators Earlier in my research, I came across the option of adding vortex generators (VGs), reported to add increased STOL performance. Monte’s IO-520-powered Cessna 182P which I’d loved flying had vortex generators, but I didn’t know much about their pluses and minuses on 182s. I soon focused on Micro AeroDynam- ics’ VGs, which promised “lower takeoff and stall speeds and improved control- lability and STOL benefits,” and would probably give me all the short-field and backcountry performance I would ever want or need. Adding VGs seemed like a relatively simple, cost-effective approach to gaining low-speed performance. I’d already decid- ed on a complete repaint, so why would I not spend less than $2,000 on installed and painted VGs? A few knots faster I decided to replace all three 40-year- old wheel pants with new Knots 2U wheel fairings, as well as add the Knots 2U exhaust fairing, and the under-cowl- ing fairing that complements the Knots 2U nosewheel fairing. There was little to no added labor cost since the parts had to come off and go back on for painting. I figured I was again saving money doing these items all at once—and maybe I’d gain some speed and performance along the way. Interior upholstery Once I had committed to painting, only the interior was not being actively refur- bished. The interior was in decent shape and my guess is that the seller redid the seats as part of his initial refurbishment MicroAeroDynamics vortex generators were installed on the wing leading edges (shown here) and on the empennage surfaces. A new N-number rounds out N182AP’s exterior refresh. R&B Aircraft Painting precisely followed the chosen paint scheme. 1-800-647-6148 • www.ffcfuelcells.com All FFC fuel bladders are manufactured with REGISTERED TSO-C80 constructions... KNOW what you are installing. Quality products at competitive prices. TSO-C80 FUEL CELLS CES SNA F LYE R (47) J U NE 2018 of the aircraft. But... (you probably know where this is going). As Air Plains was completing their mechanical work in February 2017, the decision was made to remove the entire interior and put in a couple of loaner seats for N182AP to go to Higginsville Avionics for avionics work. The interior would then go to Jim Beebe at Beebe Custom Upholstery in Derby, Kansas, for a makeover. Jim Beebe used quality leather to do the interior. The seats were rebuilt using DAX-Foam™. We were now set for the new interior to be installed, as the last thing done by a combination of Beebe Upholstery and Air Plains, after avionics and painting were completed. Equipping for cross-country IFR I do not fly in ice or within convec- tive activity, but I do I fly what I refer to as hard IFR. I fly approaches to minimums, and have gone missed and headed to alternates. When I bought N7476S, the aircraft was not /G. It had no GPS or ability to shoot a GPS approach in what is rapidly becoming a GPS approach-only world. None of the aircraft’s existing avionics were of much use or value. I wanted a well-equipped, redundant panel of avion- ics ready for IFR cross-country travel. The combination of ForeFlight, an iPad Mini and a Stratus II was a spectacular find for me as I restarted my flying career. Having geospatially-referenced weather, albeit latent information, on my iPad and being able to see the whole weather pic- ture was incredible. It was portable and easily used in a 40-year-old Piper Arrow. Everyone has their own ideas, but I would personally rather have latent ADS- B or SiriusXM-based weather coming into my aircraft than onboard weather radar with its attenuation issues. For what it’s worth, I don’t plan to thread the weather needle too finely anymore; not that I really ever did when I had access to onboard weather radar. Avionics selections AOPA’s 2010/2011 Sweepstakes Air- craft series of articles helped shape my avionics selections and opened my mind toward just how extensively you could equip a Cessna 182. Living in Kansas City, 30 miles north of Garmin’s world headquarters, it just seemed logical to have my avionics manu- facturer and a host of its knowledgeable employees, many of whom fly or instruct nearby, to learn from and as a resource. The Kansas City area has several avion- ics shops; I chose to go with Higginsville Avionics. Higginsville Avionics was under sale in fall 2016 to a longtime employee, Stanton Runyan, who I spoke with of- ten and who was always open and hon- est, as well as fair in his pricing. Given the pressure that ADS-B upgrades are putting on avionics shops, I got in line early with Higginsville Avionics. They designed a complete firewall-back replace- ment avionics package for N182AP. Hig- ginsville Avionics recommended starting from scratch and creating all-new wiring harnesses; it would be easier than trying to make sense of decades-old wiring. They also replaced all the circuit breakers. I used “pilot’s justification” to put a panel suited for a twin into my new Cessna 182. CES SNA F LYE R (48) J U NE 2018 N182AP also benefited from a couple of 2016 Garmin rebate programs, one from Oshkosh and another rebate offer from the 2016 holiday season. All told, I saved about $10,000 with the Garmin re- bates—if I am allowed to contend I saved money by spending money. Remembering that initially I really wanted a twin, but didn’t want to afford operating a twin, I used “pilot’s justification” to put a panel suited for a twin into my new Cessna 182. AOPA had done the same with its Sweepstakes Airplane, so why couldn’t I? With the help of the Garmin rebates, I installed a Garmin G500, a GTN 750 and a GTN 650 to bring the aircraft’s panel into the 21st century. At the same time, it also made sense to upgrade the audio panel and transponder. I went with Garmin solutions here as well. The installation process had just barely commenced when the cost of the Storm- scope WX-500 was substantially reduced by its manufacturer, L3 Avionics. Hig- ginsville Avionics called me to tell me of the price reduction (we’d discussed the WX-500 previously) and ask if I wanted to add a Stormscope. Of course, I said yes. The combination of SiriusXM Weather and an active Storm- scope is quite powerful. The two ended up costing only about one-third of what an onboard weather radar installation would be in a light twin. (If you’re not familiar with the capabilities of SiriusXM Aviation Weather, check out “ADS-B vs. SiriusXM” by Michael Leighton in the March 2018 issue of Cessna Flyer. A follow-up story on Leighton’s use of Siri- usXM will be published in the July 2018 issue. —Ed.) I have more than once had SiriusXM Weather up on the Garmin G500 and the Stormscope up on the GTN 750. I can compare the active lightning strikes on GTN 750 to the precipitation being painted on G500. It is a nice combination to fly with. While there was additional entrance cost in adding the Stormscope, there was little to no added operating cost. Howev- er, I do plan to incur a few new operating costs based on the capabilities of my up- dated panel—namely, SiriusXM Aviation Weather and Satellite Radio. Next month: The transformation of N7476S to N182AP is complete, but how does it fly? Michael details the perfor- mance of the 300 hp upgrade, talk about his post-sale experience with the project’s partners, and discusses what (if anything) he’d do differently next time. Panel first step: right-side panel and JPI EDM 930 installed. The aircraft was flown to Higginsville Avionics for further work. New Knots2U wheel fairings were installed on all three wheels. The old interior (shown here) was removed and shipped out to Beebe Custom Upholstery. CES SNA F LYE R (49) J U NE 2018 Resources UPGRADES, PARTS, MODIFICATIONS AND SERVICES – CFA supporters Air Plains Services Corp. airplains.com B.A.S., Inc. basinc-aeromod.com Cleveland Wheels and Brakes parker.com/us/en/aerospace-wheels- and-brakes Flint Aero, Inc. flintaero.com Knots 2U, Ltd. knots2u.net McFarlane Aviation Products mcfarlaneaviation.com Micro AeroDynamics Inc. microaero.com Seaplanes West, Inc. (a division of Acorn Welding) seaplaneswest.com/enginemounts.html Texas Skyways, Inc. txskyways.com Vantage Plane Plastics planeplastics.com Whelen Engineering Co., Inc. whelen.com/aviation ADDITIONAL UPGRADES AND MODIFICATIONS Aero-Tech Services, Inc. aerotechservicesinc.com General Aviation Modifications, Inc. gami.com/gamijectors/gamijectors.php JP Instruments jpinstruments.com L3 Technologies, Inc. l-3avionics.com Peterson’s Performance Plus, Inc. katmai-kenai.com RMD Aircraft Lighting, Inc. rmdaircraft.com Tanis Aircraft Products tanisaircraft.com SiriusXM Aviation Weather siriusxm.com/sxmaviation KANSAS CITY-AREA FACILITIES Beebe Custom Upholstery beebeupholstery.com Higginsville Avionics Lab (660) 584-3222 R&B Aircraft Painting rbaircrafttopeka.com FURTHER READING “AOPA 2011 Crossover Classic Sweeps: The Ultimate Skylane” by Thomas Horne. AOPA News & Videos, July 1, 2011. https://www.aopa.org/news-and- media/all-news/2011/july/01/aopa- 2011-crossover-classic-sweeps-the- ultimate-skylane CES SNA F LYE R (50) J U NE 2018 Big-airplane Features for a Small-airplane Price: The Cessna 175 Words by Scott Kinney | Photos by James Lawrence Cessna introduced the 175 hp, four-seat Cessna 175 in 1958; with the goal of filling the gap between the 172’s price and the 182’s performance. The 175 garnered positive initial reviews. Yet only six years later, the model was discontinued. So, what went wrong? CES SNA F LYE R (52) J U NE 2018 over 60 years ago, on March 22, 1958, Cessna offered its first Cessna 175 for sale. Then, as now, mar- keting departments used flowery language to sell the dream of “the family airplane.” A big and beautiful two-page ad in the April 1958 issue of Flying offered readers the “big, beautiful” new “Power-Geared” Cessna 175. The 175 promised “big- airplane stability, big-airplane comfort, big-airplane speeds”—but for a small- airplane price. On the surface, the 175 seemed to fit perfectly in the Cessna lineup. At the time the 175 debuted, the 172 was Cessna’s entry-level model (the two- seat 150 wasn’t introduced until late 1958). The 182, though quite capable and roomy, was a significant step up from the 172 in both price and performance. In 1958, a 172 cost $8,995. A standard 182 was $14,350. The deluxe 182 Skylane was $16,850. The 175, priced at only $10,995 while offering “big-air- plane” features, seemed to be what General Aviation buyers desired. Flying reviewed the 175 in July 1958 and deemed it to be “an answer to a market requirement—a constructive answer.” However, after only a few short years, the market soured on the Cessna 175. The last aircraft carrying the 175 name were produced in 1962. A close relative of the 172 At a distance, it’s difficult to distinguish a Cessna 175 from a Cessna 172 of the same era. This is especially true for earlier 175 models, before the 175A adopted a noticeably “humped” cowl. The 175 and 172 airframes were developed concur- rently, with extensive parts commonality. Delays with the Cessna 175’s newly- developed Continental GO-300A pow- erplant meant that the 175 debuted two years later than the Cessna 172 and 182, which were both first sold in 1956. The 175 prototype took to the skies over Wichita April 26, 1956. The Cessna 175 received type certification on January 14, 1958. An aggressive schedule brought the aircraft to market by late March 1958. Model evolution The 175 and 172, though extremely similar when viewed from across the tarmac, do exhibit differences, especially under the cowl and in the cabin. Early straight-tail 175s and 172s (pre- A models) have the same fuselage dimen- sions. However, the firewall position and firewall structures differ. The 175’s firewall is a stepped design, rather than the flat firewall of the early 172. The 175’s firewall is further rear- ward on the fuselage than that of the 172, allowing for a longer, more gradually- tapered cowl with larger inlets for cooling air. The cowls of early 175s appear more like those found on Cessna 182s. The position of the 175’s firewall af- fects the position of other internal fuse- lage components. The instrument panel is correspondingly further rearward, in a wider area of the fuselage. Cessna en- gineers took advantage of this increased panel width and designed a new instru- ment panel exclusive to the 175; the early 172’s “shotgun panel” layout was not used. The 175’s instruments are clustered on the left side of the cabin, in clear view of the pilot. Though not a quite a linear six-pack arrange- ment, the 175 has a modern-looking instru- ment panel. The instru- ment panel layout was “easy-to-work, easy-to-read,” according to Cessna’s marketing. In 1960, the Cessna 175A—as well as the 172A—received Cessna’s new swept- tail design, paired with the “fastback” fuselage. The 175A and later models are fitted with a distinctive “humped” cowl. The 172B borrowed from the 175’s de- sign: Cessna adopted the stepped firewall of the 175, a longer engine mount and cowl, and also changed the instrument panel layout to match the 175’s. The 172B and 175B fuselages—and in fact, the entire airplanes—are dimensionally nearly identical. The 175’s wing structure is very similar to that of the 172, with differences in the internal inboard third of the wing to ac- count for the fuel tanks. Fuel The 175 has two tanks, one in each wing, that hold a total of 52 gallons of fuel; an upgrade from the 42 gallons of the 172. Due to the location of the fuel pickups in the tanks, only 42 of the 52 gallons is usable in all flight conditions. The 175’s POH states that an additional nine gal- lons are usable in “level flight.” However, the 175’s TCDS carries a rather ominous warning: “The Models 175A and 175B Above: A well-appointed 1960 Cessna 175A Skylark. Right: Cessna adopted a new “easy-to-work, easy-to-read” instrument panel layout for the 175. The 175, priced at only $10,995 while offering “big-airplane” features, seemed to be what General Aviation buyers desired. JUST CES SNA F LYE R (53) J U NE 2018 CES SNA F LYE R (54) J U NE 2018 longer propeller than was possible in any direct-drive engine. The Cessna 175 land- plane swung an 84-inch McCauley prop that produced more thrust than the 172’s 76-inch propeller. The offset of the reduction drive still provided the required flat nose tire and flat strut prop-to-ground clearance dis- tance mandated by airplane certification regulations. An enormous 90-inch prop was approved on the 175A and 175B when on floats. A propeller-to-engine reduction ratio of 0.75 provided 2,400 prop rpm at the take- off power setting of 3,200 crankshaft rpm. At the recommended cruise rpm of 3,000 on the tachometer, the prop settled down to 2,250 rpm. This slower prop speed resulted in lower prop-generated noise at both takeoff and cruise power settings.” The 175 hp GO-300A spun at a maxi- mum of 3,200 rpm; noticeably faster than the non-geared O-300 which redlined at 2,700 rpm. The difference in engine rota- tional speed had a price. While the O-300 had a TBO of 1,800 hours, the GO-300s found in 175s had a TBO of 1,200 hours. The GO-300A of the early 175 was replaced by the GO-300C and -300D in 1959. The last 175s used the GO-300E and swung a constant-speed propeller. of the 175, Cessna engineers debated whether the high-rpm engine design would be better served by connecting a smaller-diameter propeller directly to the crankshaft or by gearing down to a larger prop. Connecting the propeller directly to the crankshaft in a standard arrangement would be no doubt simpler mechanically, but the geared reduction drive offered the lure of more efficient operation, especially at takeoff and climb speeds. They chose to use a geared drive. Cessna Flyer contributing editor and A&P/IA Steve Ells explains how it works: “The reduction gear assembly consist- ed of spur-type gears with the propeller shaft located above the engine crankshaft centerline. The propeller’s center was approximately nine inches above the center of the crankshaft. This arrange- ment enabled the installation of a much fuel system does not comply with CAR 3.433 and 3.434 for horsepower greater than 167 at the best angle of climb which is the most critical attitude.” Options The deluxe trim model offered from late 1959 onward was called the “Sky- lark”—all Skylarks are 175s, but not all 175s are Skylarks. Some were fitted with Levelair T-2 or Tactair T-3 autopilots. The 175 could be ordered as a seaplane, also. This option boosted gross weight by 100 pounds for the 175A and 175B. In addition, an 18-gallon auxiliary tank was available for the 175 as a factory- installed option. The tank was installed on the baggage compartment floor with a filler neck on the right side of the fuse- lage. An electric pump connected the tank to the right wing tank. Powerplant As the 175 was being developed, Con- tinental Motors offered Cessna the exclu- sive use of a new high-rpm 175 hp vari- ant of the O-300. This new powerplant, which would become the Continental GO-300, promised increased performance with a negligible weight penalty. According to a July 1958 Flying review The distinctive “humped” upper cowl of the 175A and later models hides the Continental GO-300 engine and reduction drive. The most noticeable difference between the 175 and 172, aside from the engine, reduction drive and panel layout, is their relative performance. CES SNA F LYE R (55) J U NE 2018 dling aircraft; they also realize that the 145 hp Continental O-300 gives merely adequate performance. Cruise speeds are typically around 120 mph tas (104 ktas). Though early 172s are light airframes (over 300 pounds lighter than today’s 172s), their low MTOW of 2,200 pounds limits payload. After filling the tanks, about 640 pounds are left for passengers and luggage. A stock 175 weighs about 100 pounds more than its 172 counterpart, but that is offset by a 150-pound increase in MTOW from 2,200 to 2,350 pounds. Useful load is best on the standard model (just over 1,000 pounds) and lower on the deluxe Skylark, at approximately 950 pounds. After the tanks are filled, the 175 Skylark has a slightly lower payload than the 172; in the 630-pound range. Cessna claims the 175 cruises in the 135–140 mph tas range (117–122 ktas), and with larger tanks than the 172, the 175 can go about 100 miles further nonstop. According to book numbers, the 175 also sports much-improved short-field and climb performance, nearly on par with the 182. The 175 Owner’s Manual states the aircraft can climb at 850 fpm at sea level at its full 2,350-pound mtow, while the takeoff ground roll consumes only 735 feet The decision to use the high-rpm GO- 300 engine and geared reduction drive would ultimately determine the success of the 175 and Skylark names. Performance The most noticeable difference between the 175 and 172, aside from the engine, reduction drive and panel layout, is their relative performance. Steve Ells found this to be the case sev- eral decades ago: “In 1985, I was dropped off with a box of tools at an unimproved strip across from Kenai, Alaska, on the west side of the Cook Inlet to troubleshoot engine problems in a customer’s Cessna 175. I loosened up a draggy exhaust valve with a liberal dosing of Kroil pen- etrating oil before flying back. Although the inlet is less than 30 nm across at that point, I knew if I had to ditch in the cold waters I was a goner, so I climbed up to 8,500 feet before turning toward home and the other shore. The GO-300 never missed a lick and I was very impressed with how much more power it seemed to have versus the 172s I have flown previously.” Pilots with time in unmodified straight- tail 172s know that they’re sweet-han- of runway. At lighter weights, climb rate approaches 1,400 fpm, and the 175 needs just 345 feet to get off the ground. Engine issues The 175, at least on the surface, offered a great value proposition for buyers. The 1958 and 1959 models of the Cessna 175 sold well: 1,239 left the factory in the first two years of production. Cessna’s 1959 ads claimed that the 175 could provide “8 cents-per-mile opera- tion,” including fuel, maintenance, stor- age, insurance and depreciation. However, issues with the GO-300 engine soon challenged Cessna’s assertion. Many GO-300s never made it to the promised 1,000-hour TBO, and those that did often required cylinder work to get there. Steve Ells shares his thoughts on the engine: “It’s often thought that the 175 lost favor with buyers because the engine was rumored to be unreliable. The GO-300 initially had a 1,000-hour TBO (amended to 1,200 in 1968), which was not uncommon for that era. One very experienced engine builder described the GO-300 to me as a powerful smooth- running engine, but cylinder problems seemed to head the list of issues. The 175 made good on Cessna’s performance claims; the aircraft cruises at nearly 140 mph tas (122 ktas). CES SNA F LYE R (56) J U NE 2018 #1 for Aircraft Parts Support Since 1984 Same-Day Worldwide Shipping We Price Match! Parts avionics EnginEs ProPs Over 5 MilliOn in-StOck PartS! Over 5 MilliOn in-StOck PartS! Search our Parts for Free 24/7 DoDSon.coM cAll uS toDAy At 785-878-8000 CES SNA F LYE R (57) J U NE 2018 One plausible theory is that pilots that had been flying Cessna single-engine airplanes at cruise rpm of 2,350 to 2,500 were very reluctant to cruise at the GO-300’s preferred 3,000 rpm, so they pulled the throttle back to what they thought was the “correct” rpm. I believe that if the tachometer had shown propeller rpm instead of crankshaft engine rpm, the engine reputation would not have suffered as much as it did.” The lower power settings may have “sounded” right to pilots used to stand- ard engines, but at low rpm, the GO-300 didn’t develop sufficient oil pressure to provide lubrication and cooling. A 1972 Flying article entitled “Cessna’s Neglected 175” concurred: “People ran the 175s as they would have a 172… the engines warped their valves, broke rings, scored cylinders, cracked pistons. The bad-mouthing began as engines started to fold in 500 hours of a promised 1,000 [hour] TBO.” Airflow for cooling also likely suffered at low speeds in early tightly-cowled 175s, contributing to premature cylinder issues. Later 175s suffered the opposite problem. The redesigned cowl of the A and later models brought plenty of air to the cylinders. Shock cooling became an issue in low- or idle-power descents. The Cessna 175’s POH listed cruise speeds and fuel burns down to 36 percent power and 2,400 engine rpm, which may have exacerbated these issues by giv- ing pilots the impression that this was a “safe” power setting. In addition to the engine problems, the GO-300’s gearbox was prone to issues if operated incorrectly. Numerous posts on today’s Cessna 175 type forums warn pilots to always keep a load on the engine; and under no circumstances to let the propel- ler “drive” the engine at idle. Gradual, constant-power descents are advised. Declining production By 1960 and the 175A model, sales had slowed: 540 175As were produced in 1960. Only 225 175B aircraft were sold in 1961. The 1962 175C model, sporting a Continental GO-300E driving a constant- speed propeller, offered performance and payload improvements. Despite better climb numbers and a greater MTOW of 2,450 pounds, the 175C didn’t sell any better. Only 117 175Cs were produced. When a 175 isn’t a 175 any longer In 1963, with a marketing sleight-of- hand, the model that would ha