BeechTalk - BT

Username Protected · **Posted:** 08 Apr 2024, 19:10

Username Protected wrote:

There is nothing that can compare to the early 180. It is not good at any particular thing... it is great at everything.
I obtained mine from a corrupt airport commandante. Part of the negotiation was a bet on a cock fight, (that is, the avian kind). The comm later changed his mind, and impounded it at the Juarez airport on a technicality, chaining the prop. My bolt cutter at 2:00 AM set her free, and I brought her to the US some 50' above the earth. The comandante later passed under unexpected circumstances, and the man that replaced him was much friendlier, as he owed me some favors.
I operated the 180 in support of my cattle ranches in the Mexican Sierra Madre for some 40 years. 50,00 acres can best be managed with a Skywagon.
My deluxe landing strip was 900 feet long, uphill, blind canyon; always with a quartering tailwind that scared the p.ss out of my girlfriends. (PPonk made a world of difference, thank you Steve and Norma).
It got me out of a couple of tight situations down there, to include a gunfight with some bad hombres. Sadly, my best horse perished in extracting me from the fracas.
When I got sick enough of the drug lords, I sold the beautifully productive land, crafted by my grandfather, and got out, mostly in one piece. That ended a more than 200 year epic saga of land, cattle, and dealing with a dysfunctional judicial system that makes anything we have going here look like paradise.
Kept my 180, changed its registry from "XB" to "N", taught it to speak English, and it's been a model citizen since then. It's had me from Alaska, to Costa Rica, Belize, Yucatan, Cuba, Florida, the Great Lakes, and much of Canada.
My father, who also flew it when he was alive, left me a heartfelt message inside the oil inspection door, before his passing. It is still there.
A Cessna 180 is not a thing. It is, like your best horse or dog, a friend and companion. Losing anyone of them hurts deeply.
To say that I have an emotional investment in this wonderful airplane is an understatement.
It will soon come under a full restoration by Mountain Airframe.
Best,
TN

Beautiful horse, wrong saddle.

Username Protected · **Posted:** 08 Apr 2024, 20:47

Thank you. Bred him myself from KY thoroughbred lines and grandfather's Spanish Barb mares. Gelded him in the field. Made gently to my hand, we worked the Herefords with only a bozal and my old Crates saddle.
Great roper, so when I got him into the funny saddle thing, he didn't mind the mallet being swung all around him. Fearless in play, quick and fast. Stopped on a dime and gave change.
Took lead in the belly, but still carried me home. I left a small monument in his memory.
Please excuse the thread drift; I sense that the BT folk may understand the love of horses.

TN

Username Protected · **Posted:** 08 Apr 2024, 22:01

Thank you for posting that Tom.

Username Protected · **Posted:** 08 Apr 2024, 23:01

Friend has a 180K with 90" prop on it. The prop is all the difference. Stock plane with small bubble windows and will leap off the ground and cruise 135 knots all day long. A wonderful flying airplane for a Cessna. Many years ago we installed a Continental IO-360 on a 170A. Now that's a fun plane. Very responsive, unlike most Cessna's, it will climb 1000 fpm or better at gross, also do 135 knots if you push the power up, or pull the power back cruise where a normal 170 cruises burning 8-9 gallons an hour. It will never be worth what the 180 is worth, so to each their own.

Username Protected · **Posted:** 09 Apr 2024, 00:41

I also have a great appreciation for the 170. It revolutionized our cattle business, as we purchased a brand-new 170B in 1954. It made the trips to the ranches into a two-hour breeze, compared to the two-day trip via steam-engine trains prone to frequent derailments.
Attached is a picture taken by my father of his two brothers. The guy on the left is wearing a Colt that goes from his armpit to his hip (It was part of the minimum equipment list in those days).
Even though the 170 served us well, we needed more speed and hauling ability, for bulldozer parts, dynamite, rawhide, horseshoes, cattle vaccines, tools, barbed-wire, etc. The 1958 180 that replaced the 170 did it all.
The interior of that 180 gave off a mesmerizing scent of sweat, 80-Octane, hot oil, and leather.
Its registry was XB-MEN... with emphasis on the band of manly brothers that operated it.

TN

Username Protected · **Posted:** 09 Apr 2024, 10:26

Username Protected wrote:

I’d wager the speed mods lower the value of the plane

Most folks will go through lots of effort to even remove flap gap seals on skywagons

No and no

Username Protected · **Posted:** 09 Apr 2024, 10:48

This 180 is right down the Road from Me, always parked outside :eek:

I've been Eyeballing it for about 5 years now......would love to own it :eek:

I'll bet you couldn't touch it for under 80K....and it's rough.....but Flys :shrug:

Username Protected · **Posted:** 09 Apr 2024, 14:29

Username Protected wrote:

I’d wager the speed mods lower the value of the plane

Most folks will go through lots of effort to even remove flap gap seals on skywagons

No and no

Username Protected · **Posted:** 09 Apr 2024, 14:29

Username Protected wrote:

This 180 is right down the Road from Me, always parked outside :eek:

I've been Eyeballing it for about 5 years now......would love to own it :eek:

I'll bet you couldn't touch it for under 80K....and it's rough.....but Flys :shrug:

If you could get it for 80k I’d take that deal and run!

Username Protected · **Posted:** 09 Apr 2024, 14:37

Hi Don, really, you can just as easily find horror stories regarding factory new engine. I've bought and flown plenty of used engines and never felt like I got a bad deal. Where one person sees "cheap" another sees "value" and we all know that in aviation, spending more does not automatically mean a better job.

And don't forget - every time we pull our planes out of the hangar, we are all flying behind used engines.

Username Protected wrote:

Lyc IO360 or IO370 from Stoots:

https://stootsaviation.com/building-%22 ... c170%2F175

Don't go "cheap". I know a guy who built one with an O360 Lyc he found sitting in a crate somewhere for some time. He's had nothing but problems with the engine, had to have the cylinders replaced, but getting it sorted out, slowly and expensively.

Username Protected · **Posted:** 09 Apr 2024, 14:56

Username Protected wrote:

Lyc IO360 or IO370 from Stoots:

https://stootsaviation.com/building-%22 ... c170%2F175

Don't go "cheap". I know a guy who built one with an O360 Lyc he found sitting in a crate somewhere for some time. He's had nothing but problems with the engine, had to have the cylinders replaced, but getting it sorted out, slowly and expensively.

Username Protected · **Posted:** 09 Apr 2024, 15:09

Username Protected wrote:

I’d wager the speed mods lower the value of the plane

Most folks will go through lots of effort to even remove flap gap seals on skywagons

No and no

Username Protected · **Posted:** 09 Apr 2024, 15:46

Username Protected wrote:

Every little bit helps. Back in the day, Nick Gerdis showed up at the Lajitas TX Badlands New Years' Bacchanal with his tricked-out early 180... No one could touch him on the New Years' day race.
Here is my factory TCDS speed mod for the landing gear. No delicate glass wheel panties, and handles off-airport landings without issues.
I understand about the conversations on backcountry regarding the flap gap seals, but it they are there, I don't think they amount to one or two knots difference, plus or minus.
I get a solid 150 Kt. with the PPonk.

TN

Pretty!

I agree on the backcountry banter, kinda reminds me of the fat kid with $200 basketball shoes, guess it helps ya jump but…

For me I wouldn’t install much of that stuff, but if it was already there I wouldn’t go to a huge amount of trouble to remove it

Sales time I do suspect bubble windows would be a bigger seller than speed fairings on a skywagon though

Username Protected · **Posted:** 09 Apr 2024, 16:22

Username Protected wrote:

Plenty of discussions on backcountry about removing that stuff, not a single one about adding it, I mean I’m sure someone is into it but not the demographic who normally has a skywagon

Then you haven't been on BCP in a long time. 50/50 like everything else. You have some strong opinions whether political or airplane. You would be a lot more enjoyable to talk to you if you softened your extreme tone of voice.

Username Protected · **Posted:** 09 Apr 2024, 16:29

Username Protected wrote:

Plenty of discussions on backcountry about removing that stuff, not a single one about adding it, I mean I’m sure someone is into it but not the demographic who normally has a skywagon

Then you haven't been on BCP in a long time. 50/50 like everything else. You have some strong opinions whether political or airplane. You would be a lot more enjoyable to talk to you if you softened your extreme tone of voice.

cessna 180 vs super 170