Backcountry 170s

[jesse1949]

Good evening everyone, I just purchased my first airplane this last week a 1949 Cessna 170a (project). It was ground looped in the late 1970s early 1980s and has been sitting ever since. I am extremely excited to restore this plane and get it back flying. I was curious if anyone has any pictures of their bush/backcountry 170s for some motivation. Im very interested in backcountry avaiation and want to do that with my plane once finished. Also if you have any thoughts about some cool STC mods to be done to the A model besides bush wheels I would love to hear about them! Thanks in advance!

[ghostflyer]

Firstly I would join the association. The library reference material in the association is extensive to say the least. Plus the knowledge of the members is mind blowing . The modification.s and STC lists are many. It will all depend on what you want to do with your aircraft. The best for you is for U to post some photos of your aircraft and tell us what you want to do with your aircraft . Plus it will show what condition your aircraft is in. As you pointed out your aircraft had a ground loop . So the main spar will have to measured and inspected ,and possibly parts sourced or made.

[jesse1949]

ghostflyer thank you for the response. I just joined the association and the forum so I will look at the association library for sure thank you! I'm just looking at having a decent backcountry plane, nothing to crazy. I definitely will need to get some parts for sure. I posted in The TradeMart looking for a fuselage damaged or not as long as from the b-pillar forward is good because I will need some parts.

[redacted]

My 170 is on Instagram @thescarlet_170

Mostly 195 upgraded stuff lately but 3 trips to OSH in the 170 and a bunch of back country stuff if you scroll back in time.

[jesse1949]

Redacted thank you ill check it out!

[JackM]

Most backcountry can be done on 8.5s

The amount of recreational backcountry pilots who can outfly 8.5 is low

Be sure to take your time when it comes to the backcountry stuff

Maybe also add a T3 tailwheel

That’ll get you into most backcountry spots

[jesse1949]

JackM thank you for the information! I will look into the T3 Tailwheel and the 8.5s.

[JackM]

This might help

[JackM]

T3

https://t3tailwheel.com/

[cessna170bdriver]

Hopefully, “original main gear wheels” extends to Cleveland’s.

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

Mile's brings up a good point that has been brought up before. The letter does not specify what the original wheels that they agreed 8.5 x 6 4 ply tires could be used on either the 180 or the 170. I can't say without research what the original wheels on a 180 were but on the 170 it was Goodyear. How many 170s are still running Goodyear wheels?

We can't say by the letter if Altee Dodge or the Feds back in 1961 or the Feds in 2013 were talking about original Goodyear or what most of them were being replaced by, Clevelands. Did the Feds know Cleveland wheels were not original?

So at first blush the letter looks like 8.5 x 6, 4 ply tires are accepted by the FAA (at least in Alaska) on a 180 or 170. But the devil is in the details. What wheels were they actually talking about.

Yes, I'm sure this letter has been successfully used to get a signature from appropriately authorized individuals for installation of 8.5 tires, and I wonder if those individuals realized most 170s and 180s no longer have "the original" wheels installed.

[DaveF]

This doesn't constitute extensive research, but according to a 180/185 parts catalog and model year change info I found online, it appears that 180s were shipped with Goodyears through 1963, and switched to Clevelands in 1964. So I'd guess that's why they didn't specify manufacturer in the letter.

[GAHorn]

And then there are the many Cessnas using McCauley wheels…..while believing they are Clevelands….

[DaveF]

And so it appears, in 1961, date of the original "understanding" the only original wheels to either the 180 or the 170 are Goodyear.

Where did this statement come from? True or not, I didn't write it.

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

I'm very sorry Dave, I wrote that line but I did not intend to insert it in your post. I meant to quote your post. As a forum administrator I have many more options to choose from than users and I accidentally clicked the wrong option. I thought I'd fixed my mistake but apparently I should have waited for my morning coffee to kick in before I did anything that morning. I've removed my text from your post. Below is what I intended to do in my own post.

This doesn't constitute extensive research, but according to a 180/185 parts catalog and model year change info I found online, it appears that 180s were shipped with Goodyears through 1963, and switched to Clevelands in 1964. So I'd guess that's why they didn't specify manufacturer in the letter.

And so it appears, in 1961, date of the original "understanding" the only original wheels to either the 180 or the 170 are Goodyear.