The International Cessna^® 170 Association

So far the FSDO says it will approve the current control yokes as installed! Makes my life a lot easier. We'll see if they actually sign the paperwork...

And the did sign the 337 for the existing control wheels. They are a little picky about what they will and won't sign. Still can't get them to pass off on the window latches that allow the window to open up all the way. Oh, well.

How about seeing if they will buy installing a " do not open in flight" placard.

Yeah, we tried the placard route, but they didn't buy it. The basically said the only way they would approve latches that allow the window to open all the way would be through a DER with supporting data saying that it would be ok. That will cost more than buying original Cessna latches! Anyway, still working on a way to make it work. For now we've installed a removable pin in the original latches so that we can just pull the pin and open the windows anyway. The rest of the latch just flops into the cabin and gets in the way, but for now it's what we can do.

Sounds as if you've found one of the more anal inspectors which lend FAA a poor reputation. If the aircraft is legal to fly with the window open, and if it's legal to fly with the entire door removed, then why Inspector Anal can't see it's also fine with the window fully open is beyond reason. Sigh.
The matter of a 172 door being legal on a 170, and the fact the 172 door has the later window latch, (not to mention that the 172 was legal with the window fully open, if I recall correctly) should seem logical to anyone with a sense of reason.

I agree with George. I have a heater box on my 170A that comes from a Cessna 172. My mechanic filled out a 337 and the "supporting data" was that the box was an FAA approved part from a similar airplane that accomplished the same function on a 170-A. An FAA office field approved that. It works just fine. If it changes the flight characteristics or the structural design, it needs to be reviewed by the aircraft certification office and have appropriate engineering data. I don't understand how a window latch could fit in that category. Having said all that, some FAA inspectors and many IAs are reluctant to put their signatures on things that do not conform exactly to type design. If you have (or are) a mechanic, ask the inspector if he/she would accept "data" based on the previously approved installation.

Control wheel leather covers. Less than $200 each

http://www.warrengregoire.com/aviation- ... covers.htm