The International Cessna 170 Association

ended up buying 1/32 HDPE polyethylene 24 x 36" sheets
which i purchased from McMaster-Carr
two 'N" numbers out each one
so about $13 a sheet = about $6 per letter
they are incredible strong and durable
they did cut nicely with those orange handled scissors at walmart
had found thinner place mats at hobby lobby but were more expensive
now i can tape them down with 3/4" masking tape and polish away
dave
'iowa'

here's what it looks like on my wing
took less than an hour to mask on
will polish the top of this wing tomorrow afternoon when it's sunshining

BTW, does anyone use these 20" numbers anymore?
and, does a fully painted fabric wing covering weight less than aluminum?
dave

While it’s only hear say ,but a colleague has had the experience of shipping both types of wings and what blew me away was and he was surprised also that the shipping company told him the fabric wings weighted 40 lbs heavier. The wings were being shipped in the same box. 170A wings arrive and fabric wings being shipped out.

ghostflyer wrote:While it’s only hear say ,but a colleague has had the experience of shipping both types of wings and what blew me away was and he was surprised also that the shipping company told him the fabric wings weighted 40 lbs heavier. The wings were being shipped in the same box. 170A wings arrive and fabric wings being shipped out.

It’s a common misperception that metal wings are heavier than fabric. The reason fabric wings are heavier is because they require so much internal bracing and compression-struts to create the necessary rigidity/strength that the monocoque design of the metal wings do not require.... same reason as the fabric wings require two struts to prevent the wing from twisting as opposed to the metal wing needing only one strut. The original 170 weighs more than a later A or B model all other things being equal. (10-20 lbs according to various sources)

noticed while polishing that the numbers '6' n '8' would not polish out shiny
then i noticed that there is a plastic film over these areas,
and it is really adhered to the aluminum beneath.
the picture makes it look white
but it is really a dull grey color.
what is the best way to remove this plastic film
so I can polish this area so it looks like the rest of the polished areas
thanks
dave

20” (or any size) N-Numbers on the wings are decoration only according to the FAA and are not official N-Numbers any longer.

Small (on certain year models) or large N-Numbers on the side of the tail or fuselage are the recognized N-Numbers now.

thanks for your response Richard
have these large 'N' numbers always been decorative?
here is a photo of the original owner,
a Thelma Miller of Ohio.
she was a WASP during WWII whom i corresponded
with for several years before her death.
one can see that the 'N' numbers are under the Right wing
whereas mine are on the bottom of the Left wing.
was this standard?
thanks
dave
'iowa'

Dave,
Look closely at the N number. It’s reversed. The prop is turning the wrong way. The landing light is on the wrong wing. There’s no venturi on the “left” side — optional equipment but nearly ubiquitous. Finally, “McCauley” on the prop blades reads in reverse. Just kidding - my eyes aren’t that good! Thelma forgot to turn the negative over. So that is actually the bottom of the left wing that the N number is painted on.

ha! feel like an idiot!

Dave-
The wing numbers were the required numbers at one time. Then the FAA changed the requirements.

When I took my plane to have it painted, the original wing numbers were visible once the wings were stripped. I couldn’t paint over them and I’m glad they are again visible.

Was that Bug your high school car?

Dave,
Certainly didn’t mean to embarrass you. You’ve done an awesome job on polishing your plane! Any idea what year that photo was taken?

No harm, not offended at all!
Thelma is the gal in the middle.
She and her husband bought the plane on 7/28/51.
The next buyer was in 1964,
so the picture was sometime in between.
dave

I was curious about the date of the photo because I was surprised to see the aircraft with a base coat of paint. As of January 1, 1960 registration numbers on the wings were no longer required so probably painted before then. The one and only year I found aircraft painted at the factory was 1951 but the paint scheme in the picture doesn’t match the standard ‘51 paint scheme.