The International Cessna^® 170 Association

A friend of mine gave me a Safe-T-Stop for the seat stop. Previously I had a bolt through a hole in the rail that would allow the seat to come back far enough to get in, but not all the way back. The Safe-T-Stop is better (I think) as it screws into a pin hole right behind the seat when I'm all the way forward. It will only allow the seat to come back about 1" before it stops which also keeps me and the seat from building up enough momentum going backwards to rip the rails out of the floor. That's what happened to a friend of one of my last instructors. That would have been the end of his friend if the lady whose lap he landed in hadn't had the common sense to shove him forward again.

Another suggestion for that was a chain that would clip to an I-bolt coming out of the center tower just in front of where the seat leg comes forward to.

In my opinion, the first two things that should be added if you plane doesn't have them are: shoulder harness and Safe-T-Stops on the seat rails. This goes for any Cessna tail dragger. IMHO.

Harold
N92CP

Finally completed #2 today.
George that's a great list, however I'm just going to have to tell you, it isn't what we wanted. Each mod/work on your list should be catagorized so that it does have discussion, recommendations, & details pertaining to that subject without having to go dig it up from the buried archives of Pilots Lounge and The Hanger.

Picture this -

Clik on "To Do List" if that's what we want to call it. That takes you to the next page which has each task/work listed convienently as a separate topic.
Clik on #1 Solid Axles
Clik on #2 Parking Brake
Clik on #3 P-ponk Landing Gear

Anyway, I appreciate you trying to fix it up for us and taking the time to make a list.

You want to discuss each item in a special thread? No problem. Simply start a thread with the subject line: To-Do-List Item #1: Solid Axles..... and start talking. Then in the future if you want to consult that list, all that is necessary it to Search for "To-Do-List" and up will pop the whole gamut! I'd bet that if you seached for "solid axles" tho', you'd already find a few opinons on the subject.

Great list. I also recommend

Scott tailwheel
Sunvisors (I like Rosen)
Soros venttubes

Romeo Tango wrote:Great list. I also recommend

Scott tailwheel
Sunvisors (I like Rosen)
Soros venttubes

Romeo Tango, the Scott tailwheel was standard equipment. The 3200 pnuematic Scott was an upgrade, and perhaps that's what you were thinking of?
The 3200, sunvisors and Soros Venttubes are not the sort of mods that I'd tell a new-owner are "must have" safety considerations.....but instead are merely "want haves". I believe the original intent of this thread was mods that were serious safety, operational, or economic considerations rather than personal wish lists. (Not to discourage your welcome suggestions, just an effort to differentiate between the types of mods.)

I'll withdraw the Venttubes suggestion, not critical, but really nice upgrades.

re: tailwheel, yes the Scott 3200 (actually I like the 3200A) is what I was talking about. When I got my C170 it had a Maule tailwheel and I was very happy to get the Scott 3200A on there before I started playing around on rough surfaces (btw - thank you for getting the tiedown bolts sorted out, I'll get mine installed in a week or so and will be happy for it).

I would keep the sunvisors on the list for safety of flight. I fly into the setting California sun most weekends, and they really are lifesavers flying back into the SFO airspace.

I like the thread (I've done most of your original suggestions), with shoulder harnesses at the very top of the list.

George,

Wasn't the Maule tailwheel the standard tailwheel on the earlier 170's. My 1949 170A was equipped with a Maule and I believe it was the original equipment.

Harold
N92CP

According to the IPC, for the 1948 model, the stock tailwheel was the Scott 3-24B ( I think that was the same as today's 2600). The TCDS lists the Scott 3-24B, Scott 3200, & the Maule SFS-1-2-P8 as approved tailwheels (item 204).

Eric

Anyone wishing to view discussions of individual topics in this list should use the search routine to look for To-Do-Item . Don't forget the hyphens.

george how about vortec generators ?

Vortex gens have been discussed in other threads. The subject can be controversial as regards personal opinions within some circles. I personally do not consider them to be desireable mods at all. (Would "teats-on-a-boar be too strong? Standing by dressed in Nomex, for incoming...)
I doubt if even their proponents would consider them "must-have" mods for the majority of the fleet.

George you must wear Nomex a lot when your reading this forum.


I like my Vortex generators. I wouldn't pay for and install them before most of the other modifications mentioned and I would never install them on a nice original airframe. I would install them on an airframe that I was going to or dreaming of pushing the envelope of STAL performance.

Having said that I don't have an original airframe and I won the VGs as a door prize which is why they're installed before half of the modifications mentioned here. And I do dream of but rarely get to push the STAL envelope of my 170 here in eastern PA.

There now that wasn't to hot was it George.

Sizzle, crackle, pop....

Wouldnt that be a major alteration. Is there a 337 on file ?