The International Cessna^® 170 Association

I am now a proud owner of a 1953 170B. It flys great and just looking for a few things. I was at a fly-in the other day and I seen a 170B that had gas door openers installed. The owner stated that he found them on this web site. My sky catches are just about shot and I don't want to have anything installed on the wings anymore to hold the doors open.

I am looking for a operators manual for the plane, any ideas?

It is also time to replace the seals around the doors. Were do I go for them?

Any help would be appreciate.

Larry

As far the doors it was probably this setup - it's the only STCed installation I'm aware of:
http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/a ... teward.php

As a member you can go to the "Members Only Page" (link is at the top of this page) and download the "Owners Manual". It is for the '56 170B, but it is for all practical purposes the same as your "53.

As far as door seals, I used "Piper Door Seal" at the suggestion of Gahorn, and it worked very well. It is very soft and compressible without binding in the door like the solid material I had in before.
http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/a ... rseals.php

Thanks Karl. The door steward is what I seen. I will be ordering it in the future.

Larry

Welcome to the group, Larry! May 170 ownership and membership in this Association bring you many years of enjoyment. (Just this past week, I celebrated the 25th anniversary of both. )

If by owner's manual, you mean the book that Cessna published that came in the glove box of the airplane, you can download one from the member's only page for a 1956 B-model, as Karl mentioned. The biggest difference from your '53 will be controls and switch layout on the panel. I have also seen these manuals on Ebay. You might also try http://www.mccurtain.com, although the last time I checked they didn't have an owner's manual for the 170.

If what you actually need is the two-sided single sheet Approved Flight Manual required by the FAR's you can get a copy from Association headquarters for a few dollars.

Miles

A hard copy of the Owner's Manual (replica) is produced by Univair and sold by them (and re-distributed by Aircraft Spruce.) It has good info but is technically not an approved document.
The document required to be onboard is the Approved Flight Manual, which you may obtain from Cessna for about $50+ or (as a Member) from headquarters@cessna170.org for a copying/mailing fee.
See there? Another membership dues/fee already paid for itself!

I see where the association has the Approved Flight Manual available. I went to the local Cessna dealer today and asked for an Approved Flight Manual. The Cessna guy pulled out a Cessna manual that listed available documents. He looked up the Approved Flight Manual and the Owner's Handbook was listed as the available document. According to the Cessna guy, the Owner's Handbook includes the information on the Approved Flight Manual. So now I'm confused. I guess to be safe I'll order the one from the association.

hilltop170 wrote:According to the Cessna guy, the Owner's Handbook includes the information on the Approved Flight Manual. So now I'm confused. I guess to be safe I'll order the one from the association.

Newer models do combine them, but I believe back in the early 50's that wasn't the case. The AFM was a separate document.

I also believe for it to be legal, it must have your serial number on it. I guess that could be "added" with Photoshop.

Richard,
That's the only way to go

1SeventyZ wrote:

hilltop170 wrote: I also believe for it to be legal, it must have your serial number on it. I guess that could be "added" with Photoshop.

Or a ball point pen I don't know of anything that requires Cessna to add the N-number.

Actually the original had the registration number inserted with a regular old style manual typewriter. This can easily be replicated with a typeface duplicating the old typewriter typeface today. There are several typewriter typefaces to choose from on the internet. Of course old manual typewriters aren't hard to find either.

A typeface, PhotoShop, a scanner and the skills to use them are all any counterfieter needs to use to make a copy of the original that can not be detected. Of course I have no personal first hand knowledge if this.

N2865C wrote: I don't know of anything that requires Cessna to add the N-number.

Me neither. However, serial number? Yes. Why? I have no idea. I guess without a model serial, there's nothing for it to be "approved" for.

1SeventyZ wrote:

hilltop170 wrote:According to the Cessna guy, the Owner's Handbook includes the information on the Approved Flight Manual. So now I'm confused. I guess to be safe I'll order the one from the association.

Newer models do combine them, but I believe back in the early 50's that wasn't the case. The AFM was a separate document.

I also believe for it to be legal, it must have your serial number on it. I guess that could be "added" with Photoshop.

Actually, the document must be CAA/FAA approved for the model. The Owners Manual was never an approved document.
The only reason an AFM is identified by aircraft construction number/serial no., etc., is in order to identify applicability. No one will question it provided it is indeed a genuine original or copy.

1SeventyZ wrote:

N2865C wrote: I don't know of anything that requires Cessna to add the N-number.

Me neither. However, serial number? Yes. Why? I have no idea. I guess without a model serial, there's nothing for it to be "approved" for.

Sorry, I meant to say serial number. Are you saying that it is required that Cessna fills in the serial number?? I was under the impression you could just write in your serial number on the form.

N2865C wrote:

1SeventyZ wrote:

N2865C wrote: I don't know of anything that requires Cessna to add the N-number.

Me neither. However, serial number? Yes. Why? I have no idea. I guess without a model serial, there's nothing for it to be "approved" for.

Sorry, I meant to say serial number. Are you saying that it is required that Cessna fills in the serial number?? I was under the impression you could just write in your serial number on the form.

I don't know. It seems like one of those things that I wouldn't worry about. Mine is typed on, but I can't imagine an inspector going the extra mile to verify.

The original is a document about 9"x6". When I bought my plane one of the previous owners had made a photocopy blown up to about 3 times the size so he could read it without glasses. It's huge. I keep it in the glove box...now it's my dad's copy.

In accordance with the Type Certificate, the AFM is required equipment. It MUST be on board the aircraft whenever it flies.

It is not specified WHERE it must be. I keep mine folded and stuck behind my Airworthiness and Registration Certificates. This will insure that the required AFM is on board in case of a ramp check by FAA. My Owner's Manual is in my glove box where I can access it should I need it. (The performance charts in the OM is identical to those in the AFM.)

I keep my .45, chocolate bars, nylons, and prophylactics in my A2 jacket front pocket. I traded my parachute for fuel.