The International Cessna^® 170 Association

Need help finding door locks for 170 A. Thanks 33alfa

I think I have seen them associated with a magneto switch set in Wag-Aero. The look like cabinet locks that you could buy at a good hardware store.

Ghostrider

ghostrider wrote:...The look like cabinet locks that you could buy at a good hardware store.

Ghostrider

That's pretty much what they are. At one point in my career, my desk drawer at work and my airplane keys were interchangable!

Miles

cessna170bdriver wrote:

ghostrider wrote:...The look like cabinet locks that you could buy at a good hardware store.

Ghostrider

That's pretty much what they are. At one point in my career, my desk drawer at work and my airplane keys were interchangable!

Miles

Miles

So did you ever unlock your desk drawer and try to fly somewhere for lunch

Aircraft Security and Alert Systems was featured in the Dec. 2007 AOPA magazine. For $100 a lock they have locksets that are FAA PMA'ed for C-172s. See http://www.aircraftsecurityalert.com/index.html

According to AOPA, "Medeco locksets provide much better protection than the original sets because of much stronger construction and 'double cross-cut bi-directional' keys that can be duplicated only at the provider. Medeco locksets cannot be opened without the proper key. Installation of these locksets is a minor alteration."

Before spending $100 I would try matching the style of lock from your 170 at a local Medeco dealer. See http://www.medeco.com

Before I spent $100 on a better lock I'd have to consider whether it'd keep a thief from pulling the hinge-pins on my doors and getting in anyways.

When I was a city-mouse just-moved-to-the country..... I locked my house-doors and windows and car, boat, airplane, truck, garage, etc etc.

Then one late night while I was struggling with my keys in the dark it suddenly struck me that all the locks would do is keep a burglar from entering via the door, and I'd have to replace the broken window-panes in additon to whatever he stole.

It was only this year when Jamie called me while I was out of town to ask if I had a house key hidden anywhere about the place...she'd locked herself out of the house.
I told her no, so she called a locksmith who charged $135 to drive out to the ranch to let her in the house.
When I got home a few days later I was looking about the place for a hiding spot for a spare key when it hit me that a great place to hide a key was inside the woodbox beside the fireplace. (This is a compartment for storing firewood and has an access door on the outside wall to a 3-foot by 3-foot storage area alongside the fireplace. The wood is accessible via another door inside the living room beside that fireplace.)

While I was looking inside the compartment....I came to the sudden realization that all one needed to do to enter the house is do a duck-walk through that compartment and push open the inner door ... to enter the living room.

$135 wasted.

I gotta believe those Medco locks are meant for an airplane with doors and latches just a little beefier than those on a 55-year-old single-engine Cessna.

Yeah...their also intended for wallets a little beefier too.

Like for jets that have opening instructions placarded over the emergency exits.

Locks keep mostly-honest people reminded to be honest.

They are standard cabinet lock hardware. Most locksmiths have them for under $10. Aircraft Spruce also has them and you can get them separately from the ignition switch at the bottom of the page.
http://aircraftspruce.com/catalog/elpag ... itches.php Many of those Cessna locks are all keyed the same. Your key will probably fit many, if not most of the other Cessna's on the ramp........So much for homeland security

gahorn wrote: Locks keep mostly-honest people reminded to be honest.

Absolutely. I figure that any lock on a 170 stronger than 1/16" plexiglass is overkill.

Miles

Airplane locks should be able to exclude curious people and kids, but not
serious thieves. The surrounding stucture is too easily severely damaged if they really are determined.

That's kind of my reasoning for not installing any high dollar avionics.
It's too hard to find the parts and repair the break in damage when they steal them. Nobody would try to steal a Val 760 TSO comm radio.

Saw a picture of a Mooney that had a full King IFR center stack with an instrunent panel shield that locked on to the two yokes. Anionics thieves simply bent both yokes down 90 degrees and cleaned out the stack. All the shield did was add about three grand to the repair job.

A quick note on the ACS door locks..... It has been a while since I ordered them, but if I remember correctly they had a different cam (the part that rotates into the jamb to lock the door. I just removed the cam from the old lock (1 screw), put it on the new and all was well. They make that lock with several different types of cams, so be sure you get the right one. The locksmith will have a catalog, or do an internet search for "cabinet locks".

blueldr wrote:...That's kind of my reasoning for not installing any high dollar avionics...

BluElder's intercom:

George,

You forgot the ones for the back seat! The connecting knot is a real bitch to get right.

Just curious, Is there any tone quality differences betweet the blue, black or white string?