The International Cessna^® 170 Association

My instrument cover has been extensively modified (to put it nicely) over the years. From what I've seen there are a few other panel covers in similar condition. Delicker at Del-Air has a hydropress and could stamp out a bunch of these. The left and right side instrument covers might also be worth replacing in a lot of our pre s/n 25372 planes. I think these could be legally made as owner-produced parts--especially if Harry just made a blank panel and let each owner cut out the instrument holes to his own specs. In a recent IA renewal I did online Bill O'Brien--the buck stops here guy from the FAA--said in regards to owner produced parts that the "mechanic can work as the owner's agent and help build the part. The owner must sign the log book stating that the part is owner produced, what data was used to make the part, and sign an statement that it is airworthy." What do you all think? Is there enough interest in having a bunch of these made? What would be a reasonable price to pay?

I have been thinking about this very component.

Thinking about advanced materials.


Carbon Fiber Cloth . It is more expensive however the increased value/service can be considerable.


Regards

I don't understand the comment "increased value" with regard to a composite or fiberglass panel. I would consider such materials to be inferior in almost every regard.

"Originality George" has spoken! You wont catch him flying one of those new Hawker Beechcraft airplanes with a composite fuselage!

I'm going to go out on a limb and say I understand what George is saying. The material itself may not be inferior but as it is not original it is worth less. While they may be exactly the same a new panel made from aluminum that is undistinguishable from an original is still not an original and not worth the same to many people when taken to the extreme.

Case in point would be wheel pants for example. Very nice original aluminum pants that could be polished bring a premium. Fiber glass can not be polished so there is no comparison in this case. But there are also very nice original aluminum pants that are painted and perform no better than new fiberglass yet most people would rather have aluminum mostly because that is the way they came. Aluminum there for have a higher value.

While I'm not an originality nut there are some lines I wouldn't cross. My plane would be fine with a composite panel but I would not put one in George' plane. Though with that -C model engine and all the WD40 residue you got in yours George, it would be a pretty close call.

I'd consider that a decorative covering, and treat it as such when obtaining / making / installing a replacement, and refer to it that way if I was to do a logbook entry for it. if.

I would be interested - including the lower left and right, so long as they are aluminum. I'm not sure what the price would be as tooling of any kind is expensive. Sure worth looking into though. There are a lot of 170's with butchered panels.

blueldr wrote:"Originality George" has spoken! You wont catch him flying one of those new Hawker Beechcraft airplanes with a composite fuselage!

I wasn't speaking of "originality", per se. I was thinking of fiberflass or plastic. I don't think of those materials as in the same league as metal and wood. And... if I were to try to duplicate an original panel because I wanted it to look original.... then I'd value more the original materials over fiberglass or plastic.
Bruce's example is a good one. While the fiberglass wheel pants which resemble original certainly look good and are a less expensive manner to obtain that classic look.... real metal ones are more accurate replicas, and therefore carry more value in my view. I don't differentiate between OEM originals and all metal replicas... they are of equal quality and value in my mind. In fact, the later, Cessna-produced all metal ones are the ones I'd prefer because they are genuine "factory" (therefore not technically replicas), and they accomodate modern Cleveland brakes without cutting/modification. My airplane has them.

My airplane only resembles originality. In many ways. (Hence my signature.) While at first glance it appears original, in fact it has a later 6-bolt engine/crank, and appropriate prop., BAS tail pull handles, Cleveland wheels/brakes, P-ponk gearbox beef-up, wingtip strobes, digital/solid-state radios, shoulder harnesses, and (as a necessity due to it's incredible speed) a boat anchor. (ELT)

It also has L-19 towing adaptors and tailwheel tie-down ring. And co-pilot and passenger reading lights. And double-walled baggage compartment. And (horrors) auto fuel STC.

I'd certainly be interested in new/original panels as well... particularly if they were aluminum.

Count me in as taking one as well!

v/r,
Jud

I would venture to suggest that interest in the subject panel would very likely be proportional to price. A limited production run run might make it too pricey due to hydro press die development and manufacture.

In addition, there very likely would be the problem getting permission from Cessna to produce one of their parts.

Seems to me that" Knisley Exhaust" went through that sort of a hassle. I am led to understand that you must now send them at least one part of a propriatory exhaust system so that they can "Repair" it.

I don't think Fiberglass would ever be right for 170 replacement parts.

Fiberglass is barely tolerable for boats. For classic aircraft ? I don't think so.

It must be the distinctive weave of the fibers in the carbon graphite fibers that mesmerizes young people purchasing auto replacement hoods of carbon graphite. I am not going to ask , "Why don't you paint your hood the same color as the rest of your car?" So strong, so light ,trendy or value added?,

I regard every operating 170 as a "Flying Muesum Piece" thus every part that comes off N2890C for replacement goes into a plastic bag w note and is placed in storage.

My original shock panel was professionally painted many years ago and when I gave him the muesum piece spiel he was impressed to the point that he said , "come get this thing out of my shop!"

I bought a new shock cover panel from Preferred Airparts a few years ago, but its the late serial number model . It was about $440 I think.

I talked with Harry Delicker about making this panel overlay. He said it would take at least 20 copies to make it worth tooling up for. I never was able to get him to state how much one would cost. The price for just having a couple made was "if you have to ask you can't afford it." He suggested making a die and hammering one out.

I am intrigued by the recent EAA video on building a poor man's "hydropress" that Arash posted in the TradeMart. Ryan, any chance of whipping out a CAD drawing for a form that matches the inside of the false panel? Pilot holes centered in the instrument holes would help for placing screws to anchor the sheet to the form.