The International Cessna^® 170 Association

What is the best STOL kit for the money?
Do you see much difference in performance. Mainly interested in better landing speeds or stall speeds.
Would really appreciate your comments if you have experience your self, having bought and installed on your C-170 one of this kits (Horton STOL, Sportsman Stol, Robertson STOL, Vortex Generators,, etc..)

Juasiel

The best stall kit? 800 landings over 100 hours, practicing shortfield three point and wheel landings and any other regime of flight that tickles your fancy. Cost ... $3000-4000 dollars in gas and a few more smile wrinkles.
My honest opinion.
David

Juasiel, ... this airplane will already land in shorter distances than it can take off from, ... because it doesn't have enough horsepower. A STOL kit will not change that landing distance by more than approx. 30 meters. Why would you want to land where you can only disassemble it and truck it out?
If you truly want short-field performance, the first (and most expensive) modification to make is more horsepower with a different engine. This will cost about $30,000 or more.
Dave is correct, in my opinion. Practice. The airplane already does 90% of anything a STOL kit can do with no additional cost at all.
Otherwise, I'd advise against any STOL kits from Udall, KS (and reportedly with other addresses, formal name is Williams, aka "Bush" kits) unless you obtain the materials C.O.D. They have a poor reputation for follow-up and support.
Additionally, do not forget that modifications, even if STC'd.... are not foolproof. From the AD note against Bush STOL kits installed on Cessna 150's: "SUMMARY: This amendment adopts a new airworthiness directive (AD) that applies to Cessna Aircraft Company ... airplanes that have a Bush Conversions, Inc., Short Takeoff and Landing (STOL) kit incorporated in accordance with
Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) SA1371SW. This action requires measuring the wing stall
fence for maximum height, and installing a smaller fence if the fence exceeds the maximum
height of 1.28 inches. An accident of a Cessna Model 152 airplane where the STOL kit adversely
affected the airplane's stall characteristics prompted this action. The actions specified by this AD
are intended to prevent the airplane from entering a stall condition because of improper wing
stall fence height, which could result in loss of control of the airplane."

The reason that I am considering one of this STOL kits is because, what I do with my C-170a is something I call publicity.

I put very loud speakers on the wings and do propaganda (like comercial ads and political) and need to be flying as slow as possible, so the message can be heard.

Most of the times I fly at about 60 - 70 mph depending weather conditions, but would like to decrease that number in a safe way.


Any thoughts on the best Stol kit that might help the best?

Juasiel

Take a look at the Sportsman Kit... They do the same thing that Cessna did to later versions of the 100 series aircraft, by adding camber and length to the cord of the wing.

juasiel123 wrote:The reason that I am considering one of this STOL kits is because, what I do with my C-170a is something I call publicity.
I put very loud speakers on the wings and do propaganda (like comercial ads and political) and need to be flying as slow as possible, so the message can be heard.

I would be more concerned with being shot at than stalling

Howdy,

I can tell you of a very cheap way to accomplish all of those things....save $$$ on speakers and stall kit....Just paint your plane red and put G A Horn and Flyguy in it.....

Richard....

Really almost affraid to comment on this site as Geo. will correct me but here goes.
The addition of a leading edge cuff kit not only allows one to fly slower but adds aileron control. and gives a more tail high attitude on approach. All named mfg's produce basicly the same kit. The Horton is the least expensive and a good company to deal with. If these were not advantageous then why did Cessna reengineer their wing with this leading edge ???? I have flown without them but prefer flying with them. Probably will not help you greatly in T/O and Ldg distance but certainly will not hurt.

I bought my 170 with a Horton stal kit, and I've never flown a 170 without one. But the 170 will fly a full 18 knots slower than my 140. In fact, it will lift off before the airspeed indicator is working. About the only thing I have trouble with is trying to make it land in gusty wind conditions...it just keeps flying every time a bit of wind hits it. I'm MIGHTY impressed with it, all in all.

N171TD wrote:Really almost affraid to comment on this site as Geo. will correct me but here goes.
...

Never be afraid to speak what you believe. (I'd hate to think that just because I'm opinionated it might prevent you from offering your own.)

This thread originally asked about the best STOL kit. If you really and truly want a helluva STOL mod, Get the STC from XP Mods and install a Continental IO-360, 210 HP engine. Makes the airplane climb like hell too. And all for only about thirty grand! What a deal!

Of course if you're not going to do all the work yourself, add about another forty grand.

Haydon wrote:Howdy,

I can tell you of a very cheap way to accomplish all of those things....save $$$ on speakers and stall kit....Just paint your plane red and put G A Horn and Flyguy in it.....

Richard....

Hey, GAR! I think Richard is imagining us in a plane that's flying low and slow, and stalling, or getting shot at, or both! I thought you said he was a friend!

Been doing this sort of thing over the past 30+ years for law enforcement. Speakers from a fixed wing in order to be intellgible need to be below 1000 AGL and close to 500 AGL. I have never been satisfied with the effectiveness of speakers from a fixed wing aircraft. You are better off towing a banner.

Recently saw this on u-tube showing how to intsall the sportsman STOL kit...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=h1tfjmTpU0g

Kyle Wolfe wrote:Recently saw this on u-tube showing how to intsall the sportsman STOL kit...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=h1tfjmTpU0g

Saw the video and think that this STOL kit is the best of any but more expensive do. The only problem is that they don't mention the C-170a in their application chart,, I think the 170a is not on STC. I already mail Sportsman website and told me that for some reason it was not added at the first time, but they were working on it and by the end of summer would be available for the 170a as well.

I think that the difference between the kit for the 170b and the 170a, should be only the FLAP GAP-SPEED KIT. Don't find any other difference. What do you think?