The International Cessna 170 Association

Hello All,
I have been lurking here for awhile but I have now joined the group. Im a retired Army aviator. I flew helicopters and airplanes while on active duty in some pretty cool, and not so cool, places. Now I am planning on flying for fun. I have been renting but, as you know, tailwheels are hard to rent. The one I had been flying has recently been wrecked. It had been down for maintenance for some time prior to that. Then there are the usual problems with schedules etc.
I am hot on the trail of a '50 170A. She has been on the same field for 45 years so she is well known to the locals. I am going to take a closer look at the plane and the logbooks and talk to the man who has maintained her since anybody can remember. It is the usual story. The owner just doesn't have time to fly like he would like. Last flight about 6 months ago and 10 hours in the last year. At first glance she needs some cosmetics and probably little things. They all do. I noticed intake plugs and exhaust covers so that was encouraging. She wasn't just abandoned.
Ill have more questions I'm sure once I have a chance to look her over good and view the logs. Pictures are coming.
Thanks in advance,
Vern

Welcome to the 170 Association Vern! I too began looking for a 170 due to scheduling problems in a flying club that owned a J-3. It doesn't take very many times of showing up at the airport with your name on the schedule and seeing the airplane leaving the ground to make you seek alternatives. That was in 1982 and I am still the caretaker of N3498C, a 1955 B-model. Good luck in your search for a 170.

Hello Vern.

Good luck on the hunt. Looking for those pictures.

Couple of Army Aviators here. When did the Army teach you their way to fly?

Welcome aboard Vern. Wish you all the best in your search.

Justin

Welcome Vern!

Welcome to this club Vern. Post up those pics anytime.

Bruce Fenstermacher wrote:Hello Vern.

Good luck on the hunt. Looking for those pictures.

Couple of Army Aviators here. When did the Army teach you their way to fly?

Bruce,
I enlisted in '73, started flight school in '76. I flew UH-1, AH-1, UH-60 and finally spent 6 years in the C-12 retiring in 2014. I spent about 20 years as a DAC at Ft. Rucker in Hueys and 60's while I was in the Reserve and National Guard. Now I'm teaching Coasties the HH-60 in Mobile, Al. I still don't know what I will do when I grow up so I'm putting that off as long as possible.

Cool Vern. I spent 6 years on the ground then 2 as a crew chief on a Huey. Spent 1986 at Mother Rucker and returned back to my reserve unit to fly Hueys. Finished out my 20 years barely, all reserve. Never deployed. Thought I'd stay in for 43 years but the Army Reserves had other ideas getting ride of their rotor wing assets to the Guard. I've actually spent more time as a gray area retiree than I spent in the Reserves but I'm a month away from collecting my first retirement check.

I had the chance today to run off to the airport and look at the 170. I was pretty disappointed. It looks like there is corrosion in several places, that I could see. Im no expert but corrosion is tough once it gets started. There were areas on all the control surfaces where the paint was bubbled up. She obviously has not had the care I would have hoped for...ever.
What do you think?

Here are a couple more.
at this point I would have to consider this 170 as a project.

Those legs do not look,the best and they can be expensive to replace . The aircraft has been left a long time for corrosion to get hold that much . The bores on the engine will be questionable also has corrosion quickly eats into that region . Ok if it's cheap real cheap maybe but expect to use lots of money [ AND blood ,sweat and tears ] . Check corrosion on the spars and wing roots also , this can be expensive area also to fix.
Try to have a look in the fuel tanks as they corrode on the bottom of the tanks . The wing struts are a area a lot of people miss. The end fittings should be clear of corrosion and the tube area should have no dings ,dents or damage . Have a big look in the gear box area also for cracking and mis alignment also . These are old aircraft and have had many pilots and not so good drivers fly them . Not so long ago I had a guy jump out of a near new Cessna 206 and come over to me and tell me that he used to fly my aircraft .the way he loaded the 206 and the way he taxied and took off , I shudder.

Vern welcome here, apparently army types who've been flying those shakes things, turn into great members, the club is in luck.
I'm thinking the gear either has been painted with the wrong kind of paint or very poor prep and wrong paint. That torque tube can be blasted and painted again easily. It's hard to see what's going on in the pic with the coin with the resolution available. Again it could be poor paint prep.
The big stuff needs a critical eye placed on them. The wing internals, spars, H.S. And rudder spars and the gearbox needs a hard look at especially since the gear exhibits issues.
A models can be had a bit easier than a B , for debatable reasons, but they are all great planes so you might want to extend the search if the risk on this one is iffy.

Thanks for the info guys. Much appreciated.
Jim, the picture with the coin is a dent I would say 1/8-3/16 in depth.

I made the decision to buy N5453C. I was able to talk to the seller about my concerns and we adjusted the price accordingly. That, along with the extra stuff and spares coming with the plane, I feel like I have room for the inevitable unknown problems and other things that need to be done. Im sure there will be surprises and I am looking forward to the challenge. AND a hangar just came available at the end of the month.

Looking forward to many questions and discussions. Thanks for your support so far!!

Vern

Glad to see 53C will be getting the care she deserves. Congrats Vern!