Don't weigh your airplane....

N170BP · Post by **N170BP** » Fri Aug 08, 2003 6:48 am

Weighed my '54 last week, and the actual empty weight
was substantially higher than what the paperwork said....

The old/yellowed piece of paper that came with the airplane
said it weighed 1318 with the back seat out. Turns out, it
weighs 1361 with the back seat out (1390 with it in).

I think I may do like Eric (Ragwing) did and yank the gyros/
venturis/vacuum crap out of my airplane (probably 15+ pounds
worth of crap). I've been keeping an eye on eBay for electric
turn coordinators and will probably snag one of those for install
into my airplane (gotta have a needle/ball + a good airspeed
indicator to stay alive in case the poop hits the fan....).

Bela P. Havasreti
'54 C-170B N170BP

Tom Downey · Post by **Tom Downey** » Fri Aug 08, 2003 2:32 pm

I think I may do like Eric (Ragwing) did and yank the gyros/
venturis/vacuum crap out of my airplane (probably 15+ pounds
worth of crap). I've been keeping an eye on eBay for electric
turn coordinators and will probably snag one of those for install
into my airplane (gotta have a needle/ball + a good airspeed
indicator to stay alive in case the poop hits the fan....).

Bela P. Havasreti
'54 C-170B N170BP

Don't quit there,, replace that heavy interior, with a wool and leather one, that'll save about 50 pounds.

funseventy · Post by **funseventy** » Fri Aug 08, 2003 3:52 pm

You can save 15 lbs buy removing the bench seat and installing two jumpseats, and if you remove all of the side panels, headliner, door panels, and the speaker/domelight you will remove about 23 lbs. 180 gear legs add at least 15 lbs, and that is part of the lesson amenities cost you with weight. 6.00x6 tires are 15 lbs for the pair and 8.50x6 tires are 15 lbs each. You have to decide what is important for you. I painted my interior and the insulated it with Closed-cell foam which made a nice looking utility interior and I only installed one jumpseat. Critique the panel as well, do you have an original Cessna CHT that doesn't work? PULL IT OUT!! Do you really need a MP Gauge in an airplane that has a fixed pitch propeller, or is it just fun to check occasionally? I weighed my airplane last fall and it came in at 1260 lbs, but it was not easy. If you pull the headliner, drill out the brackets that hold the bows. If you take out the bench seat drill out the brackets for holding the back, They are STEEL! I have pictures of the interior if anyone is interested.

Kelly

zero.one.victor · Post by **zero.one.victor** » Sat Aug 09, 2003 4:59 am

I can vouch for Kelly's airplane having a "nice looking utility interior". Careful application of closed-cell foam & "speckled" grey paint gives it a real business-like finished look. It does NOT look like the inside of an old beer can,unlike a lot of stripped-down airplanes. Lotsa small,well-thought-out touches like wing-root cubbyholes,too.I liked it.

Eric

N170BP · Post by **N170BP** » Sat Aug 09, 2003 6:14 am

Thanks for the replies. As you may well imagine, I'm
having trouble with the thought of ripping my (even if I do say
so myself), pretty interior out to save a few pounds. That
being said, I'm having trouble with the statement that one
type of fabric (wool & leather?) over another can save me
50 lbs.....???

50 lbs is a lot of weight.... I'd be surprised if my entire interior
(minus the seats of course) weighed 50 lbs by itself. I admit that
the stock back seat is a pig of a seat (30+ pounds....). As of late, I've just been flying it around with the back seat out... as I rarely have
more than two people (myself plus a friend) in the airplane.

It would be an interesting excersice to see just how light you
could get a B model, like the guy in Alaska did... Timbre Houlton
(I think that's his name).... But I think I'll not try to make the
lightest 170 in the world out of my airplane... just pull out
whatever useless junk I can (i.e., no point in carrying around
useless weight if you can help it!). Since the airplane is strictly
VFR, I see little use for 50+ year old gyros that don't really
work anyway....

I realize I could save more weight by reverting to small tires &
single-puck brakes, etc., but I am willing to pay a weight penalty
for things I like. I'm not however willing to pay a weight penalty
for things I don't care about....

As is with any airplane, mine is a work-in-progress, and I'll try
to put it on a diet as time & money allows. That being said,
it might be way cheaper if I just lost 20-30 pounds myself!

Bela P. Havasreti
'54 C-170B N170BP

4-Shipp · Post by **4-Shipp** » Sat Aug 09, 2003 2:20 pm

N170BP wrote: As is with any airplane, mine is a work-in-progress, and I'll try
to put it on a diet as time & money allows. That being said,
it might be way cheaper if I just lost 20-30 pounds myself!
'54 C-170B N170BP

Bela,
Don't sell this last idea short. When we bought 9CP 2 years ago, my two boys weighed about 85 pounds each. Today, the 14 year old is taller than me (I'm 6'

) and they push 250 for the pair. That put us at gross with the four of us, full tanks and NOTHING else! That has been the first thing in 5 years that actually got me to loose some weight. I dropped over 20 with 10 to go. Between the wife and I we hope to shed 50+. We both are better off for it and it is a lot cheaper than new seats, new gyros or new anything.

Yes, dear...the $40K+ is for my new diet plan

lowNslow · Post by **lowNslow** » Sat Aug 09, 2003 6:18 pm

Ever thought of going on a diet

A lot cheaper then the other alternatives.