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Our Cessna 170 B Airplane |
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Early in 1948,
aviation publications across the country were publishing press
releases similar to the following, which appeared in the February
issue of FLYING magazine:
Wichita, Kansas - A full line of Cessna’s will roll off the lines
this year. Deliveries of the new 1948 model Cessna began early in
January ... The big news in the way of completely new aircraft at
Cessna this year is the Model 170, a four-place plane powered by a
145 hp Continental engine. Selling at $5,475, this new 170 is the
low-cost four-placer to complete Cessna's full line. Deliveries are
expected to begin in March ...
During the late 1940s through the mid-1950s over 5,000 Cessna 170s
were manufactured and well over half that number survive today. This
alone should indicate that this aircraft has certain qualities that
make it a desirable aircraft to own and has also gained it
recognition as a Neo-Classic in various aircraft organizations.
The Cessna 170 began its life looking much like its little brother,
the Cessna 140. In fact, the 1948 C170 is quite often mistaken for
the smaller two-place C140 by the casual observer. In 1948, Cessna
expanded and stretched the 140 to make it a four-place aircraft and
called it the 170. It had no dorsal fin, had fabric-covered wings,
V-type wing struts and three C140 fuel tanks to give it the
necessary range for its larger engine. The engine used was a
Continental C145 (later designated the 0-3OOA) and would be used
throughout the entire production run of Cessna 170s.
The First Production Model
The first production model was #18001, but both it and #18002 were
experimental and eventually scrapped by Cessna. The first C170
produced for sale to the public was SN18003, which rolled out of the
factory doors on February 6, 1948. She made her first trip on
February 27th, 1948. From Wichita, she made
demonstrations for Cessna dealers across the United States....
Little Rock, Orlando, Miami, Birmingham, various cities in Texas,
Salt Lake City, Boise, and on to Bozeman, Montana on May 5th,
1948. She bore the numbers N2500V and was based in Montana until
sold to a dealer in Calgary, Alberta in 1973. Mr. McNiven purchased
the plane in that year, and he flew the plane approximately 75 hours
until he was involved in a landing accident in 1976. The aircraft is
rebuildable, but the owner feels that the plane (in it's current
condition) is worth $7000 due to its historic significance.
Beginning very late in 1948 with SN18730, Cessna began producing the
all-metal, slicked-up version, which we recognize today as the
170-single strut and with a dorsal fin identical to the one used on
the C195. The price new was $5,995, and it was called the Model
170A. The plane had an all-metal wing (actually saving 10 lbs of
weight over the "rag wing" by doing away with internal bracing no
longer needed with all metal construction) with slightly larger
flaps, which ran from a 0 degrees setting full up to a full down
setting of 50 degrees. The 170A, which was produced through 1951, is
commonly called the 'straight wing' model because, unlike later
17OB’s, the C170A has no wing dihedral. There were very few changes
made in the C170A in its three years of production. The chief
difference lies in the cowling. The 1949 model used the same fixed
cowl flap on the cooling air outlet as the rag wing. In 1950, the
cowl flap and rear cowl opening were changed to the configuration
used on all subsequent models. Incidentally, the first production
model of the C170A series, SN18730, N3843V, is still flying, and is
featured later in this book with articles on rebuilding and updating
of the Cessna 170 series in the Modifications Section, page 89.
Cessna Introduces The 170B ...
The Cessna 170B was introduced in 1952 and continued in production
with several changes until production on the series ended in 1956.
The most obvious change from the 170A to the 170B is the large
Semi-Fowler flaps similar to those used on the L-19. (Note: Actually
the L-19 wing and the C170B wing are essentially the same except for
military hard-point/hardware). The flaps were labeled 'Para-lift' by
Cessna, but the term "barn door" is the more common description. The
flaps originally had four settings: 0, 20, 30, and 40 degrees.
Beginning in 1955, Cessna added a 10 degrees flap setting. The 10
degrees position is probably the favored setting for normal
take-offs since there is a very slight pitch change with flap
retraction compared to 20 degrees. Several owners have added the 10
degrees notch to their flap quadrants. (Note: This is an illegal
modification, unless documented, submitted and subsequently approved
on a FAA Form 337.
The dihedral angle was increased to 3 degrees on the 1952 and all
subsequent models (the C170A wing was flat) and more twist was given
to the wing between the strut and the tip. The stabilizer and
elevator shape was changed and the aerodynamic balance area was
increased. A mass balance, enclosed in the aerodynamic balance
section, was added, requiring less control pressure. The C170B
elevator, when raised and released, simply floats to the down
position, whereas a C17OA's falls with a bang.
In 1953, the engine cowling was changed from the center-hinged type
with an internal air box to a full-pressure cowl. Cabin heating was
also improved by replacing the single outlet with a manifold-type
that runs across the firewall with outlets for front seats, a
windshield defroster, and ducts to the front doorposts for heat to
the rear seats. The instrument panel was extensively reworked. The
small T-shaped floating panel was replaced by a full-width floating
panel identical to the one on the C180. Piano key type switches were
replaced with push/pull type and space was provided for side-by-side
radio installation in front of the pilot. Overhead panel lighting
was also introduced.
Until mid-1953, the C170 had spring steel landing gear legs that
were interchangeable between right and left side of the aircraft.
These are readily apparent by their thick ankles and outward bow.
This system was changed in mid-1953 with SN25612 to the
non-interchangeable right-and left-hand narrow-ankle stiff gear.
Changes in the 1954 C170B were removal of the fuses from the lower
instrument panel to a separate fuse panel below the panel on the
left side, placement of the battery on the left side of the
firewall, and the flush riveting of the wing struts at the lower
end.
There were two major changes in 1955. The most obvious one is the
shape of the rear window, as it was squared-off in the rear instead
of being elliptical in shape. The other change was to the tail wheel
steering by the use of a cable running through a pulley system to
the tail wheel instead of the previously used rudder home spring
system.
The Cessna 172 was introduced in 1956, and tricycle gear took over
the general aviation scene. Since Cessna had parts left for some
C170s, they continued to produce the C170B with a few changes. To
keep costs down, the interiors were changed to the molded type like
the C172, the access door on the right side was fixed in place
instead of swinging out, and brakes and flight controls were made
optional on the right side
Performance.
The stock Cessna 170 will pretty much do what the Owner's Manual
says. It will get into a much shorter field than it will get out of
at gross weight. It will cruise in comfort at about 118mph at 65%
power at 4000'-7000' and burn about 8gph with engine properly
leaned. Some people say a C170A is faster than a C170B due to less
wing dihedral and flap drag, but it's really the individual airplane
that makes the difference: how it is rigged, the number of antennas
and other drag-inducing obstructions, overall condition, etc.
Most C170s will take two adults, two children, 100 pounds of baggage
and full fuel, 37.5 gallons total, 33.5 gallons useable, (A&B
models, 42 gallons total, 37 gallons useable) and still be legal for
a gross weight of 2200 pounds. The C170 will climb 500- 700fpm at
this weight and land at about 52mph.
The Cessna 170 is a good, honest tail dragger and has had very few
AD notes or problems with maintenance. |
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