I am looking at a 73 185 that has the sportsman stol kit installed.

We did a prebuy last week and i noticed something that concerned me about the LE at the two air openings on each side.
I could see one of the foam nose pieces as the sun was hitting the hole just right. That seemed strange. Climbed up on the fueling step and put my finger in there and it was full of water, (it had been washed earlier the morning). The foam blocks on each side were in the water and I could see the original Cessna LE. I asked the owner about it and he seemed oblivious to it. Called Wiiie at Stene Aviation and asked him about it. He said there is supposed to be a plenium in each hole that will prevent that very thing. He said that one would have to remove all the revits on that LE skin and bend it down and add the 4 (both wings) plenums.

Has anyone heard of this before and any experience in adding them or another fix?

Thanks,

Tom

Good catch.

I have heard of it. Some old hard heads here will pass on a Sportsman because of the foam and the water soaking. I'd follow Stene's advice and plan on dealing with it. Having that water trapped in there isn't good. We use lots of Proseal in areas where we need to stay water-tight.

.

.

I made a small deviation from the instructions on the last sportsman I did, which was on my airplane. I did away with the foam plenum and sculpted a piece of ABS to span the gap, makes good pressure in the air vent.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Halestorm wrote:I made a small deviation from the instructions on the last sportsman I did, which was on my airplane. I did away with the foam plenum and sculpted a piece of ABS to span the gap, makes good pressure in the air vent.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I like the looks of that remedy.

All the Sportsman kits I've seen installed (quite a few) had that foam installed around the vent intake properly. It wouldn't be much fun to install after the fact.

I guess the other question I'd ask is this: If the installer of the Sportsman didn't follow the instructions provided for the install, what else did they choose to deviate from?

I wouldn't let this scare me off from a good airplane, but I'd certainly address it somehow.

MTV

X3 on the apparent "good-idea-ness" of the ABS plastic duct. You can silicone seal or proseal or tape the front of that duct to the new LE skin, preventing water from entering the wing skins in the first place.

Also, if Cessna thought it was good safe practice to put vent and drain holes in the airplane skins then IMHO there would have to be a pretty good reason not to have the same type of drain hole in any "newly added" area where water can collect.

If or when I installed this STC I would be looking at a similar plastic or fiberglass duct

IMHO It might be worthwhile to ask Stene if there is any valid reason not to add drain holes.

Halestorm wrote:I made a small deviation from the instructions on the last sportsman I did, which was on my airplane. I did away with the foam plenum and sculpted a piece of ABS to span the gap, makes good pressure in the air vent.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Beautiful work and a fantastic idea!

To ALL above

Is it possible / legal / practical -- to utilize the old AN231-4 seaplane grommet that we used to put along the bottom trailing edges of rag wings to "vacuum" out the water?

EDIT: They just might even drip dry when not in flight.

Maybe two on each side.

Curious
Chris C

Isn't there more than just that plenum piece?
I thought there was a funnel type cone with the center hole for the duck work to get to the opening in the original LE.

Tom

If you want to do it after the fact you can stuff some scotch bright in aroun there as a backing then form a duct from kitty hair (Fiberglas reinforced body filler). You still need to ensure the lower edge is draining though somehow.

a3holerman wrote:Isn't there more than just that plenum piece?
I thought there was a funnel type cone with the center hole for the duck work to get to the opening in the original LE.

Tom

Perhaps you're thinking of the inboard vent on earlier airplanes which is tied to the wing root fairing.



Later airplanes had 2 vent openings in either wing like the ones we're discussing.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Halestorm wrote:

a3holerman wrote:Isn't there more than just that plenum piece?
I thought there was a funnel type cone with the center hole for the duck work to get to the opening in the original LE.

Tom

Perhaps you're thinking of the inboard vent on earlier airplanes which is tied to the wing root fairing.



Later airplanes had 2 vent openings in either wing like the ones we're discussing.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

And years in between had just one opening but further out on the wing. Just out of the prop wash enough to be a bit quieter. That's how my 62 180 is.

I've owned both a 1948 rawing 170 and a 1953 180, both had their vents located out on the wing.
I've never seen an "early model" Cessna with the vent incorporated into the wing root fairing before.

hotrod180 wrote:I've owned both a 1948 rawing 170 and a 1953 180, both had their vents located out on the wing.
I've never seen an "early model" Cessna with the vent incorporated into the wing root fairing before.

My 182 is a '62, that's considered an early model by me. It seems the only consistency with Cessna's are their constant inconsistency.

Halestorm wrote:

hotrod180 wrote:I've owned both a 1948 rawing 170 and a 1953 180, both had their vents located out on the wing.
I've never seen an "early model" Cessna with the vent incorporated into the wing root fairing before.

My 182 is a '62, that's considered an early model by me. It seems the only consistency with Cessna's are their constant inconsistency.

Maybe your guys planes swapped wings at some point, haha. This link explains that in 1955 the vents were moved further out. My '62 has them out further.

I discovered that there is a foam filler at the bottom of each opening but it is well below the skin lower lip making it not very useful.
We have a 182 jump plane at our field and I see that they also have a Sportsman cuff and low and behold its very similar to mine in the fact that that piece if foam is below the lip and concave, being lower in the center than at the sides. Like it was worn away exactly like mine.
Both planes had the cuff installed over 15 years ago. I wonder if that is a common issue that over time the plenum wears away?

Not exactly how to do it yet but it seems like one should be able to build that area up with something like that River Rat suggested.


Tom

The vents on the wing root fairings are for the optional rear passenger vents. Pilot/copilot vents are always out on the wing from what i have seen

Halestorm wrote:I made a small deviation from the instructions on the last sportsman I did, which was on my airplane. I did away with the foam plenum and sculpted a piece of ABS to span the gap, makes good pressure in the air vent.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I really like this idea, consider it STOLen!