Does anyone out there know of a 150 horse conversion for the 140? I know there are 150/150s and was pondering whether or not it can be done with the 140. Sure would be a performer!

I have always thought it would be a cool conversion to take a straight tail 150, put conventional gear on it with a 150 horse, STOL kit, VGs, 8.50s. Kind of like a mini 180.

For the mini 180 here is one that is half way there http://adcache.aerotraderonline.com/2/8/4/88136684.htm

Tim

The 150/150's are heavy, with very little useful load. The original 150 wasn't overly blessed with useful load, either, by the way.

Why not put the same amount of money into something that you can legally fly?

MTV

Now there is someone with some common sense, That be you MTV.

I hadn't even given a thought to useful load or gross weight.

What did you have in mind when you said something that one could legally fly? Something with good horsepower to weight? I'm sure with the fuel situation I'll be downsizing here one of these days. Probably sooner than I want too.

Depends on what you need to carry. I've found that the "happiest" way to get into an airplane is to find one that will do the mission that YOU want to do on most days. Many folks overshoot substantially or undershoot some, and then are never really happy with the plane.

So, what is it you want to do with a plane, and what sorts of loads would be necessary? Then, what kinds of places are you planning on going with it, considering DA, etc.

MTV

Well I would like to get in and out of some areas that are 800 to 1500 feet, with two people and camping gear some of the times.

Then there are the 4 people cross countrys of between 170 and 250 miles to visit family about 5 times a year. To which I'm landing on 4000 feet plus of asphalt. Soon I'll have the need of longer cross countrys if my little girl decides to go to ASU.

I mainly fly out of fields with 4000 elevation with DAs of 6000+.

Hmm? Maybe I need two planes

Skylane wrote:
Hmm? Maybe I need two planes

Oh yeah, then you join the rest of us AIDS Victims (Aviation Induced Divorce Syndrome).

Wife: "With all that money you spent on those damn airplanes we could have a new house!!!!"

Pilot (In a deep airline pilot voice so it sounds better when re-told in divorce court): "Well Darlin' I can always sleep in the airplane, but you can't fly a house."

Trust me... It works.

Gump

I'm already catching it for the one I have now. $4.00+ per gallon, insurance, annual, hanger, list goes on.

I'm sitting a 1404 SMOH, with a 1500 TBO. It's not looking good. Maybe coming for sale soon, as with 2 teenagers, house payments and auto payments, cash for an overhaul isn't in the works.

There's a guy near here who took a 150 and put it on conventional gear with big tires and a stol kit, plus a 150hp engine. I haven't flown it but several people who have say it just doesn't land right. Sort of like trying to straighten out a mad rattlesnake. There are a hundred small things that could be factors, but it's not an airplane people are lining up to get rides in.

Also, while it climbs better than my 140, it doesn't really climb like you might think it would...nothing like a husky or a 180.

On another subject, has anyone out there put VG's on a 140?[/quote]

I would think that putting a bigger motor into something like a 140 would be counter productive. I know that people do it, but the airplane is designed for the smaller engine. What kind of stress does the extra weight and power cause to the airframe. I also wonder what it does to the weight and balance. How does one compensate for the extra weight hanging out on the front of the airplane? I guess that I feel the same way about turning a trike into a taildragger, or the other way around. If it were me, I would just buy what I wanted in the first place.

Not to keep bringing up Luscombe's in 140 threads but there is a STC to put a 150 hp O-320 on them. Makes a real rocket ship out of them. Here is a link to a pilot report http://www.airbum.com/pireps/Pirep150Luscombe.html.

Jon

Hey Brother I'm there, or close to it. A career change in 2004, from a well paying, no spare time job, to a fair paying more time to play job, has for sure put me in a bind. Yes I would do it again. It isn't worth it to be gone when your kids are growing up.

I've given serious thought about selling the 182, (in for annual as we speak) and going the experimental route Avid, Kitfox, Zenith 701, or something in that line. Keep at home, no hanger fees, and I have enough room to get any of those off the ground and back on again. 700 feet.

It wasn't much of a deal when av gas was $2.20, but $4.98 at BNO and $5+ in other places it's getting

Even with the auto fuel stc, it is less, but still cost prohibitive. Just need to get motivated to sell. Most likely look for $55K neighborhood on the 182. So if? PM me.

See ya, Bub

ravi wrote:On another subject, has anyone out there put VG's on a 140?

The Georgia president, if that's the word of the 120/140 assn has em on his

Just remembered the guy with the VG's name is Bob Parks. He goes by that screen name on the 120/140 board. Flies biz jets for a living and has a 140 that didn't look as nice the day it rolled out of the factory as it does now.

Skylane wrote:Does anyone out there know of a 150 horse conversion for the 140? I know there are 150/150s and was pondering whether or not it can be done with the 140. Sure would be a performer!

I have always thought it would be a cool conversion to take a straight tail 150, put conventional gear on it with a 150 horse, STOL kit, VGs, 8.50s. Kind of like a mini 180.

Back to the origional subject, The TC for the 140 allows for the 0290 which I think is a 140 or 150 HP Or the 0235. And there are a few of them out there. I have a 0235 115HP in mine. Makes it a tad bit nose heavy, but not bad. I still have 62lbs on the tail. Implanting either of these in a 140 requires the McKensie Conversion drawings. The only down side I've experienced is the mags and oil screen are really close to the firewall and a bitch to change. But it does climb like a home sick angel and has good stol performance.
I have VG's for mine, but unfortunately they are still in the box. Supposed to rent a hanger for a day this winter and put them on. My mentor/Mech wanted me to get to know the plane well before we put them on so I could report and get a better feel for how much they actually help.

FWIW, the 0-295 is I believe orphaned and parts are getting like Franklin parts. The 0-235 is better in my opinion.

a64pilot wrote:FWIW, the 0-295 is I believe orphaned and parts are getting like Franklin parts. The 0-235 is better in my opinion.

Did you mean to say the 0290?? Yes, I agree and I flew one in an airboat for years and parts are hard to find and there is always some sort of issue with the 0290. I've had 2 0235's and love that engine.

mtv wrote:The 150/150's are heavy, with very little useful load. The original 150 wasn't overly blessed with useful load, either, by the way.
Why not put the same amount of money into something that you can legally fly? MTV

I bought a 1964 C-150/150 taildragger last may, it had/has a few minor issues to sort out -- but that's part of the fun of a new airplane anyway, getting it the way you want it.
Mine weighs in around 1200, with a gross weight of 1760, for a 560 useful load. The gross was bumped from 1600 via the engine upgrade STC. With 170 pounds of me & 220 pounds of fuel (LR tank mod), that leaves 170 pounds for a honey and/or gear with a range of over 400 miles (3-1/2 hours to reserve). Less fuel = more gear or a bigger gal. I would never,ever do such a thing, but it would be easy to accidently overload it due to a roomy cargo bay. I'm betting that the performance would not suffer too badly as long as the proper CG was maintained.
It won't quite take off or land with a supercub, but it does pretty damn good-- approaches at 50-55 are not a problem, plus it cruises at 120 and handles quite sportily. It had fresh paint & a fresh major when I bought it last spring & I've got about $35K into it. That wouldn't buy a supercub or maule or hotrod 170 or anything else with similar performance that's in comparable shape. All in all, I'm very pleased with it.
I think a C140 or 140A with a 290D or D2 would be a kick in the pants too. That engine is becoming a bit of an orphan and I don't know if there is a higher gross available, but otherwise it'd be fun. People might be making too much of that orphaned engine aspect, the same could be said for the Franklin 150/165 series & their owners seem to be able to keep 'em flying.

Eric

I fly a 150/150 its a great little airplane even here at 7000 ft its a go getter.

I meant O-290, Don't know what an o-295 is