Hey everyone,
New guy here with first post. Curious if anyone has time flying a Cessna 150 with a true Sportsman Stol kit on it, not just the VGs. I have a stock 66' G model. It has never been much of a performer, I am wanting to build a strip for it on my farm. Will be around 1500 feet clear on one end. The engine is the factory 0-200. Wondering if anyone has flown one in and out of short strips. Landing is no problem with the 40 degree flaps. Just wanting better climbout performance for margin for error. Any input is appreciated. Thanks!

What's your elevation? I flew a 150 with VGs and 8.00s on it out of 1500 feet no problem. Stock O-200 with 2200 hrs on it. 69 model. But it's the best performing 150 I and s few other have ever flown. Not sure why... thought about adding s sportsman, but felt the weight wasn't worth it.

Welcome. What is just beyond the clear end? Which way is down drainage ie where does the rain water go from there? Is there a an obstacle clear egress? It doesn't have to be perfectly strait.

Any 150 is no big problem so long as we're not boxed into a place where climbing is the only way out. Climbing is best done with cruise zoom reserve and at our leisure.

I’m at about 1000’ MSL so the elevation isn’t bad. I could probably get the plane in and out of the strip stock just looking for something to add a little margin for error. I’m in Georgia so we don’t ever get much above 3300 ft density altitude even in the hot summer.

Where I want to build the strip is clear on one end and it drops off somewhat not too steep, but there is a definite drop. There’s some semi clear swamp land below it and then a large pasture on past that. It’s not boxed in by any means going out

That drop represents gravity. Gravity is more powerful than bigger engine or various modifications. The ability to stay in low ground effect is more energy efficient than a longer runway into terrain or obstruction.

A Cessna 150 is a great performer! Sounds like you'll be able to come up with an awesome strip. Perfect elevation, good length, not much for obstacles.

Many years ago, I had a Cessna 150G. I loved the big tires, it had sixes on the mains. I filled in some ditches in a field nearby and started "home school". One way in, one way out, no go around, a little bit of slope, no problem operating in and out of 900-1000' at 4,000' elevation.
Stock wing it did very well, flew it in and out of the Selway regularly.

It's very important that you be getting the upper end of static rpm. Ideally your prop is a 48" pitch.

While it's a performer light, it can be a monster when loaded,or loaded and hot, or loaded, hot and at altitude. It becomes a totally different airplane. Always operate by yourself in extremely short but sweet strips, never make an exception. Usually no more than half tanks.

Technique is very important. Learn patience by staying in very, very low ground effect. Accelerate there for as long as possible, building energy. Perfectly flat strips seem to be the most difficult, Contact is right, that little bit of slope is huge. He's got a cool term for banking that energy, I think he calls it Zoom Reserve or something like that. . I've also learned to use flaps on takeoff, very very important!

I would love to try a Cessna 150 with Willie's Sportsman Stol. I've put one on my Cessna 182, but it's not quite ready to go yet.

The last few years, I've been flying a friends Cessna 150D with a Horton or Bush, stock engine and stock tires, little bitty 5's all around. As I've grown older, I like the little extra margin the Stol kit gives. Even though it's not a Sportsman, it's still an impressive cuff. I don't know why, but every time I say Horton, I think of Horton Hears a Who? If the Cessna 182 will get in and out of the places in the backcountry that a Cessna 150 will, I'll be very happy, as the 150 is a great airplane to take to Church.

Not sure if you're bringing your airplane out to the AOPA flyin in Missoula,Mt in June, but if you are, feel free to stop in and check out the home strip.

Rich,
Thanks for the info! I’m hoping to be able to carve out a decent strip. It will be rough but hoping I can get it somewhat smooth. I have a couple of farm tractors and a bobcat to use to build the strip. I’m hoping between those I can build something usable that won’t beat up the plane too bad.

I love a 182, I have about 1100 hours in an R model. It did great off a rough strip. Most of my flying was off pavement in it, but I could keep it to 600-700 foot landings and around that on takeoff with some flap in.

I think the most important thing for me is to learn the proper techniques for flying off short strips. I don’t know too much about it still trying to learn. I may look into some backcountry flying lessons at some point. Most of my flying has been from local airports of decent grass strips. I’d like to learn how to safely operate off shorter tougher ones as well.

That’s a good video too!

Thanks again

Getting the nosewheel just off as soon as it will come up, the mains off as soon as it will fly in low ground effect, level airplane in low ground effect, and dynamic proactive elevator to stay in low ground effect are all energy savers. Bracketing low (two feet or less) ground effect helps prevent slugging along with the nose up. Don't worry about touching down if you move the control wheel too far forward while bracketing practice on a long runway. We need that knowledge of where, exactly, the runway is. The 182 tries to jump up too high. That's not a problem with the 150. Slugging along with the nose up is, however.

Don't forget Patrick's potatoes count to collect data for various weight and DA.

I've got a Sportsman kit and a set of VG's gathering dust on a shelf next to my 150D, you guys should come over to NZ and help me fit them and then we can test it out on some of the neat strips over here!

onefitty wrote:I've got a Sportsman kit and a set of VG's gathering dust on a shelf next to my 150D, you guys should come over to NZ and help me fit them and then we can test it out on some of the neat strips over here!

I hope those 26" tires aren't gathering dust too? They need to be going places!

The new wings are holding together so far, so pass my best regards onto the team, cheers

Hey Mate! Is it going well, getting plenty of use? The 26's are gathering dust as well, sorry I forgot about those, need to flick you some $$..

Just saw your post. Decided to reply even though it’s over a year old. My 1965 C150E has a Horton STOL kit. I am in MN and the grass field that I use to practice soft/short field work is at 1304’ msl. It gets off the ground after about 850’ unless the grass is long and wet and then it can take a lot longer, like almost twice as long! I have 6” mains and nose wheel. Once it’s off it climbs well after I accelerate in ground effect. I want to go flying with ContactFlying and learn. I read his book and love it. If I were to take my C150 out west where I learned to fly, I would keep it light, and fly when the DA wasn’t too high.

Go on youtube and look up "short field takeoff & landing demonstration" for cessna 150.

I've fitted the Sportsman STOL and and VG's to my 150D at last. Haven't flown it much yet but can confirm the Sportsman kit is every bit effective as I expected and as others say

Mine has the Delair Tailwheel STC and that's the limiting factor. It'll quite happily fly and climb at a crazy angle of attack with the ASI indicating less than 30 knots, but I can't rotate enough to get it off the ground at less than 40ktias, and landing the mains are 3 feet in the air with the tailwheel dragging in the weeds

Zero wind is consistently less than 300' takeoff roll and landing less than 100', but I think a nosewheel 150 would likely do better

It certainly feels a lot crisper on the controls at very low speeds and no adverse stalling issues even when getting brutal with it. It also climbs significantly better and a go around with 40 degrees of flap is quite achievable. I think the Sportsman is worth the $$ if you like your 150 and want it to do stuff it was never designed to do

I've also got a fine prop that gives me good static rpm, definitely worth doing as well

Reviving an old thread. Thanks for the pirep.

Are the VG's part of the Sportsman STOL kit?

Which prop do you have?

Thanks

No, the VG's are from Micro Aerodynamics, not part of the Sportsman Kit. I did both together and very happy with the results. I've got a 1A101/DCM6950 repitched to 42, It gives me around 2650 static and that's the key to getting a little extra power from the O-200

My 150D with the mods above is a taildragger. I recently bought another 150D two serial numbers later, with no mods other than a Sensenich prop, it's real sweet to fly as all 150's are, but handling and performance is chalk and cheese between the two

I think a sportsman cuff and fine prop are about the best mods you can do to a 150

The 150 gets scoffed at a lot by those with more HP, more seats, more speed, more $$ invested, but to me it's just a fun little plane that I always look forward to taking out for a hoon. I like them so much I had to have two

Is a MT prop availabe for the C150?

Bathman wrote:Is a MT prop availabe for the C150?

I’d look at the new sensenich wood props for anything fixed pitch if it were me. I think one of them would be awesome on a 150. I have been looking for a 150 for a little fart around plane, the 206 is awesome but for just little solo flights a 150 is hard to beat. Plus my oldest daughter is 8 and is ready to start learning.

David, I knew and worked with Gene Smith who was a crop duster and owned Valley Engineering in Rolla, Missouri. He bought Culver Props rigs and moved them to Rolla. He died in 2016 but his daughter took over. Valley has closed but I think she still turns out wooden props. I watched Gener making one from a metal prop and the rig duplicated it on a wood prop. Anyway, might be a place to get a wood prop. I liked them better because they wouldn't ruin an engine in a crash. I was sorta bad about crashing but never crashed with a wooden prop.