Chris;
If you are turning that 88 inch prop over about 2600 rpm you’re making more noise than thrust.
A 185/on edo 3430’s is about the sweetest setup you can get on a 185.
Our 185 was on cap3000D’s for the first 20 years & did everything asked of it.
Hoping this year that it finally gets on the Edo 2790’s ( only the wife & I).
Every time I looked at changing it for something else I found the 185 easily met all our needs & then some,that’s why I’ve owned the same aircraft since 1983 - couldn’t find anything that met our needs any better.

Daryl

I know this thread is aging…but someone might still be wondering about this.

I own S/N 3 185. Bought it with the IO-470 and 88” mac and flew her a few years that way. Have subsequently replaced that with an IO-550 and voyager. Vacuum system gone, blah blah blah. Zero aerodynamic mods, just how she came from Wichita. Weighs 1772 with two front seats installed on 29’s. It’s certainly heavier on the controls than the 180’s I’ve flown, but not as much as the 1980+ 185’s. I wouldn’t consider any to be poor handling airplanes, just different. My opinion is different like everyone’s, as after a couple thousand hours in 757/767/777 I wouldn’t consider them “truck like” either…just different airplanes for different missions.

I will say my early 185 is a pleasure to load up (1428 useful load), climb over mountains, sip O2 at 170TAS and 12gph and camp on a 1000 ft strip in the middle of nowhere. It’s not a cub, nor a lancair; but that just seems like a good reason to buy another airplane!

Thanks, I double checked on the floats and they are 2870's. I appreciate the feedback.

Thanks MTV for your input. I've added some context and corrections to my original post. Cabin is a 30 minute flight requiring 15-20 gallons per RT and most of my flights are within 2 hours range. The floats are 2870's and I'll need to check if they have been cut down at all.

Do you know somebody local with the C-180 config that you could hop a ride with to evaluate? It's such a common setup.

N2577Z wrote:Thanks MTV for your input. I've added some context and corrections to my original post. Cabin is a 30 minute flight requiring 15-20 gallons per RT and most of my flights are within 2 hours range. The floats are 2870's and I'll need to check if they have been cut down at all.

The shortening of the 2870 aft struts is an old Alaska thing, which I doubt anyone with an A/P certificate will admit to. But, it really does improve takeoff performance.

Zzz wrote:Do you know somebody local with the C-180 config that you could hop a ride with to evaluate? It's such a common setup.

If I wait a month, once the ice is out, I can fly the actual C-180 I am considering which is my current plan. I just don't want to miss a prime window to market my 185 before the float season if this is a direction I am going to go. I'm 50/50, my gut say's it will do just fine for what I am trying to do but it's also hard to step back into 1955 where my 185 has more power and a updated panel. 1st world problems, I know!

"I fly ROP at sea level at 16gph where the 180 is closer to 13gph."

After putting GAMI's in my IO-520 on my current 185, 13GPH is about the average Fuel flow LOP with cooler CHT's than ROP at around 18gph. I give up 3-4 knots, which is still probably faster than a 180. Best money spent on that airplane.