mountainmatt wrote:I love this thread, please keep the great posts coming.

MM

Squash wrote:What is the benefit of adding the V-brace if it isn't required? My 185 has a float kit and the V-brace is required. I think I would be happier without it. Plus it's added weight. The thing is right in my line of sight. It's like flying from inside a jail cell.

BigNickMontana wrote:

Squash wrote:What is the benefit of adding the V-brace if it isn't required? My 185 has a float kit and the V-brace is required. I think I would be happier without it. Plus it's added weight. The thing is right in my line of sight. It's like flying from inside a jail cell.

It stiffens up your cabin quite a bit, if you take it out you are going to get a lot more squeaking and squaking during ground ops. You will lose a significant amount of strength taking it out.

Jay Smith wrote:I have a 1961 C-185, the 3rd one built. It has no brace, but I am interested in installing one. Is it riveted in place or bolted? My windshield has been replaced, no strip down the middle. I agree with MTV, windshields can move alot. I have seen some old ones that you can physically move by hand. The caulking strip is old and compressed.

Zzz wrote:It's not the windshield moving. It's the eggshell that it's attached to. :O

mtv wrote:They are required equipment on seaplane kitted 180s and I believe all 185s.

bigrenna wrote:

Had a real productive weekend with the Skywagon.

As is important to all of us, (aside from learning to fly this thing proper) weight is foremost on my mind. Before really digging into the project, a baseline was needed from which to judge all the mods that will take place. To do this, I tossed everything back in the airplane as I purchased it, jacked it up to flight attitude and got it on the scales.

People always seem to have a visceral opinion when it comes to weight and balance. So many guys say "never weight the airplane...," or "you dont want to know." This makes no real sense to me as I always have felt it important to know what I was dealing with.

We all know that most paper weights are BS, and in my case, the Skywagon had not been on scales since it left the factory. When I bought it, I laughed at the seller when he showed me the W&B. "There is no way it weights that." I remember saying.

Regardless, a baseline was needed, so we weighed it.

In this case, my 66 was 81lbs OVER what the paperwork stated at 1796lbs. Note: the weight was corrected with the orig 6.00x6 tires, TW and tire it came with, 5 gal of fuel (useable,) and 12qts of oil.

Gutting next...

Battson wrote:

mtv wrote:They are required equipment on seaplane kitted 180s and I believe all 185s.

I don't think they are "required" on 185's, perhaps just a good idea. There's an A185F here that's been flying backcountry grass & gravel airstrips for about 25 years without a V-brace.

Thanks Bigrenna for all the entertainment, this really is a very cool thread. Where did you get scales capable of weighing a plane?