Just re-weighed my 1973 A185F on wheels after it came off floats, has a new IO520D and 88” Mac 401, very basic old school panel, Horton stol, aluminum interior, long range bladder tanks.

Weighs 1871lbs with 3 gal a side and 12 quarts of oil, 200lbs more than the old weight in the book. Doesn’t seem to care or know it’s 200 more than listed, she performs like hell with the new mill and 401.

I thought you stole my plane… 1972 A185E weighs in at 1878lbs.

Seeing as this is a Cessna 180 Empty weight thread, has anyone heard of or know of a Kenmore Doubler GW increase STC being signed off with a Field Approval to work with the smaller 180 tail?

nickelb wrote:Seeing as this is a Cessna 180 Empty weight thread, has anyone heard of or know of a Kenmore Doubler GW increase STC being signed off with a Field Approval to work with the smaller 180 tail?

No

snotcicles wrote:I thought you stole my plane… 1972 A185E weighs in at 1878lbs.

I just saw this, too smile making.

Amazing how close the weights of them are, eh? Looks like your AME forgot his lunch and maybe a wrench on the seat when he weighed yours. After all these years for the two to be 7lbs apart is pretty neat.

There hasn't been much on this thread in a long time, but I'm hoping others are still following.

'81 185 with IO-550 and 3-blade Hartzell. Flying around solo or two in the front seats, it takes a lot of dead weight in the baggage compartment to stay inside the forward CG limit. In Dale DeRemer's book "Seaplane Pilot" he suggests mounting ballast on the tailwheel stinger to correct the forward CG and retain payload capacity for fuel. I like the idea (comparatively little weight due to the long arm) but don't know if the FAA considers that to be a modification requiring a 337. Has anyone else used stinger ballast to correct CG? What documentation is required?

The FAA weight and balance handbook has all of the info needed for ballast. Any competent mechanic should be able to help you out.

Is your battery still in the back?

My 185 with 550 and 3 blade metal prop is still barely within limits with just me and a fat guy up front. Fat guy has to slide seat back anyways so shoulders don’t rub.

Yep - Battery's in the back. I need to re-weigh the airplane to verify the numbers, but the trim wheel seems to corroborate the math.

I think most Skywagons with a big motor mount, firewall battery, and bigger engine/shock absorbers, 3 blade prop etc are all CG forward.

On mine I looked into the rear ballast thing but instead of that I built a survival/medical kit with lots of water bottles [which are reasonably heavy] and I put as far back in the luggage compartment as I could - this made a big difference. It did take a lot of weight though.

If you do go with the rare ballast please report back with photos or details on how it goes

Will do - My Mech suggested finding a used stinger and modifying it with the ballast, then installing it anytime the airplane is on floats. So, now I need another stinger.

Welp, just got the wagon back from a new panel install. I thought I would shed some pounds going all glass and losing the vacuum system and 16 gauges but I ended up gaining 10 pounds! (Accounting for the other goodies that were installed at the same time, v brace, engine heater, one piece windshield, just the avionics added 10 lbs). Didn’t see that coming.

New weight on 1975 185F Sportsman, 29” ABW, flint tanks, without float kit is 1958 lbs. What a fatty…

Did a lot to lightening it up over the past year… MT prop, A dodge jump seats, firewall battery, light carpet w/o foam. I’m not sure there is anyplace else to cut weight. Is it off to anyone else that it gained weight with the panel or am I just in denial?

PS, BigRenna did the previous weighing so I’m confident of it before avionics install.

Ington,


That is one pretty Skywagon!!

MW

Thank you! Given her lots of love the past 1.5 years. Now it’s time to fly…

Now have a 1953 180 that’s 1560#, O470K with Mac 88 2 blade, stock motor mount, earth X on firewall, plane power alternator, 185 gear legs on 29 ABWs, VFR panel with airspeed, altimeter, iPad mount, JPI 930, float kit, no upholstery or insulation, Airglas extended baggage, and a baby bushwheel. I work on a lot of skywagons and it’s by far the lightest one I’ve ever seen.

1560# WITH 29" ABW and 185 gear legs? That is super impressive.

C185D wrote:Now have a 1953 180 that’s 1560#, O470K with Mac 88 2 blade, stock motor mount, earth X on firewall, plane power alternator, 185 gear legs on 29 ABWs, VFR panel with airspeed, altimeter, iPad mount, JPI 930, float kit, no upholstery or insulation, Airglas extended baggage, and a baby bushwheel. I work on a lot of skywagons and it’s by far the lightest one I’ve ever seen.

C185D wrote:Now have a 1953 180 that’s 1560#, O470K with Mac 88 2 blade, stock motor mount, earth X on firewall, plane power alternator, 185 gear legs on 29 ABWs, VFR panel with airspeed, altimeter, iPad mount, JPI 930, float kit, no upholstery or insulation, Airglas extended baggage, and a baby bushwheel. I work on a lot of skywagons and it’s by far the lightest one I’ve ever seen.

Did you buy Dave Calki ns old airplane?

Rob wrote:

C185D wrote:Now have a 1953 180 that’s 1560#, O470K with Mac 88 2 blade, stock motor mount, earth X on firewall, plane power alternator, 185 gear legs on 29 ABWs, VFR panel with airspeed, altimeter, iPad mount, JPI 930, float kit, no upholstery or insulation, Airglas extended baggage, and a baby bushwheel. I work on a lot of skywagons and it’s by far the lightest one I’ve ever seen.

Did you buy Dave Calki ns old airplane?

No but it has spent its entire life in AK.

I’m probably going to weigh mine next weekend since I have to drain the fuel anyways to replace the sump valves. It’s similarly equipped to yours besides tires and prop.

According to my current weight and balance, I’m 75 lbs lighter than yours. Will be interesting to see how accurate that is.

Weighed it today and it came in at 1,919 lbs