Just ran across this airplane in the Taildragger Pilots United group on Facebook - looks really cool! Anyone seen this mod on a 170 before? Great sound out of the engine...





Some video here:

There was a lot of chatter here on BCP when N3JX was up for sale a few years back. Mostly regarding the flying limitations of the exhibition/restricted category. Google has a few links on the flying characteristics and performance they get out of it.

Gump

It's still for sale on Barnstormers.

GumpAir wrote:There was a lot of chatter here on BCP when N3JX was up for sale a few years back. Mostly regarding the flying limitations of the exhibition/restricted category. Google has a few links on the flying characteristics and performance they get out of it.

Gump

Harumph. Chalk me up for another BCP Thread Search Fail... Nothing came up when I did it!

GumpAir wrote:https://www.backcountrypilot.org/forum/170-vs-180-an-extension-of-my-previous-question-6836

Ouch. Salt in the wound. Thanks for finding it for me, though!

It's an interesting plane but the owner drives me nuts! Instead of dropping the price or getting it into a fly able catigory, he takes out every third ad on barnstormers like someone is going to accidentally buy it if you flood the sight with ads!

CapnMike wrote:

GumpAir wrote:https://www.backcountrypilot.org/forum/170-vs-180-an-extension-of-my-previous-question-6836

Ouch. Salt in the wound. Thanks for finding it for me, though!

Google is your friend.

I don't think the turbo is the big issue...the front half of that airplane is an R172XP. The man that built that airplane was the owner of a salvage yard that had a good 170 from the door posts back and a good Hawk from the door posts forward and made N3JX. It's a neat airplane...not $65K neat, but still cool. While Alex is a bit annoying in his quest to sell the airplane, I feel for him, because he's probably stuck with it.

From what little I know about experimentals, I don't think that there is a way to turn it into a usable category. I think it's stuck in the "exhibition" category, which means very limited use other than to airshows and the like. In other words, it's not an airplane that could be used as a daily driver.

But it is cool.

Cary

It's exactly what the guy wanting a plane for the French alps needs, I doubt you'd have a snowballs chance in hell of getting it legal in the UK tho!

Cary wrote:From what little I know about experimentals, I don't think that there is a way to turn it into a usable category. I think it's stuck in the "exhibition" category, which means very limited use other than to airshows and the like. In other words, it's not an airplane that could be used as a daily driver.

But it is cool.

Cary

Why not a daily driver

Tim

Cary wrote:From what little I know about experimentals, I don't think that there is a way to turn it into a usable category. I think it's stuck in the "exhibition" category, which means very limited use other than to airshows and the like. In other words, it's not an airplane that could be used as a daily driver.

But it is cool.

Cary

This seems to be the theme for this category!!!!!
It's NOT TRUE,
You can fly the dam thing anywhere you want!!
BUT IN CLASS B, And you can there if your in contact with ATC!!
All you have to do is post to the FAA where your going!!
And yes you can't take passengers, but anyone who is a crew member is OK!!
You have currancy flights that you can make every Sunday morning for breakfast if you feel like!!
I know I GOTS ONE!!

There was a fellow with an AN2, Made it into a MotorHome, He has traveled all over the USA and Canada!!
Not sure where he is now have not seen or heard of him in a few years.

Turbo 170, ok...but AN2 motor home!!! That's what I'm talkin bout [emoji106]

M6RV6 wrote:

Cary wrote:From what little I know about experimentals, I don't think that there is a way to turn it into a usable category. I think it's stuck in the "exhibition" category, which means very limited use other than to airshows and the like. In other words, it's not an airplane that could be used as a daily driver.

But it is cool.

Cary

This seems to be the theme for this category!!!!!
It's NOT TRUE,
You can fly the dam thing anywhere you want!!
BUT IN CLASS B, And you can there if your in contact with ATC!!
All you have to do is post to the FAA where your going!!
And yes you can't take passengers, but anyone who is a crew member is OK!!
You have currancy flights that you can make every Sunday morning for breakfast if you feel like!!
I know I GOTS ONE!!

I'm not into arguing about it, but when I look at 91.313 and 91.319, I think you're stretching the spirit, intent, and language of the regs, if you make your Sunday breakfast runs and claim that your passenger is a required crew member, or if you just go wherever you want--telling the FAA where you're going isn't the same as getting approval to go there. Personally, I wouldn't want to own an airplane that has as many restrictions placed upon its use as are described in those two regs. But heck, what do I know? That's between you and the FAA. If they're happy and you're happy, that's what counts.

Cary

Ryan Smith wrote:I don't think the turbo is the big issue...the front half of that airplane is an R172XP. The man that built that airplane was the owner of a salvage yard that had a good 170 from the door posts back and a good Hawk from the door posts forward and made N3JX.....

Is that the one that Johnny Williams put together years ago? I remember he had a write-up about it in the 170 Club magazine, I tried to google it up a couple times but no luck.

That sounds about right. I've got my 170 News stash handy, I'll look it up. I'm thinking the gentleman was from Texas.

Ryan Smith wrote:That sounds about right. I've got my 170 News stash handy, I'll look it up. I'm thinking the gentleman was from Texas.

Johnny Williams was from Texas, I believe around Lubbock. An article he wrote about converting N5487C to a 172 panel, Lyc 360, & Owl STOL kit is in The 170 Book. Unfortunately the article he wrote about the much more involved IO360 Cont conversion ( Hawk XP FWF grafted onto a 170) isn't.

FWIW there are more than a few 170's running around with the IO360 Continental. Besides one-off field approvals, Tom Anderson (formerly of XP Mods, now of The Landing Gear Works) holds an STC for that. But not too many with the turbocharger.

I flew a friend's 1953 with Tom's conversion and it was a hell of an airplane. Big difference from the stock engine, but his airplane was heavy as well. I think he threw around 1550 empty. Cut down 88" prop, Sportsman STOL, flap gap seals, Avion panel, Atlee Dodge folding rear seats among the many modifications. If it had larger tires, it would be a pretty stout backcountry airplane, but it rarely sees grass under its tires at KARR.

I was hoping to attach a few pictures to this post that are stored on my local drive, but I'm not seeing that ability in this forum software. Is there some sort of post limit that one must exceed before attachments are allowed?

I've flown my family's stock 1952 B model since I was 12, so I'm pretty fond of the stock airframe. After flying his and how heavy his flew, while it flew really, really well, I believe I'd be in the 180 market if I needed that kind of performance. It didn't remind me much of a 170 at all.