I fly a 172XP. Does anyone else out there fly one. I would like advise on flying this airplane in the back country. I am adding the 210 Isham STC next week during the annual. I was considering the landes HD fork. Any thoughts or comments. Thanks

A guy I know flies a Cessna T-41, pretty much a militairy version of the XP with the full 210 horsepower. He doesn't really do any back country type op's, but his airplane sure seems to perform. Just keep in mind the usual cautions about nosewheel airplanes. Big fork & fat tires seem like a good addition. There are a couple options on the fork but don't know the particulars. Search the posts on this site, I know it's been discussed recently.

Eric

Thanks Eric....I was also thinking of VGs. Also could you recommend a good mountain checkout CFI

Tony

I can't personally recommend any mountain-flying instructors.
From pireps, it seems like the airfoil used by rag airplanes such as Cubs, etc responds very well to VG's. The Cessna airfoil reportedly seems to respond better to leading edge cuffs, maybe also with VG's. Anyone here have a before-and-after pirep on Cessna VG's (without a cuff)?
VG's do seem more cost-effective, not ony a lower purchase price but quicker easier install. A set of Micro VG's sells for about $1450, for a 172 about $700 for a 150. A lot cheaper to ship too. A Sportsman STOL kit (seems to be the one people like nowadays) sells for about $2K.
I'm in the process of buying a 150/150 taildragger, it has stock wings & I'm gonna fly it plenty before deciding to add any mods.

Eric

I got checked out in a rental Hawk XP just before the flight school lost the leaseback... that was money well spent. I do remember it feeling more powerful than the 180hp 170B that I flew.

It was a great plane, kinda like a 182 Lite, just under the 200 HP mark for insurance and endorsement reasons I guess. You could probably regard all the 182 suggestions in the forum as applicable to the Hawk XP.

Cessna R172K/Hawk XP - Performance Data
Horsepower: 195
Gross Weight: 2550 lbs
Empty Weight: 1572 lbs
Top Speed: 132 kts
Cruise Speed: 130 kts
Fuel Capacity: 52 gal
Range: 570 nm
Stall Speed (dirty): 47 kts

Takeoff Ground Roll: 800 ft
Over 50 ft obstacle: 1360 ft

Landing Ground Roll 635 ft
Over 50 ft obstacle: 1345 ft

Rate Of Climb: 870 fpm
Ceiling: 17000 ft

I always thought a big-engine 172 was one of the best backcountry planes for someone who doesn't want to fly a tailwheel.

I went with a 170 with a bigger engine because I just didn't need the load hauling capacity of a 180, and I sure didn't want to pay for it. I can see a similar comparison between a 172XP and a 182.

I have the Horton STOL kit on my 170, and it will fly with authority before the airspeed indicator even moves. Don't know about the VG's, though I doubt they hurt the way any wing flies, and they are a lot easier to install than a leading edge cuff.

Seems like the only real issue would be how robust the nosewheel is and where it's attached.

Oh ya...you can see on another post that Sparky Emerson is coming to your area to do a seminar in a few weeks. From reading his book I see that he did some backcountry opps in a big engine 172. He'd probably be a good resource for any of your questions.

Seems like the mountain flying school in McCall also uses a 180hp 172 in their classes.

zero.one.victor wrote:Anyone here have a before-and-after pirep on Cessna VG's (without a cuff)?

Not a before-and-after comparison but I've flown a 170B with VG's (mine) and two or three without them, and I can tell the difference. Whether the advantage is as big as, say, on a Supercub - I don't know, never flown a Cub with VG's.

Better slow speed control authority (think in the flare), marginally lower stall speed.

If mine didn't already have them when purchased I don't know if I would have paid for them. More likely to go with the whole STOL STC from someone.

From an e-mail sent to some friends last week -

________________________________

Finally got the 172 up yesterday to play with the new Sportsman STOL (http://www.steneaviation.com/sportsman.html) and to see how the stall speeds had been impacted. My airspeed indicator goes down to 35 knots, but I always wonder about the accuracy down there.

The book Vs1 speed is 50 knots. With the yoke all the way back, the aircraft shudders a little just below 40 knots, the nose dips and it starts climbing again. This was fun to play with and we probably spent a good 10 minutes just doing this.

The book Vso speed is 43 knots. At 40 degrees of flaps, we get a soft, but noticeable break about a needle’s width below the 35 knot mark. Release back pressure and we start flying again.

With 10 degrees of flaps, we chickened out when the deck angle got really, really acute and I was having to work the rudders to keep the ball centered around 37 knots. Figured that was more than uncomfortable and I didn’t feel like intentionally spinning the aircraft.

Between the STOL kit and the large tires (8.50 x 6’s with the Landes Nose Fork (http://www.airglas.com/nose_fork/index.html)), I need to learn how to land this thing all over again. The winds were not kind yesterday (16G26) but only 10 degrees left of the runway heading when we took off and the landing was going fine until we got a sudden shift to 60-70 degrees off runway heading as we were touching down caused the left wing to lift unexpectedly just as we were settling down on the right main. That was interesting.
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I'm picking up the VG's while at the trade show in Anchorage next weekend and will do further testing when I get them on.

Don

Thanks for all the input guys. If I want to change the tire size and not go with the lades fork, what are my options?

I had the sportsman cuff and Isham 210hp installed on my 79 R172k. Both mods worth every penny!!. As mentioned above, I had to re-learn the landings on the plane as I found myself floating too much. The take off performance with just pilot and full fuel with a little headwind felt like taking off in a cub.

I recently flew it from Miami thru the caribbean into south america and over the andes mountains.

I am also looking for options for bigger wheels, would be happy with a HD 206 fork with 6.00 and 8.50 in mains. Is it possible? don't like the Landis fork STC.

Gilbert

You might want to search the forms at http://forums.outdoorsdirectory.com/for ... y.php?f=31
as they do a lot of mods for bush planes in AK.

Walt

Why dont you guys like the landis fork?
We run one on a 206 (much heavier than a 172) and have no problems. seems to me it would be worth it just for the prop clearance.

If I can fly my Mooney in and out of backcountry strips with the small nosewheel I have then I think you'll be okay in a 172XP. Of course you have to excercise caustion but us nosedraggers don't have that hard of a time getting places. We just don't have the luxary of a large prop clearance and a few other things. But very very very doable!