WyPilot,

I'd second what AkTango said. The 185 is nothing like a 172. Not to say you can't get a handle on it, but as noted, you'll need some VERY competent and experienced 185 instructor to help you get there once you start flying it. They are great airplanes, but pretty "muscular" as compared to other Cessnas--finesse is required, right up to the point you need something done, then brute force helps. I once checked out a 17 year old in his dad's 185. The youngster had 20 or 30 hours in a super cub, so had a basic handle on taildragger ops. And, he was a quick study. He loved the 185 and still flies it today, ten years later.

Your blog points:

Overhead speaker...why replace it? Dump it and eliminate a few more pounds...those magnets are heavy. Most folks wear headsets anyway, and kept in good shape, who needs a speaker?

Side heat ducts: I would NOT remove those side ducts. The 185 heat system puts out some SERIOUS heat, assuming it's properly set up. A story: I was flying a moose census on the Yukon Flats. My right seater had his charts stuffed into the right side chart pocket, and, since we were wearing winter gear and the ski pump impinges on the right seater's footroom, his leg was hard against that chart pocket. I started smelling something hot....so we started checking things. Now, OAT was -40. He pulled one of his charts out of the side pocket and it was lightly charred on the back side....damn! The problem, if you remove that ducting, is that all that will get warm is your FEET, and they will be hotter than hell, while the rest of you freezes. I'd leave the side ducting, myself.

Right side door pins: Most 185s were set up with a quick removable door on one side or the other. Makes loading bulky stuff in the back MUCH easier. Pull the door really quick and you don't have to fight it AND the seat back. If you're set up to carry all cargo, remove the right seat, pull the door and you can load 55 gallon barrels.....been there, done that, won't go back . I BELIEVE that 185's to fly with the door off are supposed to have a blast deflector attached to the door hinge point. Not sure about that, and I've never flown jumpers. That said, I do know folks who've flown 185s with the door off and no blast deflector. The BLM smokejumpers borrowed my 185 at one point to do some training jumps, and being somewhat anal, our Aircraft Division said they needed a blast deflector. Maybe. Anyway, most 185s have been set up with a quick detach door.

Take care, and enjoy the refurb and your flight training.

MTV

Kevin, I'll be spending LOTS of time with Dave Younkin...GTG man. I appreciate the concern.

aktahoe1 wrote:Your enthusiasm for this project is awesome!!!

I just cannot stop thinking about how much $$ your putting into it however, not having your license yet is the first step as you know.

Your blog says: "Another plus to the 172 is that it's a mini version of my new 185 and so, to an extent gets my used to the Cessna platform."

That 172 your flying is a pony that is still learning to walk. That beautiful 185 is a Cape Buffalo in a cage that has been poked at by its handlers for a 1000 years. I really dont want to sound harsh but that first 500 hours is the hard part.

As said, all the $$ your putting into the plane, I get it...trust me, but I hope you have a real good guy to fly with for awhile in the 185 before your out on your own in her. Otherwise this shop project may become never ending and I just dont want to see that happen to ya.

Good luck and I truly look forward to seeing this bird in action!!

AKT

MTV, I landed on the same page as you RE: the speaker, it's not necessary.
I'm also quite aware that the 172 is a far stretch from the 185 BUT compared to the stick of the champ with the left throttle, heel brakes and tandem setup I started in, it's similar in many ways and does familiarize me with the "platform".
As I mentioned to K, I'll spend many hours with Dave Younkin before I light out alone.
I highly value your input, I've seen about every post you've made on this forum and, though your point usually comes across strongly, you clearly know your S*@T.
J

mtv wrote:WyPilot,

I'd second what AkTango said. The 185 is nothing like a 172. Not to say you can't get a handle on it, but as noted, you'll need some VERY competent and experienced 185 instructor to help you get there once you start flying it. They are great airplanes, but pretty "muscular" as compared to other Cessnas--finesse is required, right up to the point you need something done, then brute force helps. I once checked out a 17 year old in his dad's 185. The youngster had 20 or 30 hours in a super cub, so had a basic handle on taildragger ops. And, he was a quick study. He loved the 185 and still flies it today, ten years later.

Your blog points:

Overhead speaker...why replace it? Dump it and eliminate a few more pounds...those magnets are heavy. Most folks wear headsets anyway, and kept in good shape, who needs a speaker?

Side heat ducts: I would NOT remove those side ducts. The 185 heat system puts out some SERIOUS heat, assuming it's properly set up. A story: I was flying a moose census on the Yukon Flats. My right seater had his charts stuffed into the right side chart pocket, and, since we were wearing winter gear and the ski pump impinges on the right seater's footroom, his leg was hard against that chart pocket. I started smelling something hot....so we started checking things. Now, OAT was -40. He pulled one of his charts out of the side pocket and it was lightly charred on the back side....damn! The problem, if you remove that ducting, is that all that will get warm is your FEET, and they will be hotter than hell, while the rest of you freezes. I'd leave the side ducting, myself.

Right side door pins: Most 185s were set up with a quick removable door on one side or the other. Makes loading bulky stuff in the back MUCH easier. Pull the door really quick and you don't have to fight it AND the seat back. If you're set up to carry all cargo, remove the right seat, pull the door and you can load 55 gallon barrels.....been there, done that, won't go back . I BELIEVE that 185's to fly with the door off are supposed to have a blast deflector attached to the door hinge point. Not sure about that, and I've never flown jumpers. That said, I do know folks who've flown 185s with the door off and no blast deflector. The BLM smokejumpers borrowed my 185 at one point to do some training jumps, and being somewhat anal, our Aircraft Division said they needed a blast deflector. Maybe. Anyway, most 185s have been set up with a quick detach door.

Take care, and enjoy the refurb and your flight training.

MTV

I learned to fly in a 150 and 172. Nice easy to fly airplanes. It is amazing how much heavier the 172 feels compared to the 150. Learned to fly taildraggers and flew a Super Cub for a while, but now fly a 185. The difference between the 172 and the 185 is greater than the difference between the 172 and the 150. And loaded up, the 185 can be an absolute beast to control. From takeoff to landing, meaning the time you are actually in the air, is easy and there will be little in the way of transition between the planes. But from wheels down to a stop during a landing or a takeoff from the stop to wheels up is a completely different story. Even taxiing can be challenging. One day you will be sitting on a gravel surface and have a 15 kt wind directly from your left and you will want to make a turn to the right. In a 172 you just steer where you want to go, but in the 185, you will be on the throttle, brakes, and rudder and you may not be able to make the turn except by swinging the plane into a left 270 degree turn. Landing in gusty conditions can be crazy challenging sometimes. There will be nothing more rewarding than transitioning into the 185. Complacency will be your enemy as long as you own that bird. Keep the updates coming. Cool project.

Did you loose energy Jess??? No updates in a while...

Ha ha, Sure Did!! Almost BAAAAAACK though! : )

bigrenna wrote:Did you loose energy Jess??? No updates in a while...