Can anyone here confirm that the s1938-3-68.00 Cessna abrasion boot is indeed the molded one that is thicker in the middle and tapers down on the edges. Also can someone verify the length is at least 57.5”? There seems to be more than one part number and several revisions on these for a 180, 182 or whatever.

pilot wrote:Can anyone here confirm that the s1938-3-68.00 Cessna abrasion boot is indeed the molded one that is thicker in the middle and tapers down on the edges. Also can someone verify the length is at least 57.5”? There seems to be more than one part number and several revisions on these for a 180, 182 or whatever.

Yes it's the one that tapers down. I believe they are 68" long, hence the 68 in the P/N, but I can go measure one to confirm.

Much appreciated! In my area there are no people who understand why anyone would need such a thing, or even want to land off-pavement. I called Air Power and the guy offered to request a pic from Cessna. Any other suggestions on purchasing these would be welcomed.

Just rolled one out that I had in stock and confirmed that it is 68" long. I really like them and they work great.

Can I put them on my 170? Starting to get some dings I don't like.

I have one on my 170. Works great. Fitting the boot on the horizontal is a piece of cake. Making the boot conform to the curvature of the elevator takes some time to make it look good. You need to cut triangles out along the curve for a smooth fit. Having another person to help makes it way easier especially when you start the gluing process. Trimming the boot down some would certainly help with curved portion.

I need one of those. I checked Spruce, Univair and McFarlane and they don't have it. Who's got one in stock?

Bonanza Man wrote:I need one of those. I checked Spruce, Univair and McFarlane and they don't have it. Who's got one in stock?

Need to order them from a Cessna dealer. I order mine from Cavalier aviation on Calgary, but Yingling probably has them for those of you south of the border.

pilot wrote:…. In my area there are no people who understand why anyone would need such a thing, or even want to land off-pavement. …..

It isn't just for off-airport ops.
Not all airports have nicely paved runways.
And there are a number of non-paved strips to which "grass strip" is just wishful thinking.
In fact, a good friend of one of my flying buddies owns such a place--
About every time my buddy flies in, he gets some gravel / rock damage on the horizontal.

A1Skinner, you are a gentleman and a scholar. Thank you for the info, mine are ordered and on the way. Using these to cover up some old dings and prevent some new ones! Hotrod180, you are correct, I think they should be standard equipment, but what do I know

akgreg wrote:I have one on my 170. Works great. Fitting the boot on the horizontal is a piece of cake. Making the boot conform to the curvature of the elevator takes some time to make it look good. You need to cut triangles out along the curve for a smooth fit. Having another person to help makes it way easier especially when you start the gluing process. Trimming the boot down some would certainly help with curved portion.

When I put mine on, I didn't need to cut triangles. While applying, I held some tension on it which allowed the edges to lay flat without issue. Not a ton of tension either. More like a slight tug.
Be sure to seal the edges after it's down.

The curve I was talking about was on the elevator itself. I continued the boot until parallel with the fuselage.

i bought them from AirPower last week, $163 per (ish) and contoured as you asked. pn S1938-3-68.00

What product are you guys using on the boots to keep them protected and nice and shiny?

303 Aerospace

I tried that 303 stuff and found that after a couple of months it just turns to a greyish-brown film.

For those whose off airport adventures are relatively rare, like me, I've found that the abrasion tape that Sporty's sells works very well. I put it on the horizontal stabilizer leading edge of my P172D several years ago, and it has prevented some dings, based on the slight damage to the tape which hasn't transferred to the metal underneath. Certainly not as good as a heavy abrasion boot, but pretty cheap and really easy to apply. https://www.sportys.com/pilotshop/prote ... -4-in.html

Cary

Cary, this looks like it would be great on a wing strut...