I have a customer with a 69 Cessna 185 who has had his bird for 25 years and is looking for a change. We have done some research and have decided to go ahead and tackle the Freeman 180/185 nose wheel conversion. We are going to leave the orig gearbox in and have already sourced the new firewall supports, gear legs, nose wheel, and rear rear box. We are still deciding on just going with the swept tail as called for in the STC or getting a field approval to keep the straight tail. The nice thing about the Freeman is that you can use early style 182 gear so you can keep the airplane a bit higher off the ground.

Just wondering if anyone else out there has done this conversion as we would appreciate any feedback.

Thanks in advance...

Greg-

Yeah, April Fools Day to you too!!!

WWhunter wrote:Yeah, April Fools Day to you too!!!

Thank god.... I was getting really angry just thinking about it!

Well played!!

Ok, I admit. You got me.

Bwaaahaaaahaaaa! Good one Bigrenna!

Definitely got me and all I could think about was what a waste.

You almost got downgraded from the top of my list of fellow Skywagon owners to the bottom for that sacrilege. I was begining to think this was going to be like that dim wit that put a Hiper Bipe on tricycle gear a few years ago.

Gotta admit, April fools or not, would still be an incredible airplane! Not as great as a 185 but it would be a sweet airplane.

Being just a little slow on the draw, my reaction was "Huh? Did the owner have a ground loop, decided he was too slow on the footwork at his "advanced" age, and so decided to trike it?" Had to read the next post to realize I'd been fooled.

Cary

Good one Greg. Got me too.

Guys...this is no April Fools joke. The Freeman STC is real. The benefits of doing this mod are undeniable, and frankly make it a safer plane. I've seen these benefits personally, but the one i saw also got a field approval to eliminate the Johnson Bar flaps with an electric conversion. This approval also mechanically limits the flap extension to 30 degree. It also converts the horizontal stab trim to a trim tab.

Benefits:
-Better forward visibility...reduces the hazardous situation on short final of the 185 having no forward visibility.
-"all weather capability"...eliminates the dangerous tendency of the 180/185's to ground loop in a crosswind unlike other tailwheel airplanes.
-Eliminates the Johnson bar/40 degree flap position. We all know that the FAA is only days away from grounding these planes because the near-herculean strength and the 60" arms is takes to extend those flaps and manage them during a go-around. The original design is reckless and is the root cause of thousands of 185's being destroyed every year.
-Flying qualities are greatly improved. We all know from the internet that only high time test pilots could possibly hope to operate these planes without risking certain death. The 185 in particular requires Bob Hoover-like skills to safely land at Johnson Creek. This mod now opens up Idaho and the backcountry to safe operation. Full disclosure though; flying qualities will still be challenging and require 20 hours of checkout. Even though post conversion they will be essentially identical to the very popular and successful Cessna 182 line...Caution should be applied because these airplanes will still be much faster, land shorter, and have drastically different slow flight characteristics.
-Owners should have reduced medical bills; mainly in the elimination of testosterone injections, Viagra and chest contusions (reduces internet chest-beatings).

Lastly, this mod has the potential to make 1000's of aging airframes now essentially sitting on ramps and unused..relevant. This brings them back into the flying fleet. For decades these planes have been under-utilized because of their dangerous flying qualities. This has driven low demand for these planes (and low prices)...owners will now have a better plane with a higher resale value.

fiftynineSC wrote:Guys...this is no April Fools joke. The Freeman STC is real. The benefits of doing this mod are undeniable, and frankly make it a safer plane. I've seen these benefits personally, but the one i saw also got a field approval to eliminate the Johnson Bar flaps with an electric conversion. This approval also mechanically limits the flap extension to 30 degree. It also converts the horizontal stab trim to a trim tab.

Benefits:
-Better forward visibility...reduces the hazardous situation on short final of the 185 having no forward visibility.
-"all weather capability"...eliminates the dangerous tendency of the 180/185's to ground loop in a crosswind unlike other tailwheel airplanes.
-Eliminates the Johnson bar/40 degree flap position. We all know that the FAA is only days away from grounding these planes because the near-herculean strength and the 60" arms is takes to extend those flaps and manage them during a go-around. The original design is reckless and is the root cause of thousands of 185's being destroyed every year.
-Flying qualities are greatly improved. We all know from the internet that only high time test pilots could possibly hope to operate these planes without risking certain death. The 185 in particular requires Bob Hoover-like skills to safely land at Johnson Creek. This mod now opens up Idaho and the backcountry to safe operation. Full disclosure though; flying qualities will still be challenging and require 20 hours of checkout. Even though post conversion they will be essentially identical to the very popular and successful Cessna 182 line...Caution should be applied because these airplanes will still be much faster, land shorter, and have drastically different slow flight characteristics.
-Owners should have reduced medical bills; mainly in the elimination of testosterone injections, Viagra and chest contusions (reduces internet chest-beatings).

Lastly, this mod has the potential to make 1000's of aging airframes now essentially sitting on ramps and unused..relevant. This brings them back into the flying fleet. For decades these planes have been under-utilized because of their dangerous flying qualities. This has driven low demand for these planes (and low prices)...owners will now have a better plane with a higher resale value.

FWIW, April Fools Day was yesterday. Just thought you should know.

Cary

fiftynineSC wrote: Guys...this is no April Fools joke. The Freeman STC is real. The benefits of doing this mod are undeniable, and frankly make it a safer plane. I've seen these benefits personally, but the one i saw also got a field approval to eliminate the Johnson Bar flaps with an electric conversion. This approval also mechanically limits the flap extension to 30 degree. It also converts the horizontal stab trim to a trim tab. ....

The STC'd kit also comes with a gallon jug of eye bleach.

Only problem with this April Fools joke is it would not surprise me if someone actually did it...

A few years ago I did an annual on a Cessna 170B that had been converted to Tri-Gear and then re-converted to Tailwheel... The aircraft still had the main gear boxes in place and an engine mount with nose gear rings welded in for a nose gear strut...

Brian

A guy at my airport has a Cub project which uncludes a nosewheel conversion.
Don't recall who made it and can't believe anyone would want it, but I believe it's an STC'd item.

And they would still be welcome in the 180/185 club cus it is registered as a 185. They do not welcome early 182's with tail wheel conversion

Tim

qmdv wrote:And they would still be welcome in the 180/185 club cus it is registered as a 185. They do not welcome early 182's with tail wheel conversion

Tim

If i won the lottery id convert one and join haha

Tom wrote:

qmdv wrote:And they would still be welcome in the 180/185 club cus it is registered as a 185. They do not welcome early 182's with tail wheel conversion

Tim

If i won the lottery id convert one and join haha

Glad I am not the only jerk here. Where do you live Tom?

Tim

qmdv wrote:

Tom wrote:

qmdv wrote:And they would still be welcome in the 180/185 club cus it is registered as a 185. They do not welcome early 182's with tail wheel conversion

Tim

If i won the lottery id convert one and join haha

Glad I am not the only jerk here. Where do you live Tom?

Tim

New hampshire. Met you at HSF. I was flying kelvins 180