The Straight tail 182 thread got me thinking. (Oh SHIT!!, Not again!)
I have a '60 Model 172 and after seeing the picture on that thread of the 172 with the 31" Bushwheels I was wondering if anyone has copies of paperwork, STC, 337, or Field Approval (?) for putting larger tires on a 172. I have a spare set of 26'GY (Blimp tires) and a set of 8.50's laying in my hangar. I realize this usually requires a bigger nose strut. Can I use one off of a larger Cessna such as a 206? Or would I need to get a Landes Strut. This is still in the "thinking about it" stage but I am wanting to extend my strip at my farm enopugh to allow me to kep the plane there and stop paying hangar rent in town. Driving nearly 30 miles to town to fly it gets old. Not to mention the occasional time something is forgotten at home and having to go back to get it. ARGH!!!
I keep thinking of selling the plane but the market sucks right now. Besides, I have a wife that keeps telling me to keep it. Pretty good wife I guess since I have other planes also.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks,
WW

Good deal on the wife...

If you want to put a 8.50 tire on the nose, I believe you're going to have to use the Landes fork, which is basically a Piper nose fork. Even an 8.00 will not fit in a 206 fork, as I recall.

The Landes fork comes with STC, I believe, and that permits larger tires on the mains as well. Their web site is down right at the moment, so you might give them a call.

MTV

Thanks Mike.....like I said I'm just in the "thinking" stage but since I am going to keep it at my farm the idea struck me as being feasable.

On a side note...you going to try and make Long lake today or Warroad tomorrow? I've been looking at the weather and it looks like it is starting to clear up a little bit here.

Keith

The same options are available for a 172 as a 182. I like a 206/310 fork with 600's up front and 700's on the mains. I cannot think of a strip in Idaho, Nevada, or Utah that you cannot handle with that. That is strip, not gravel bar.

Tim

WWhunter, I nominate your wife as "wife of the year" for the BCP 2009 important people award. Patrol Guy

Thanks guys!

Patrol guy,
Thanks, but I'd hate to have her head swell more than it already is. She was NCO of the quarter recently and I think she is up for NCO of the year. She has been in the Army for 21+ years and rarely says anything negative about my flying "habit". She isn't fond of flying but will go occasionally. I took her on her first seaplane ride last summer and she absolutely loved it!!

Keith

Keith,

NCO of the year, huh? Now that sounds like a good reason for a celebration! And what better way to celebrate (hehehe) than to add a good bushplane type taildragger to your little flock (you could even call it NCO :c).

As you said, the market is depressed for selling, but it's good for buying, especially if you have a secure job or cash. One things for sure, you will probably not get your money back out of putting big tires on the 172. Also, if you decide to sell the 172 at a "loss", you would be buying the "new" plane at a similar discount.

bumper

Bumper,

I agree on your comment on getting any money back out of it. I already have the tires was the main reason for the question.

I have a tailwheel "bushplane" also. I purchased a 7AC Champ from a fellow poster on this site. It was converted to a "SuperChamp" with the installation of an O-235, droop tips, VG's and extended range fuel tanks(39 gallons total) . I keep it on floats in the summer and in the fall I put 26" AkBushwheel Airstreaks on it. I have skis I am currently working on to put on it also. Probably wait til next year to do it though.

I am also building a Murphy Rebel. It should be completed somewhere around the turn of the century!! LOL

WW

The Landes nose fork does indeed come with a STC authorizing 8.50x6 tires all around. Available for the 172.

Keith, Sounds like you may be in the market for a dozer to lengthen that strip. It does make sense. We crossed the border on Sunday and helped stimulate the economy, went to Reeds at Walker and got a flasher and several other ice fishing necessities. Rushed trip or we would have stopped by. Steve

Steve,
How ya doing? Yeah a dozer would be nice. I have a guy from the "Wetlands Managment" office coming out on Monday to see if I can extend it without getting one of those "Go directly to Jail" cards. I want to extend it 4-500 feet but I doubt I'll be able to since the ends of my strip are borderline wetland.
Tell the wife I said hello.
Keith

Keith,

I assume you are dealing with the Soil and Water people. In Illinois on farm land, as long as you do not drain or build up the wetland we could do what we wanted. Hopefully he will go along with your idea. If not, here is a suggestion. Tell him you will replace the wetland acreage used, with a like acreage in a man made wetland. I have done a lot of that in my former life. It is really not a big deal and can be done for minimal dollars. I don't know runway requirements in Mn, but in Illinois the minimum width is 60 feet, with 30 feet clear of trees on both sides. If you do have to do some build up and just do it on the 60 feet X 500, worst case, it would be less than .7 of an acre. A little BS from a military vet should go a long ways. Good luck and e-mail if you want some thoughts or moral support. Steve

Steve,
Yes, soil and water guys. Apparantly the maximum amout I can fill without having to make new wetlands is 10,000 square feet. Not a very big area. Thing is, I have so much wetlands on my place already I wouldn't know where to make new areas. He stated I could buy "credits" for $10-14,000!!! These are wetlands over the state's baseline that people have made on their property. Basically I would be paying the state for something a private person did on their own property.
I'll have to see what happens when he shows up tomorrow. But the word I heard was he wasn't the easiest guy to talk to. Crossing my fingers.
Keith

WWhunter wrote: But the word I heard was he wasn't the easiest guy to talk to. Crossing my fingers.
Keith

Most nazi's aren't. Has to do with their college profesors that have never farmed or accually never had a job other than from public funds.

I used to build gas stations a few years back. We did an upgrade in Nappa County of Kalifornia ten years ago and they made us remove about 250,000 bucks worth of contaminated soil and haul it to a waist site. Made a fortune off the state.

The next year we did one in Sacramento County and the enviro regulator said, just leave it in the ground. In 20 years the naturally occuring bugs in the ground will digest it an all will be good. The enviro in Nappa was a Berkley grad and the one in Sac was a retired Air Force guy that got his educatin in the field.

Tim

I worked with three different county Soil and Water agencies, thus three different people. One guy was by the book but fair, one was a little more lax, but ok, the third happened to be a black guy, which was an oddity in farm country. This was a nice enough guy, but he did not have a clue. The first shallow water pond I built through his office, he had come out at some point in time and surveyed where the top of the dam was to be and had it staked, great. When I got there, I set up the lazer, checked things out and discovered if I put the dam at the heighth he had set up, it would be backing water up on the neighbor. After that, the agreement was, I would do the job and then take him in the details, so he could write it up after the fact. His lack of knowledge was well known, and early on the powers tried to have him removed, but he is still there today.

WW, I was trying to do the same thing as you want to do. I have a 61 172B and I actually bought a 206 fork with a 6:00/6 and a new set of 8:00/6's. They are sitting on the floor of my hanger. My AP talked to the FAA guy here and he told him he wouldn't approve it. Another AP I use told me if I can get a copy of someones field approval he could get it done for me. I actually have about 6 advertizements for 172's with the exact same setup but I am hesitant to give them to the FAA guy because I don't know it these guys have approvals. Looks like this setup is very common in Alaska.

I talked to the guy at Landes and he was really helpful. He suggested I do my own STC and said to get copies of the Field Approvals from FAA. I contacted the FAA and I was told that there was no way to look them up. I asked for copies of anyones field approvals on the CPA Site and never got a reply. I am actually trading my plane for a 175 with a O-360 so I doubt I will finish up an STC. I will probably go with the Landes STC just to save the headache. What is crazy is that I can put 8:50/6's and Landes Fork on my 150, but I can't put a 6:00/6 with a 206 Fork on a 172 even though the 206 Fork is 7 lbs lighter. Go Figure

Legalities aside... what set up can I use to go with larger tires on my 1979 R172K ? I will have it in South America soon and think bigger tires will come in handy as grass/dirt strips will be a common thing.

I guess the easiest for the front would be a heavy duty 206 fork and fit a 700 tire, maybe 8.50 or 26" in the mains..???

Can I use my 6" wheels? Do I have to modify the brakes? axle change?

Thanks

G

I have seen ads for 172's with 8:50's on the mains and 7:00's on the front with a 206 Fork. Not sure if a 8:00 will fit up front or not. My mechanic told me 8:50's will rub on the brakes, but they don't because the Landes STC uses them and I personally have seen them on a 175. Also the Landes kit requires the same size everywhere as I recall. If you ever find someone who will share a copy of their Field Approval, please post it. I think a lot of us here in the lower states would like to try it. The Hartzell 80" Top Prop STC requires "a cessna heavy-duty strut (or equivalent) and at lease a 6.00x6 nose tire" so you know it will work. Good Luck.

Easiest way paperwork - wise is the Landes fork up front. STC'd for all the Cessna single trikes and will handle up to an 8.50X6. $2520 bucks from Seaplanes North. Then get the 10 X 10 Bush wheels from ABW, and use either an 8.50 X 10 or the buffed 29X10. A friend of mine had the Landes up front and the 8.50X10's on the mains on his 172 and went to a lot of places off airport.

Anything else and you are at the mercy of the field approval Gods. Of course if you are going to South America, maybe you don't much care about the paperwork.

gb

Thanks for the replies, I have studied the Landes mod, once my plane gets to South America I will have to register it there. That means that field approvals will be a whole lot easier than here.

My question is based on that. I can use any configuration down there, I am just wondering what is the best option without having to do great alterations etc. I will be doing half my landings on asphalt and the other half on grass/dirt runways.

thanks

Gilbert