soyAnarchisto wrote:I'd take an 85 or 90hp j3 or champ any day of the week and twice on sunday over a 140 or a stock 170. The 170B is a good airplane if you drop 60-80k into an avcon or delair 180+ hp conversion. There's a reason 140s are so cheap.

Buy your last plane first!

Like you did? Sorry, couldn't resist....

MTV

I'd normally be in the C-140 camp because I own one and love flying it. In this case it sounds like your mission is more about cross country and less about landing on riverbanks. If you plan on taking your wife and gear then the 170 is the better option, as you have better range, more storage and more shoulder room.

Think long and hard about your mission. Its common for people to think that they will take their wife or buddy fishing on the rivers or hunting in the bush. But when it comes down to it, most people aren't comfortable pushing their STOL limits with someone else on board. As pilots we understand the limitations and risks. Passengers often don't. Try and explain to your wife that she has to stay in camp while you fly the massive elk you shot home. As a new TW pilot be especially cautious of pushing your limits with a passenger and be aware of how your decision making process changes in their presence.

To add some perspective, I was shopping for a C-140/C-170/Pacer/Stinson. If I had found a 170 I would have spent most of my budget and wouldn't be able to upgrade anything. I found a C-140 on the other side of Canada and flew it home. It has suited my mission perfectly as most flights are to nearby off airport locations. My wife likes flying but prefers her own hobbies, my kids prefer that I don't leave for the entire weekend. I now realize a C-170 would have been overkill. I'd be flying 3 empty seats around 95% of the time. In the bush the C-140 is pretty capable, my personal limit is 900ft no trees in the summer and 600ft in fall/winter. I also like that I can push the 140 around easily myself. With the bigger aircraft this can become a limiting factor in the bush. As for insurance... I paid the high premium for the first year while I was learning. Then I self insured. You may able to acquire the required TW time in the first year to get a better rate in the second year.

Don't rush the process, buying an aircraft is almost as fun as flying it.

Touche', Mike! I deserve that!

mtv wrote:

soyAnarchisto wrote:I'd take an 85 or 90hp j3 or champ any day of the week and twice on sunday over a 140 or a stock 170. The 170B is a good airplane if you drop 60-80k into an avcon or delair 180+ hp conversion. There's a reason 140s are so cheap.

Buy your last plane first!

Like you did? Sorry, couldn't resist....

MTV

Well I guess I’ll have to chime in here. In the past few years my son and i have had a Cessna 120, 170A, 170B and a C180. My son just moved from Texas to Arkansas with his 180. He had the B model 170 But the family outgrew it. But he is still kicking himself for selling the 170B for the 180, The 170 was highly modified, 80/42 prop, STOL kit and the like (look up robw56 and you’ll see what I mean) The 180 turned into a money pit. With all the money he spent on repairing the 180 he could’ve bought a Nice 140 and a 170. As for the Cessna 120 that was a really good airplane but it had a 125 HP Lycoming that made it a really good performing airplane but it was a little short legged with the fuel burn. I had just rebuilt the 120 from top to bottom. I had one problem I had a friends 170A model project sitting in my hanger staring at me. I thought this airplane would be a better option for me and the wife to be able to fly 550 miles down into Central California and visit the grandkids. Two weeks after I bought the 170A I got a call from Rob and he said that they were moving to San Antonio, realistically that would be a 2000 mile one-way trip to Texas. the wife would’ve have killed me first before I made her go that far in a little airplane. So I ended up selling the 120 anyway so I could finance the 170A project. In my situation a cruise prop is a really bad option it’s a good way to get in trouble with the kind of flying I do. So I switched to 7650 way better. Rob put an 8042 prop on the 170B and that was probably the best mod he did to the airplane.
For the most part I keep the backseat out of the 170A. The best utility upgrade I did for the 170A was to buy two folding bicycles and put in the back of the airplane! can’t do that with the 120 maybe one bike, that has made a world of difference for some of the places I want go to. Being able to get around is a lot easier than trying to walk a couple of miles into town if at all. I even take them camping with me. With a stock wing it still fly’s very well. please don’t buy a 140 or a 170 if you’re not willing to put in the time for proper training tobe proficient before you go crazy and go cross country loaded up with people and baggage they’re not making any more of these airplanes You’re just asking for trouble. Go and buy a straight tail Cessna 172 and add some big tires it’ll keep you out of trouble and you won’t have to spend the same amount of time or money to be proficient at flying. The early 172s are just a nose wheel 170 with a different tail. I know they don’t look as Cool but that being said they’re a lot cheaper all around and safer for low time pilots. My best friend has one and it has worked out really well for him.
I love my 170 but the 120 was a lot funner of an airplane and I shot a lot more landings in it and I learned a lot more from it then I have from the 170 so far I am still kicking myself for selling my 120. So if you’re a low time pilot and you have to have a tail wheel airplane go get a 140 with a Continental 0200 and fly the living daylights out of it. IMHO

So 172 with big tires does not look that bad it’s not as cool as a 170 or even a 120/140 It’s still a very capable airplane this one has 850s on the main tires and an 800 on the nose and a Horton STOL kit


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Robs 180 and my 120 just before I sold it


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