Thanks Gump. What I was getting at is if someone was dumb enough to buy a couple of those planes to start a business would they go broke trying to keep them flying because of all the high time parts?

Here's a source for parts: http://www.robairrepair.com/ I spoke with Rob a few years ago about commercial aspects of operating 206s and 207s, since he supports them. It was an interesting conversation and spoke highly of the efficiency of the 207. I'm not sure what the economics are now. Yute sold everything to Ravn last year and it looks like maybe Ravn is voting with its pocket book.

CAVU

whee wrote:Thanks Gump. What I was getting at is if someone was dumb enough to buy a couple of those planes to start a business would they go broke trying to keep them flying because of all the high time parts?

Hey Whee.

20 years ago I woulda told you that a Sled was still by far the best money making airplane out there. That little airplane with a good pilot/mechanic combo could make gobs of cash in pretty much any place, conditions, or weather.

But now... I dunno. I haven't flown a Sled in 12 years, and, as you see on this thread, all my old airplanes are being sold for next to nothing. They filled the niche between the real bush pilot days and today's kerosene burners, where you still had crap mud puddle runways and minimal electronics. But I'm afraid those days aren't coming back. At least not in the United States. Elsewhere, especially Third World might be another story, but I sure don't know.

That said, if a Sled had usable ooomph where I'm living now in northern Nevada, I'd be on a smoker tonight for Anchortown and flying 94U home tomorrow as my family truckster airplane.

Gump

whee wrote:Thanks Gump. What I was getting at is if someone was dumb enough to buy a couple of those planes to start a business would they go broke trying to keep them flying because of all the high time parts?

The bugger is the high parts prices from Cessna. McFarlane, Selkirk, and others are making some components at a better price.

And if you're not in the cool climate of the north country, a 207 is, how do I say this eloquently, a pig. For a family truckster as Gump implied they're a pretty cool voluminous airplane. If you keep it south of the 3800 lb. gross a ways it'd be fine even on warm days.

A big, fine, noisy, fuel drinking, high maintenance family truckster. Of which I am very fond of.

I owned a turbo 207 for about 5 years . I never flew a non turbo but can only imagine what a slug it would be in my neck of the woods .I loved that plane as the family truckster . Used it to fly jumpers and it did pretty good ,took lots of family trips in it and that it where it really shined . I bet one of those high time sleds would be a great family plane just don't put 40 people in it and try to launch from high altitude . Price is right on those things !

Thanks guys. I took my PPL check ride in a C207 after riding along with the DPE on a cargo run. I've wanted one ever since.

Did the 207 ever get the camber lift wing with the cuffed leading edge?

I'm working on a new STC and doing a ton of parts manual reading. I don't see anything about a cuffed leading edge in the parts manuals and my image searches all look like the old Cessna leading edge.

I'd like to include the 207 if possible, but I want to make sure I get this right.

Straining the memory banks, but as far as I recall, the C207 did not.

But the mech/parts guys may say different.

Gump

In;
Cessna: Wings For The World by William D. Thompson

Former Cessna Manager of Aerodynamics and Flight Test, Bill Thompson, did not think the "Camber-Lift" leading edge was much of an advantage.

He wrote:

"Perhaps the most charitable comment we could make for drooped leading-edges is a perceived improvement in controllability in rough air at very low speeds if, in fact, one chooses to fly at such low speeds."

All of the strutted high-wing Cessna models got the "Camber-Lift" wing in the early 1970, except the 150/152 and 207. 207 was such a low-volume item that the R&D expense was not justified. But they did test it on the 150. From Thompson's book:

"A prototype was so fitted, and all flying qualities and performance checks proceeded routinely. Then came spins. Right out of the box, a 2-turn spin took 13-turns to recover! Variations on the full span camber-lift airfoil, such as an outboard-droop-only and increased wing twist, were tested, and unacceptable spin behavior was noted."


Take care, Rob

That’s what I needed, thanks guys!

Some where in the dusty areas of my memory I recall someone putting a Robertson Stol kit on a 207 or 206 and was so good Cessna came out with a modified cuff for 207 in late 1970's. I had and older 207 with normal wing and a newer mid 70's with the cuff. And as I recall there was ( a real lot ) of difference in performance. But like I say 42 year old memory could be a figment of my imagination May have been after market install but don't think so. A 13 turn spin recovery is about 10 more than I could stand


https://www.steneaviation.com/pages/sto ... lee-russel

Tom Tucker has the Robertson STOL on his turbocharged 207. Added VG’s to the wings and horizontal stabilizer... able to get airborne before having positive directional control.... story there....added VG’s to the vertical stabilizer problem solved.

Sparkman wrote:Yeah, 94U definitely had the old brush coat... as well as a bunch of kid's handprints on both sides when I flew her. I'm not sure how many of the Yute birds the new Yute Commuter Service (Renfro) operation absorbed. I know Ravn got a several of them, at least one is with Penobscot Island Air in Maine, and a few of them sit derelict. (Although we all know, there are few enough 207 airframes out there that they won't go that way for long!)

I just had the pleasure of flying with the new Yute Commuter Service. Renfro bought a certificate and a couple sleds out of Kodiak that are in really nice shape. He also bought the passenger terminal that Ravn passed on when they bought out the old Yute.

Apparently, Ravn bought the certificate, the planes, and a hangar for $10m. I had the distinct displeasure of trying to fly with them. Their minimums are so high that they sat on the ground all day while new Yute was out flying all day long. The new Yute guys said their terminal was filled to the brim from day one because everyone is tired of Ravn's performance.

Loved reading this thread over the past couple years so thought I'd contribute. I recently moved to Alaska and started my first 135 job... flying old sleds. This thread had made me want to fly them at some point not because they are necessarily the most magnificent airplane in the world, but just because they are what they are. Having a blast so far. Just hauled 1000lbs of stuff from Anchorage back home - propane tanks, tires, groceries.

What's the matter Asa? Don't want to fess up who you're working for?

Congrats on the flying gig, it's a great job, and turning in to a decent career again.

asa wrote:Loved reading this thread over the past couple years so thought I'd contribute. I recently moved to Alaska and started my first 135 job... flying old sleds. This thread had made me want to fly them at some point not because they are necessarily the most magnificent airplane in the world, but just because they are what they are. Having a blast so far. Just hauled 1000lbs of stuff from Anchorage back home - propane tanks, tires, groceries.

Congrats on the new job. Nothing like flying a low departure over Knik Arm in a heavy sled.

Loved it.

Im starting to fantasize and look at 207s. My idea is to find a high time bird with front end damage, cut it back to the 206 firewall, install the stainless, move the nose gear back, put my PT6 on it. Did you sled drivers NEED to move baggage ie. ballast to/from the nose baggage compartment from empty to gross? It will probably be my last one that I build. Ive got 3 206s to finish a head of it. Ill keep this one experimental. Make a camper out of it. Put 4000As on it and travel in my retirement. Guys got to dream.

I flew 207s enough to know their performance in the summer was not great, but the larger cabin was quite nice. How much performance gain would one see with a turbocharged 207 over a normally aspirated 207? A friend has a 206 but it is not quite big enough for his family. His wife asked for my opinion and I figure a Soloy 207 would be perfect size- and performance-wise, but a little too costly. The strip at their cabin is comfortable in a 206. The one time a (normally aspirated) 207 came in was no problem, although getting out with a 206 load saw the wheels being dragged through the willows.

Okay my turn to blow the dust off an old thread (I just read it full length and it's a good one too). It doesn't make sense to start a new thread with such a great place to launch from.

I just got home from my first two week shift of flying sleds for "new Yute". What a scream. I just packed in a 15 year career at Boeing to do this and I have zero regrets. It's a very physical job because I'm on the ramp helping load the plane and of course the guy on the other end unloading to an agent.



I showed up with more hours than the typical rookie, and I had lots of early 210 time, so the sled didn't scare me. Bethel is a very busy class delta airspace and you have to pick up the lingo pretty quickly.

It's a two week on; two off schedule which I'm looking forward to since I've never had two straight weeks off in my life. I checked out in the C207 quickly, passed my check ride and IOE, then I was released into the "birdcage" (shorter flights with restriction on weather, which in my case is 20 knots crosswind). I'm based in Bethel but I'm fortunate enough to live in a duplex with one other pilot so it's not bad. Don't get me wrong, Bethel has a 3rd world country vibe (One of my coworkers said "It's like Iraq, except no one is shooting at you"). I added "and it doesn't smell like s***" but that turns out to not be true. It's got its downside but heavy traffic means you saw two other cars on the way into work.

I can confirm everything I've read here about the 207. Empty it's a blast. Pulls really hard on takeoff. I haven't transported a dead seal so far but at least one villager will show up with enough luggage to scream "I just left my husband". I have yet to have it fall on its tail but only because I get the appropriate passenger up front before I fill that 6th seat.

I fly 500-600' MSL everywhere and that's all I'm going to say about that. With a full load that takes a while to achieve, especially if you're pulling the prop back to save the ears of an infant/toddler. I've taken my headset off a couple of times and all I can say is "What?!!?!". Holy crap. I picked up 5 in Tuluksak yesterday and had to wait for one passenger who ran back because she forgot her wallet. I was making conversation with the group as I loaded the plane and remarked how quiet it was. One of the passengers said "i wish it was this quiet in town". At that airport departing traffic goes right over the village.The slow climbing sled is in full song on departure and with its "positive rate" it probably is very annoying to live there. I made a point to get to 23 squared as quickly as possible, and to give the village some room on takeoff. Not sure it made any difference.

Most of the planes fly left wing heavy so I put enough gas in the left tank so I can see it, and fill the right tank. I already know I'm riding on the shoulders of the real bush pilots who flew to the old (800' in some cases) strips with no GPS. While I can imagine it I'm glad to be flying when I am.

With the prop flat and full flaps you have to point the plane DOWN to maintain 80 knots while carrying 15". I'm practicing for winter with 180 degree approaches abeam the numbers, with a 1" per minute cool down starting 5 minutes out. Not super critical in July but trying to set the expectation for the winter.

Before I started I had my heart set on flying a 208. As stated earlier in this thread, the sled handles crosswind better and on top of that the saying goes "it just means you have to unload 2000 lbs of crap instead of 1000".

I've been as far as Platinum to the south and Marshall and Russian Mission to the north. On my next shift I will check out in the Lance (I've already flown it) and possibly be stationed in St Marys.

No joke, I quit a good paying job to become an amazon driver (or deliver Hot Pockets and pop). Loving every minute of it.

I miss my old 207 .... 206 performs much better but there is just something about the 7