VA Vol 53 no 2 Mar Apr 2025

Nuts and Bolts

VAA PRESIDENT JOHN HOFMANN

WHILE I WRITE THIS, winter is in full swing and it is -6 degrees Fahrenheit outside. Your VAA board and convention chairs are already deep into planning for EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2025. Repairs are being planned for the Red Barn, the Vintage picnic is being contracted, new flightline point buildings will be constructed, and plans are in place to showcase several aircraft.

First, we have a replica of SantosDumont No. 20 Demoiselle from France. Built mostly of bamboo and first flying in 1908, this airplane is an outstanding representation of the pioneer age of aviation. EAA is also planning to bring the replica Blériot XI bis and the Morane-Saulnier Type L from the museum to round out this display of early French aviation.

The Cessna 180 and 185 will be honored at AirVenture 2025. The 180 was first flown on May 26, 1952, and was introduced as a larger, roomier, and more powerful complement to the Cessna 170. Produced from 1953 through 1981, the original 180 was powered by a Continental O-470-A generating 225 hp. The final 180K variant of 1981 was powered by the 230-hp Continental O-470-U. In all its versions, 6,193 Cessna 180s were manufactured.

Cessna 180s can be float- or skiequipped. They remain popular for their load-hauling ability and are used extensively in bush flying. In 1964, Geraldine (Jerrie) Mock chose her 1953 model, the Spirit of Columbus (N1538C), to become the first woman pilot to fly around the world successfully. The airplane is currently on display at the National Air and Space Museum.

Mary Knutson, with the Red Barn Store, has created some great merchandise to commemorate the Skywagons, including T-shirts and Hawaiian shirts.

The Cessna 185 first flew as a prototype in July 1960 and entered production in March 1961. Compared to the 180, it featured a strengthened fuselage, a lengthened baggage compartment, a larger vertical fin, and the ability to mount a cargo pod on the belly, which could carry 300 pounds. With a gross weight of 3,200 pounds, the 185 was powered by the 260-hp, fuel-injected Continental IO-470-F. Also able to mount skis or floats, this hauler is revered in the bushplane environment. When production ended in 1985, 4,448 185s were produced.

To honor these airplanes, Mary Knutson, with the Red Barn Store, has created some great merchandise to commemorate the Skywagons, including T-shirts and Hawaiian shirts. Get a head start on this merchandise and visit the Red Barn Store online at Shop.EAA.org/collections/ vintage.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 64

March/April 2025

STAFF

Publisher: Jack J. Pelton, EAA CEO and Chairman of the Board

Vice President of Publications, Membership Services, Retail, and Editor in Chief: Jim Busha / jbusha@eaa.org

Senior Copy Editor: Colleen Walsh

Copy Editors: Tom Breuer, Jennifer Knaack

Proofreader: Tara Bann

Print Production Team Lead: Marie Rayome-Gill

ADVERTISING

Senior Sales and Advertising Executive: Sue Anderson / sanderson@eaa.org

CONTACT US

Mailing Address: VAA, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903

Website: EAAVintage.org

Email: vintageaircraft@eaa.org

Phone: 800-564-6322

Visit EAAVintage.org for the latest information and news.

Current EAA members may join the Vintage Aircraft Association and receive Vintage Airplane magazine for an additional $45/year.

EAA membership, Vintage Airplane magazine, and one-year membership in the EAA Vintage Aircraft Association are available for $55 per year (Sport Aviation magazine not included). (Add $7 for International Postage.)

Foreign Memberships

Please submit your remittance with a check or draft drawn on a United States bank payable in United States dollars. Add required foreign postage amount for each membership.

Membership Service

P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086 Monday–Friday, 8 AM—6 PM CST Join/Renew 800-564-6322 membership@eaa.org

EAA AirVenture Oshkosh www.EAA.org/AirVenture 888-322-4636

Holly Chilsen

CALL FOR VINTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION

Nominate your favorite vintage aviator for the EAA Vintage Aircraft Association Hall of Fame. A great honor could be bestowed upon that man or woman working next to you on your airplane, sitting next to you in the chapter meeting, or walking next to you at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. Think about the people in your circle of aviation friends: the mechanic, historian, photographer, or pilot who has shared innumerable tips with you and with many others. They could be the next VAA Hall of Fame inductee — but only if they are nominated.

The person you nominate can be a citizen of any country and may be living or deceased; their involvement in vintage aviation must have occurred between 1950 and the present day. Their contribution can be in the areas of flying, design, mechanical or aerodynamic developments, administration, writing, some other vital and relevant field, or any combination of fields that support aviation. The person you nominate must be or have been a member of the Vintage Aircraft Association or the Antique/ Classic Division of EAA, and preference is given to those whose actions have contributed to the VAA in some way, perhaps as a volunteer, a restorer who shares his expertise with others, a writer, a photographer, or a pilot sharing stories, preserving aviation history, and encouraging new pilots and enthusiasts.

To nominate someone is easy. It just takes a little time and a little reminiscing on your part.

• Think of a person; think of their contributions to vintage aviation.

• Write those contributions in the various categories of the nomination form.

• Write a simple letter highlighting these attributes and contributions. Make copies of newspaper or magazine articles that may substantiate your view.

• If at all possible, have another individual (or more) complete a form or write a letter about this person, confirming why the person is a good candidate for induction.

We would like to take this opportunity to mention that if you have nominated someone for the VAA Hall of Fame, nominations for the honor are kept on file for three years, after which the nomination must be resubmitted.

Mail nominating materials to:

VAA Hall of Fame, c/o Amy Lemke

VAA

P.O. Box 3086

Oshkosh, WI 54903

Email: alemke@eaa.org

Find the nomination form at EAAVintage.org, or call the VAA office for a copy (920-426-6110), or on your own sheet of paper, simply include the following information:

• Date submitted.

• Name of person nominated.

• Address and phone number of nominee.

• Email address of nominee.

• Date of birth of nominee. If deceased, date of death.

• Name and relationship of nominee’s closest living relative.

• Address and phone of nominee’s closest living relative.

• VAA and EAA number, if known. (Nominee must have been or is a VAA member.)

• Time span (dates) of the nominee’s contributions to vintage aviation. (Must be between 1950 to present day.)

• Area(s) of contributions to aviation.

• Describe the event(s) or nature of activities the nominee has undertaken in aviation to be worthy of induction into the VAA Hall of Fame.

• Describe achievements the nominee has made in other related fields in aviation.

• Has the nominee already been honored for their involvement in aviation and/or the contribution you are stating in this petition? If yes, please explain the nature of the honor and/or award the nominee has received.

• Any additional supporting information.

• Submitter’s address and phone number, plus email address.

• Include any supporting material with your petition.

DEAR FRIENDS,

For one week every year a temporary city of about 50,000 people is created in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, on the grounds of Wittman Regional Airport. We call the temporary city EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. During this one week, EAA and our communities, including the Vintage Aircraft Association, host more than 600,000 pilots and aviation enthusiasts along with their families and friends.

As a dedicated member of the Vintage Aircraft Association, you most certainly understand the impact of the programs supported by Vintage and hosted at Vintage Village and along the Vintage flightline during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh every year. The Vintage flightline is 1.3 miles long and is annually filled with more than 1,100 magnificent vintage airplanes. At the very heart of the Vintage experience at AirVenture is Vintage Village and our flagship building, the Red Barn.

Vintage Village, and in particular the Red Barn, is a charming place at Wittman Regional Airport during AirVenture. It is a destination where friends old and new meet for those great times we are so familiar with in our close world of vintage aviation. It’s energizing and relaxing at the same time. It’s our own field of dreams!

The Vintage area is the fun place to be. There is no place like it at AirVenture. Where else could someone get such a close look at some of the most magnificent and rare vintage airplanes on Earth? That is

just astounding when you think about it. It is on the Vintage flightline where you can admire the one and only remaining low-wing Stinson TriMotor, the only two restored and flying Howard 500s, and one of the few airworthy Stinson SR-5s in existence. And then there is the “fun and affordable” aircraft display, not only in front of the Red Barn but along the entire Vintage flightline. Fun and affordable says it all. That’s where you can get the greatest “bang for your buck” in our world of vintage airplanes!

For us to continue to support this wonderful place, we ask you to assist us with a financial contribution to the Friends of the Red Barn. For the Vintage Aircraft Association, this is the only major annual fundraiser and it is vital to keeping the Vintage field of dreams alive and vibrant. We cannot do it without your support.

Your personal contribution plays an indispensable and significant role in providing the best experience possible for every visitor to Vintage during AirVenture.

Contribute online at EAAVintage.org. Or, you may make your check payable to the Friends of the Red Barn and mail to Friends of the Red Barn, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086.

Be a Friend of the Red Barn this year! The Vintage Aircraft Association is a nonprofit501(c)(3), so your contribution to this fund is tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Looking forward to a great AirVenture 2025!

How To?

ROBERT G. LOCK

Safety ComponentsAircraft

BY ROBERT G. LOCK

VIBRATION IS A BIG deal with airplanes so we use various methods of locking fasteners to keep them from shaking loose and causing catastrophic results. Described herein will be some techniques used by mechanics to safety various fasteners.

Safety wire comes in common sizes of 0.020 inch, 0.032 inch, and 0.041 inch diameters in materials of brass, tinned steel wire, and annealed stainless steel. The most popular wire is the annealed stainless steel.

The first item to know before twisting safety wire is to place the wire so it will tighten the fastener. So before beginning, size up the task so you don’t have to repeat because you safety it backward. Figure 1 shows typical methods of safety wiring.

In most cases the safety wire is twisted between fasteners, but there may be times when several small screw heads must be safetied together and the wire would not be twisted. The pigtail should have at least five twists and should be either formed around the fastener head or curled with the tang against the fastener. I don’t know how many times I have reached into a confined area only to have my hand or arm raked by a piece of pigtail some mechanic left sticking out from the fastener head.

Studs, particularly on radial engines, must be safetied through the castle nuts, so you size up the task by looking at wiring so it tightens not only the nut but also the stud. The castle nuts should be washered so the hole in the stud is just visible through the nut. I’ve seen the castle nuts driven so far down the stud that the wire hole is above the nut. Safety this and you might keep the stud tight, but the nut could vibrate loose. Note the pigtail in this sketch. It needs a couple more twists and needs to be curled so the tang touches the nut. Remember, five twists on the pigtail. It should be stated here that lock nuts are not used on

studs because the stud cannot be safetied. Figure 2 shows typical stud safety wiring.

Cable turnbuckles present a unique challenge to safetying. There are three different styles of wrapping safety wire around a turnbuckle, but over the years I have used only the single and double wrap. When possible, I always use a double wrap safety on primary flight control cables. See Figure 3.

There are a few simple rules to follow when rigging control cables. The primary purpose of the turnbuckle is to connect two cables together, adjust to a precise length, and then tension to a specific tautness. When cables are to the correct tension, there should be no more than three threads exposed from the end of the turnbuckle.

When everything is ready, you must determine what type of safety you will use, then the diameter and type of safety wire will be determined. When 1/16-inch diameter cables are safetied, you can only use a single wrap because the terminal hole is too small to accommodate two pieces of wire. The chart in Figure 4 shows safety wire diameter for making both single and double wrap turnbuckle safeties.

Cotter pins are another means to safety hardware. Cotter pins may be purchased in both mild steel and stainless steel, so it’s a matter of choice as to which type to use. Sizes are 1/32 inch, 1/16 inch, 3/32 inch, 1/8 inch, and 5/32 inch diameters. When aligning the bolt hole and the castle

Figure 1

nut, use washer combinations to get the hole just visible through the nut. There are two methods to bend the tangs, but I prefer the one shown on the left side of the above sketch. The one on the right is sometimes used when there is not enough clearance to bend the tang on top of the bolt. Correct use of a cotter pin safety is shown in Figure 5.

1/16

1/8

1/8

5/32 SINGLE 0.057 (MIN) STAINLESS STEEL

5/32 DOUBLE 0.051 BRASS

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Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Good Ole Days

From the pages of what was ...

Take a quick look through history by enjoying images pulled from publications past.

1960 Cessna 180

1970 Cessna Skywagon 185

1960 Cessna 180 interior

DURING THE 1950S, CESSNA had established itself solidly in the four-place airplane market with the C-170. The C-195 was still in production as Cessna’s business traveler, but sales were being squeezed by the less expensive Beech Bonanza and the North American Navion. The handwriting was on the wall — Cessna needed a new high-performance single that would fly fast, would have superior takeoff and climb performance, and could operate on wheels, skis, or floats. The Cessna 180 was born!

A high-wing airframe, single-strut braced, durable spring-steel landing gear, modern high-output horizontally opposed engine, constant-speed prop, great load-carrying capacity, and wide speed envelope — the Skywagon was a success in all areas.

Here I will give you an overview of the original development, a chronological review of the most important design changes over the 34-year production run, and some insights and stories about owners and their airplanes. It is quite common to

see multigenerational ownership in a C-180 or C-185. Great memories in the making!

Design work began on the new model 180 in late 1951. Web Moore was the project engineer in charge of the program. Cessna ultimately received the 180 type certificate in December 1952, with the first dealer deliveries in early 1953 as 1953 models. Design work on the 185 commenced in 1960, and sales began in 1961 as a heavy-duty version of the 180 with more power and a greater useful load.

THE 1950S

Cessna was off and running with the 180 in early 1953. The Continental O-470-A — with large controllable cowl flaps, a dual muffler system, and large access doors on both sides of the cowling — provided ample performance. 1953 models did not have an outside baggage door.

Red Hamilton is still flying C-180 serial No. 30002, the oldest airworthy Skywagon.

1975 Cessna Skywagon 180

1980 Cessna 180 Skywagon

Jerrie Mock became the first woman to fly solo around the world in March and April 1964. She accomplished the trip in a modified C-180, N1538C. Additional fuel tanks in the cabin and custom rudder pedal extensions helped her to achieve this great record. N1538C now hangs in the National Air and Space Museum at the Udvar-Hazy Center.

1954 brought an outside baggage door on the left side of the fuselage and a change to the O-470-J engine later in the model year.

Braking and ground handling were improved in 1955 by moving the main gear wheels 3 inches farther ahead. This was accomplished by changing the rake angle of the main gear. Noise levels were high in early models. To help alleviate this somewhat, Cessna used the slower-turning O-470-J, changed to a thicker windshield, added extra soundproofing, and moved the fresh-air inlets farther out on the wing leading edge.

The primary changes for 1956 included a change to the O-470-K engine, which produced 230 hp at 2600 rpm. This change included a new stainless steel single muffler system and relocating the fuel vents under the wing, behind the strut.

1957 brought a 100-pound gross weight increase, instrument panel and instrument changes, and a redesign of the door latch mechanism to a cam-type latch for better door sealing and reliability. Fuel capacity was also increased to 65 gallons.

For 1958 (180A) and 1959 (180B), several more instrument panel updates were incorporated, and noise reduction efforts continued. The single exhaust stack was moved to the right side of the cowling to keep exhaust fumes and stains under the fuselage. A ratchet mechanism was added to the stabilizer trim wheel to prevent creeping due to air loads. Heavier door hinges were incorporated, and rear seat fresh-air vents became available.

THE 1960S

1960 ushered in the 180C with new flush-style fuel caps to prevent water incursion, the O-470-L engine version, and increased headroom in the rear seat accomplished by a redesigned bulkhead and upper fuselage skin.

Austin and Amanda Levin are accommodating their growing young family with their award-winning restoration 1970 C-180 — a “barn find” airplane brought back to pristine condition.

Jim Densmore owns and flies this beautiful 1956 model that his dad purchased in 1960. It has been a family member ever since.

C-180s and 185s were produced for military use under the Military Assistance Program. They were designated U-17s.

1961 (180D) and 1962 (180E) incorporated new camlock-style cowling fasteners, a lever-type cowl flap control with preset notches, and the standard generator was increased to a 50-amp unit. 1962 also brought a fuel tank redesign, which incorporated fore and aft tank outlets to reduce unusable fuel. Long-range tanks also became available, offering 84-gallon capacity. The latest O-470-R engine became standard.

Also introduced in 1961 was the Model 185 — the first to be called Skywagon. The C-182 had become a market success with its easier landing habits, but the tailwheel airplanes were still preferred by rural operators. Incorporating structural beef-ups, a stronger firewall, landing gear, and axles in conjunction with the 260-hp IO-470-F, the new Skywagon was a load-hauler’s dream come true. The 185s could lift more than their empty weight. Cabin comfort was enhanced by the addition of a third cabin side window on each side and third-row seating for a total of up to six passengers. The larger dorsal fin was the primary visual distinction.

The Model 180 in 1963 (180F) saw several minor enhancements, with the primary being the addition of a 10-degree flap setting in addition to

the existing 20, 30, and 40. The 1964 180G saw increased redline airspeed and flap lowering speed, a 150-pound gross weight increase, incorporation of the third side windows as on the 185, and a switch to an alternator-based charging system.

1962 through 1964 Cessna 185 changes included those from the 180 along with the addition of a second auxiliary fuel pump. Manual tail wheel locks were also offered on both models.

1965 saw the upgrade of the 180 firewall, making the 180 and 185 fuselages identical. The instrument panel was redesigned to incorporate center stack radios. Minor options and improvements continued throughout the late 1960s, and the Skywagon name was used for the first time with the 180 in 1969.

For the remainder of the 1960s, the 185 received the center stack radio panel and, most importantly, the upgrade to the IO-520-D engine with 300 hp for takeoff. Along with this came a 150-pound gross weight increase and the new designator of A185E.

Above: Scott White flies 185 s/n 4440 (9th to the last 185 produced). It is now sporting a turbo-normalized IO-550. Right: Scott’s son Blaine is flying this 1956 C-180, which was Scott’s father’s airplane in the 1960s, left the family for a while, and is now back at home. This was Blaine’s PPL checkride.

Stephen Ratcliff, Alaska director for the International 180/185 Club and president of the Alaska Airmen’s Association, with his 1977 C-180K.

(left to right) 180/185 Club member Darren Tiede; his son, Ben Tiede; and his father, Ralph Tiede.

Skywagons on ski parade.

Mark Nye departing the Ontario Seaplane Association fly-in at Lake St. John in Orillia, Ontario, Canada. Mark flies a 1980 A185F, highly modified with Robertson STOL, VGs, Sportsman cuff, Wing-X extensions, and IO-550-D with Ly-Con port/polish and GAMI injectors. The floats are Aerocet 3400. Photo courtesy of Pat Hanna.

You won’t find a better dock than a Skywagon on floats! — Cameron Lewis

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF WALTER W. CONGDON

THE 1970S AND 1980S

As both models matured and sales slowed in the 1970s, we saw the incorporation of the “camber-lift wing” in 1973, a split-bus electrical system, change to 28-volt electrical in 1978, and, on 180 factory floatplanes, the addition of the 185 vertical fin.

For the model 180, a change to the high-compression O-470-U engine occurred in 1977, and the change to wet wings from bladders in 1980. Model 180 production ended in 1981 with a total production of 6,193 airframes.

The last versions of the 185 were labeled A185Fs. Improvements from the mid-1970s through the end of production in 1985 included a change to a three-bladed propeller with accompanying strengthened engine mount, 28-volt electrics, wet wing, and updated instrument panels. 185 production totaled 4,448 airframes. Including military airframes, a total of 10,634 Skywagons were produced.

Skywagons are operated on wheels, skis, straight floats, and amphibian floats. They are used for personal travel, business travel, cargo hauling, military ops, ag operations, missionary work, and myriad other missions. They are in use daily around the globe. These are probably the most versatile and useful airplanes ever built.

In November 2018, Darren’s son, Ben, purchased Grandpa Ralph’s beloved 180 that he bought in 1970. It had about 900 hours’ total time back then; today it has nearly 7,000 hours’ total time. Many great adventures will be enjoyed by three generations.

For more information on the International 180/185 Club, go to Skywagons.org.

SKY HARBOR AIRPORT (KDYT) in Duluth, Minnesota, is perhaps one of the most eye-catching airports in the country. It’s located right on Lake Superior, at the end of the world’s largest freshwater sand spit. Whether you touch down on land or on water, the nature-surrounded airport offers a beautiful descent. That’s exactly what members of the International 180/185 Club experienced during the 2024 Skywagon Convention, the type club’s most anticipated gathering of the year.

The International 180/185 Club — a community of more than 1,100 Skywagon enthusiasts — brings together pilots from around the globe who share a deep passion for these iconic bushplanes. Every year, anywhere from 30 to 70 Skywagons converge for the club’s annual fly-in, where pilots — many of whom have become close friends over the years — gather to celebrate their love of this flying station wagon, share new experiences, and discover wondrous new places.

From Grassroots to Gatherings

Like most type clubs, the 180/185 Club — which began in 1977 — started with just a simple goal: to bring together a small group of friends with similar airplanes to go flying, socialize, and embrace the beauty of Mother Nature.

“The club was started by a couple named Charles and Edith Bombardier,” said Walter Congdon, EAA 308903/Vintage 18009, president of the International 180/185 Club. “They lived in the southwest, and it grew out of a group of folks that

basically liked flying to Baja. As I understand it, initially it was only 180 model airplanes. Over the years it’s grown to include 185s, became international, and here we are today.”

Walter has been involved with the club for about 15 years. Before he became club president two years ago, he was the club’s northeast director, which covers the six New England states, New York, New Jersey, and Delaware.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY HOLLY CHILSEN

“Basically, one of the presidents will approach you or incoming president will approach you to say, ‘Are you interested in becoming president in four years?’ My wife, Jean (the club secretary/treasurer), and I jumped in. It’s a lot of work; it’s a lot of fun. It’s a good way to learn more about the more global collection of members.”

Walter said while the club itself has been around since the 1970s, the annual conventions started a couple decades later.

“These events started in the late 1990s, and they’ve been continuing each year, sometime between May and October,” Walter said. “They’ve been all over the country. It’s a different location every year. Folks fly in from all over the U.S. and Canada — and Europe and Australia, occasionally.”

Walter said it’s up to the hosting director to decide where it’s held and what the planned social activities will be, including two or three days of fly-outs, depending on the area.

“This was a great one,” he said. “We had 60 registered aircraft. We’ll have 100 to 160 folks for a weeklong event. We have a tech night for pilots to gather and soak up information from suppliers. We are primarily a social club, so we don’t focus on maintenance and those sorts of things, but it is a part of what we provide.”

The club’s vice president is Austin Levin, EAA 1064968/ Vintage 728045. He and his wife, Amanda, from Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin, were the main organizers and hosts for the 2024 Skywagon Convention in Duluth. The planning process is a big undertaking.

“The very first thing you have to do is find an airport willing to host you. Not every airport is ready or willing to have 60, 70, 80 aircraft all show up during a week,” Austin explained. “There are concerns about safety and so forth. Then finding the town and hotels that are willing to accommodate you and have the large convention halls we need.”

To say the least, being a host of an event of this magnitude takes quite a bit of organization.

“It was great to see this is the first convention Austin and Amanda have hosted,” Walter said. “They’ve been super organized, good to deal with, and all of their vendors have been great.”

Reaping the benefits of your efforts is a nice payoff, and that’s what Austin looked forward to the most.

“It’s a lot of work to put them together, but it’s really rewarding to see it pay off and see all these people have fun. This past one in Duluth, we went on some boat tours, had fly-outs to other airports, and then technical talks throughout the week. It was a great time.”

Not only was it a great time, but there was also a great showcase of the type history.

“We have airplanes all the way from 1953 when they were first released, all the way through 1980s with the last 185s that were produced,” Austin said. “It’s great to see the history of the Cessna 180/185s just throughout the years to see the small changes. There are so many experts that are part of the club that know every detail that changed from year to year. So it’s great to have them all together in one spot.”

The Three P ’s — The Planes

Walter said for folks who attend the annual convention, it’s not just about gathering people together who have a love for the 180 and 185. It’s actually a combination of things that boils down to what Walter calls “the three P’s.”

“You have the planes and the people and the places we go,” he said.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CONNOR MADISON

The 100th anniversary year will welcome you to the AirVenture flightline, with additional programs and activities held in conjunction with the Fairchild clubs.

All owners of Fairchild aircraft are invited to be part of the centennial activities by registering with the Fairchild club at www.fairchild-club.org

The 100th anniversary year will welcome you to the AirVenture flightline, with additional programs and activities held in conjunction with the Travel Air

All owners of Travel Air aircraft are invited to be part of the centennial activities by registering with their type clubs: Travel Air: www.bonanza.org (American Bonanza Society)

Let’s talk about the first facet — the planes. Walter and his wife own a 1977 Cessna 180K.

“Basically from ’77 on, the 180s and 185s were built with very similar parts. Cessna’s production was ramping down.”

The airplane has been part of the Congdon family in southern New England for 21 years.

“We were not looking for an airplane at the time, but it kind of plopped in our laps so we took the jump,” Walter said. “We have straight floats for it, so it has a large dorsal fin.”

For the more than two decades of ownership, Walter said he’s put about 2,500 hours on his 180.

“We did an engine upgrade a few years ago to 300 horse from the 230 stock, and it’s made it a much better climber and a little bit faster airplane,” Walter said. “We’ve been avid travelers with it. Crisscrossed the country a dozen or 15 times … been up to western Canada. It’s great to go see family with. We have a daughter that’s in Delaware, so that’s an hour-and-45minute trip for us in the airplane. Our grandkids love to fly, so we’re kind of hoping one day maybe one of them will come along and want to continue the tradition. We’ll see.”

Austin got involved in the club long before he owned his 1970 Cessna 180H. He said he joined simply to look for information on the history of the models to help him narrow down which ones to avoid and which ones to consider investing in.

“It was a great resource early on. That was two, three years before I bought the airplane. One of the members even gave me my first ride in a Skywagon,” Austin said. “So then I kept going back and became vice president after my involvement was pretty heavy in the club.”

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CONNOR MADISON

Brian Bristol

Austin said what attracted him most to the 180 is that they are great “do-anything airplanes.”

“They cruise at 140 knots or faster, depending on some modifications. Then they go out and land in the middle of nowhere, and you’re taking four buddies with you and gear. They can just do it all. They can do everything, and there’s really no downside to owning them. They’re tough airplanes.”

Austin bought his Cessna in the winter of 2018 after he saw a Facebook ad for it, located on a farm south of Detroit, Michigan.

“I did not think I could afford a late model. I thought I’d have to have an early model,” he said. “But I talked to the owner; he held my place in line. There were about 20 people in line behind me, and he honored that. And I talked to him on a Friday, showed up there on a Sunday, and flew home on a Wednesday, so it was a quick turnaround.”

A lot of work went into restoring N9037M, which Austin said was fairly close to factory original when he bought it, including original paint, and was overdue for many extensive upgrades. Just to name a few workload items, Austin had to address cracks in the tail and several safety items, like installing BAS inertia reel harnesses, LED lights, a Reiff engine heater, firewall battery STC, and a J.P. Instruments EDM 730 engine monitoring system. Instruments on the panel also had to be replaced to get the airplane IFR-certified again, while making sure the look of the panel kept true to the 1970s. The interior also got a big makeover with new interior panels and refurbished armrests, rear air vent covers, and yoke emblems.

Deb and Tim Toal

“So we’ve gone bottom to top, a flying restoration, but everything from the paint, the landing gear, avionics, every single pulley and cable in this airplane’s been replaced and brought modernized,” Austin said.

The years’ worth of work was something to be super proud of in the end. Austin’s 180 won an Outstanding in Type award at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2022.

“So really proud of how far it’s come,” Austin said.

Brian Bristol, from Webster, Minnesota, owns one of the original Cessna 180 models — from 1953. He and his wife have owned the airplane for about a decade. Before that, N1737C belonged to Brian’s parents for several years, starting in 1978.

“My dad wanted me to have it and keep it in the family,” Brian said. “It was always my dad’s dream airplane, and I sure enjoyed flying it. It’s an airplane that is not super fast, but it has a lot of utility. It’ll get in and out of short air strips, and it’s a great recreation.”

m

While some components of his airplane have changed since it came off the line in 1953 — like the paint and the absence of a baggage compartment — Brian said its overall configuration is mostly original.

“It’s still got pretty much the original-style avionics and instrumentation suite in it, which is older, but everything works,” Brian said. “At some point, those things are going to be hard to maintain and [would need an] upgrade. The engine on this airplane has been upgraded. The original L478, it was Continental’s first attempt at that engine, and it was a pretty good engine. But the later versions like this O-470-R are stronger and less susceptible to unscheduled maintenance-type

“This past one in Duluth, we went on some boat tours, had fly-outs to other airports, and then technical talks throughout the week. It was a great time.” — Austin Levin

PHOTOGRAPHY

MADISON

Austin Levin

missions. They both produce 230 hp. This has a large-diameter propeller, so it does make a little bit more noise at takeoff, but it gives you a little bit better runway performance than some of the others.”

Tim Toal, EAA 1104212, and Deb Toal, EAA 1104213, from Milan, Illinois, became members of the club in 2012, right after they bought their Cessna 180, N2465C.

“One of the cool things we tell people about the airplane — this is a 1954 [model], like us,” Deb said with a grin.

“So it’s the second year, and it’s serial No. 3765,” Tim said. “The person I bought it from was a longtime owner, and he did some things. He put the single-piece windshield in, and he did an upgrade on the panel. And I’ve done more mods and upgrades … an upgraded engine. This airplane’s on about its fourth engine. This is the original [paint] scheme. However, in 1954, wherever you see the white, it was polished aluminum. And in 1954, they only offered two colors for the Skywagon — jade green or jet red. So this is the original jet red and the original scheme.”

What attracted this couple — who has been married for 46 years, by the way — to the Skywagon was their love of exploring the outdoors. They especially enjoy going on camping trips in the backcountry.

“The plane can get in remote [areas], and it has plenty of power,” Tim explained. “So when we go on long trips, most of the time the back seat’s out and we got room galore. We can really carry anything we want almost, traveling for two people.”

The Three P’s — The People

If you talk to just about anyone who is part of the International 180/185 Club, they’ll say it’s the camaraderie and knowledge within the group that make it a wonderful group to be a part of.

“It really is the people that keep it glued together,” Walter said. I think the appeal of the club and what we have to offer is that we’re here for them. If they start being somewhat active in the club, coming to fly-ins, meeting a few members, we’ll see our members embrace them and bring them into opportunities with Skywagons that they may not have had before.”

Brian has been a member of the club since 2015, joining after he got his airplane from his father, who had also been a member.

“When my wife and I acquired it, it kind of seemed like I should get in the loop with that group, some of their activities and fly-ins and insurance programs and parts availability,” Brian said. “They were really the subject matter experts, so it seemed to make sense to get involved in that and be a part of that group. And they’ve been a great group of people, very friendly, very engaging, very helpful when you need to find an odd part or a referral. They really step up to the plate and have some valuable advice for you.”

Austin added that the type club has really become more of a family over the years.

“We get together every year; we meet each other, part of each other’s families. These airplanes are part of each other’s families,” he said. “We get together outside of the annual conventions, and anytime a question comes up that’s niche, something specific about landing gear, about the type,

there’s someone to go to. So it’s a great resource, and it goes beyond the aircraft. It turns into a real family affair.”

Tim and Deb have become connected to the other people within the club who like camping as much as they do. As much as it is a flying club, they say it’s also a social club.

“So of course you meet the friends, and they end up being long-term friends, and you got a lot in common,” Tim said. “One of the members told me, on the lighter note, sometimes we could be observed as a drinking club with a flying problem,” he added with a laugh.

The Three P’s — The Places

Oh, the Places You’ll Go! isn’t just a book by Dr. Seuss — it could also work as a tagline for the club. Over the years, the annual convention has taken its members all across the country.

“We go to locations that we wouldn’t typically travel to,” Walter said. “Two years ago was Minot, North Dakota. [The year before that] was Tulsa. Neither of those places are locations that we would’ve gone to specifically. We obviously try to crisscross the country every other year. So if it’s the West Coast next year, we would try to be somewhere mid to East Coast the following year.”

Walter said the best thing about picking different places to host the convention every year is the exposure the aircraft type gets in front of those who may not have considered owning one before.

“When we roll into a place like Chattanooga, or even our convention in Simsbury, Connecticut, when you get that many

“Experience it with your family, experience it with your friends, and then be able to pass that airplane along to some budding younger person and watch them do the same thing for a while.”

— Walter Congdon

Walter Congdon

Skywagons in one place, everyone notices,” Walter said. “The town folk come out, people from the airport that maybe had never thought about a Skywagon, because they rarely see them or they don’t really know anyone who owns one. … But then we embrace them and invite them all to our outdoor open gatherings.”

Brian said he looks forward to the annual conventions every year, tracing back fond memories from the first one he attended in Kalispell, Montana. From there, he was hooked.

“They had a fly-in there, and that was a super-nice one,” Brian recalled. “I don’t know how they get volunteers to do all the work to set up these annual conventions, but they do a super job and [plan] a lot of great activities, and at least if the weather cooperates, have some great fly-outs and things like that.”

Before the 2024 convention, the Toals had never flown to Sky Harbor Airport, making their journey from Illinois to northern Minnesota all the more memorable. For the nature-loving couple, it was an experience to savor.

“Just to look down and see the scenery change,” Deb said. “We come from where it’s flat and there’s lots of corn and

beans. And then you get up into the Driftless Area of Wisconsin, and you’re seeing the hills and then it gets a little higher. You get here, and you’ve got this beautiful lake. And it’s fabulous.”

Deb may not be a pilot herself, but she said the hook of the club’s people, places, and planes mantra makes her a happy passenger to be able to experience it all.

At this point, the conventions are booked out for the next two years. In 2025, the gathering will be held in Tucson, Arizona, and in 2026, it will be held in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.

“I know we have a lot of folks chomping at the bit to go to Niagara Falls, so we’re going to try to push for that,” Walter said.

Into the Future

Initially when the club was formed, you had to be an aircraft owner to join. But, Walter said, with the blossoming of social media and digital

communications, the club has become somewhat of a repository for documents and modifications.

“A few years ago, and it took a lot of bargaining at the board of directors table, but we did open up an associate membership,” Walter explained. “This is for folks who don’t own a Skywagon but are probably interested in learning about one and ultimately purchasing. It’s really been a good thing for us. We get a lot of newer people involved, and they are buying Skywagons. Because let’s face it, we have members that are timing out age-wise.”

Austin agreed that it’s important that new people are brought in on a regular basis to be able to teach them about their airplanes, much like he was taught about his.

“And that education goes beyond just the aircraft and maintenance, but also into how to fly them effectively,” Austin said. “Learn as you get hours and the tricks of the trade for going out into the backcountry or to large airports.”

The overall hope for the club is to just keep it going.

“It’s a privilege. We’re caretakers really. The best you can hope for is to have a totally enjoyable flying career with one of these aircraft. Experience it with your family, experience it with your friends, and then be able to pass that airplane along to some budding younger person and watch them do the same thing for a while,” Walter said.

Holly Chilsen, EAA 1495056, is EAA’s social media manager. She creates content for EAA’s social media channels and writes for EAA’s print and digital publications. When she’s not learning about aviation, she’s cooking up the latest delicious creation in her kitchen. Email Holly at hchilsen@eaa.org.

HIDDEN IN PLAIN VIEW down in the South 40 during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh this past summer was the embodiment of the Carders’ sentimental aviation legacy. Kent Carder II’s Cessna 180, handsomely trimmed in blue and gold, beckoned passersby to walk around it for a closer look. Its fresh-looking exterior and interior were, remarkably, more than 25 years old. Kent hails from Lakeville, Minnesota, and Owatonna is home base for N2219C.

Before Kent was even a twinkle in his father’s eye, his father kept his eyes to the sky. “My dad had that airplane before I was born,” Kent said. “In fact, he took my mom on their first date in that airplane around 1972. So maybe I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for the 180! They got married in 1974, and we lived in El Reno.”

Priscilla Carder has fond memories of that first date. “He took me flying in the 180 up to Whitehorn Cove Marina [in Wagoner, Oklahoma],” she said. “We landed on the grass strip there and ate at their floating dock restaurant. It was a fun time!”

Named after his father, Kent has ably followed in his footsteps. Fortunately, his father enjoyed sharing aviation with him at an early age. “We lived out in the country, and as a little kid I would look up and find those airplanes moving across the sky. Mom and Dad told me that my first word was ‘airplane,’” Kent reminisced. “When I was a kid, Dad let me hang on to the yoke and fly around, and he’d take care of the rudders. We spent a lot of weekends flying together. My dad was airplane goofy, kind of like I am, and there was a period of time when he had a Pitts, an Aeronca Champ, a 170, a 150, and the 180. So we’d go fly one of them, but oftentimes we flew the 180. Sometimes we’d fly it to Idaho and go fishing.”

About the Breed

Nearly 6,200 Cessna 180s were manufactured from 1953 through 1981. The four-place 180 was a versatile airplane that offered remarkable performance, power, and payload. It was certified on wheels, skis, and floats, and acquired the moniker “Skywagon.” The 180 offered good visibility and easily handled the roles of air ambulance, photography platform, crop sprayer, and more.

It’s an honest airplane. It does everything you ask it to do, and it really doesn’t have problems doing it. — Kent Carder

powerful 225 H.P. engine has you off the water in

PHOTOGRAPHY

PHOTOGRAPHY

The touching tribute to “Doc” on the instrument panel.

Logbook showing the Wichita test flight.

(left to right) Kent with his father by the 180.

Standard equipment of the day included dual hydraulic toe brakes, constant-speed propeller, shock-mounted instrument panel, adjustable instrument panel lights, cigarette lighter, individual ashtrays, cabin heater and air vents, suit hanger in cabin, map compartment, and cabin radio speaker.

Another brochure described the 180’s “rugged, tough landing gear. This is what makes Skywagons unique — a landing gear system which allows operation almost anywhere. … The Skywagon Land-O-Matic gear is virtually indestructible; it softens landings on rough fields by absorbing most of the bumps within the gear itself.”

The six-place Cessna 185 was manufactured from 1961 into 1985. It had a larger dorsal fin, strengthened fuselage, and two additional windows. Nearly 4,500 185s were built. They were powered by a 260-hp Continental IO-470F until mid-1966, when Cessna changed the powerplant to a 300-hp Continental IO-520D.

Chain of Owners

N2219C rolled off the production line on September 16, 1953. It was test-flown the next day, and soon winged its way from Wichita to its new owner in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

In the mid-to-late 1950s, the 180 was based at Bedford airport, Pennsylvania. Then it landed in a new owner’s hands in Maryland. The aircraft records reveal that in late summer 1961, extensive repairs were made to the right wing and landing gear, as well as the vertical stabilizer. Additionally, a new left wing structure, new windshield, and new rudder were installed.

As the 180 journeyed from owner to owner, many avionics upgrades were made. The airplane returned to Pennsylvania for a

1953 CESSNA 180 SPECIFICATIONS

ENGINE: 225-hp Continental O-470A

LENGTH: 26 feet

HEIGHT: 7 feet, 6 inches

WINGSPAN: 36 feet

WEIGHT EMPTY: 1,460 pounds

GROSS WEIGHT: 2,550 pounds

LUGGAGE COMPARTMENT: 120 pounds

SEATS: 4

NEVER-EXCEED SPEED: 184 mph

CRUISING SPEED: 160 mph

NORMAL OPERATION RANGE: 64-100 mph

LANDING SPEED (40 DEGREES OF FLAPS): 63.5 mph @ 1,950 pounds, 70 mph @ 2,550 pounds

MAX FLAPS EXTENDED SPEED: 100 mph

FLAP OPERATING RANGE: 55-100 mph

MANEUVERING SPEED: 122 mph

RATE OF CLIMB (SEA LEVEL): 1,150 fpm

SERVICE CEILING: 19,800 feet

FUEL CAPACITY: 60 gallons

CRUISING RANGE: more than 4-1/2 hours

SERVICE CEILING: 19,800 feet

FUEL CAPACITY: 60 gallons

CRUISING RANGE: more than 4-1/2 hours

DERIVED FROM CESSNA BROCHURE AND MANUAL.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY SPARKY BARNES

N2219C on the flightline at Lake Elmo, Minnesota.

number of years, and was also in Ohio and Utah. In 1966, Jim Spitznogle of Salt Lake City owned it, and reportedly enjoyed its short, off-airport capabilities by flying it to the backcountry in Wyoming, where he would land in a field close to his favorite fishing spot on the Green River.

Then in early 1970 at Panama City, Florida, N2219C suffered substantial damage as the result of a hard landing and collapsed gear. The probable causes were cited as the pilot’s poor judgment and unfavorable wind conditions (a right crosswind of 18 gusting to 28 knots).

Later that year, Floyd Biggs of Oklahoma bought the 180. “Biggs rebuilt airplanes that had been damaged and sold them, and that’s where my dad came up with this airplane,” Kent said. “The repairs are there in the logbooks, and things like that just happen. It’s hard to find a 180 that hasn’t been damaged — if you do, it hasn’t been flown!”

Kent Carder (senior) was a member of a group who called themselves “The Dawn Patrol.” Together, the four men purchased the 180 from Floyd Biggs in December 1970. Then a couple from Geary, Oklahoma, bought it in May 1981. In September 1983, the 180 was back in the hands of Kent Carder. As the years literally flew by, N2219C evolved into a treasured member of the Carder family.

Flying Lessons

Kent was in high school when he started taking formal flying lessons to earn his private. “My dad had taught me to fly in the 180 — not everything I needed to know, but how to control the airplane and do takeoffs and landings. I don’t think my dad was ready to turn loose his reins on the 180 for me to go learn in it, so I sought out an instructor and flew a Cessna 152 and 172 to get my license,” Kent said.

Kent moved from El Reno up to Tulsa, and around the time he was finishing his instrument rating, he decided to get his tailwheel endorsement. His instructor was familiar with tailwheel aircraft, and Kent was quite familiar with his dad’s 180. When Kent asked his dad if they could use the airplane, his dad agreed to fly it up to Jones Airport to meet them. That day, Kent had his tailwheel endorsement signed off in his logbook.

“After that, my dad let me fly the 180 now and then, but it was always one of his prized possessions. I think he’d have traded one of us kids off before he’d trade the airplane,” Kent said and laughed. “In his last couple of years when his health was declining, he had a difficult time climbing up into it. I was the only one who flew it then.”

Tornado Toll

Not surprisingly, when the 180 was damaged in 2006, the Carders diligently invested their resources to bring it back to airworthiness. Priscilla vividly recalled that anguishing day in late April when twin tornadoes barreled across the El Reno airport.

“The storm pulled it out of the hangar onto the tarmac, and then the doors collapsed inside the hangar, right where the 180 had been sitting.

It took around 10 months to find all the parts we needed to have it repaired. We hunted for parts in Minnesota and Canada, and my son, Kent, found a replacement tail, elevator, and spinner,” Priscilla recounted. “I looked for a top cowling for six months and finally called Cessna in Wichita. They still had a mold and could make one, but it would cost $10,000. Then I called Skywagon City in Canada and bought one from them. The right wing was repaired by Associated Aero Service at Wiley Post airport.”

Sentimental Cessna

Kent is a third-generation chiropractor. His father was affectionately known as “Doc” and was an award-winning chiropractor in El Reno for more than 60 years. Sadly, he died on Valentine’s Day 2022. It was the end of one flying family era, but the beginning of another. By September the following year, Kent and his wife, Laura, made the decision to buy the 180 from his mother.

“I used to own a Citabria and a Decathlon, but I have a lot of sentimental attachment to the 180. Laura knew that it was something that was super important to me. My siblings flew with Dad, but they never had the same desire to fly that I did,” Kent shared.

An Honest Airplane

N2219C is pretty much a stock airplane, in that it has few of the common modifications — such as wingtips or speed mods or vortex generators and STOL kits — that many 180s have, with the exception of Cleveland wheels and brakes. While the 1998 paint scheme and 1999

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CONNOR MADISON

I still think of it as my dad’s airplane too. … He would be over the moon with what it does and how it looks, and the amount of attention the 180 has gotten.

— Kent Carder

plush interior aren’t original, the airframe is similar to how it would have appeared fresh from the Cessna factory.

Asked what he likes about the 180, Kent explained, “It’s an honest airplane. It does everything you ask it to do, and it really doesn’t have problems doing it. It has a good useful load, it’s reasonably fast, and it will take off and land short. It’s an all-around good airplane, probably more so than anything else I’ve ever flown. You can get the same sort of performance from a lot of airplanes, but there’s always some compromise — it either won’t quite carry the load or go as fast. The 180 is a pretty perfect mix of all that. It’s weird that it’s a similar airframe to a 182, because a 182 doesn’t do the same thing.”

When it comes to landings, Kent doesn’t really have a preference as to whether he wheel-lands or three-points — unless there’s a strong crosswind. “My preference in a crosswind is to land three-point, because I can just get the airplane slower and there’s not that transition time when the tail quits flying and drops down. With a three-point landing, you can start steering it as soon as you touch

down,” Kent explained. “I always try to make my approach as stabilized as possible, but sometimes you just have to do whichever type of landing is best at a given moment.”

Powerplant and Prop

Remarkably, N2219C still has its original serial-numbered engine. Kent even has all the original logbooks for both engine and airframe. The 225-hp Continental O-470A may not be the most sought-after engine, but Kent doesn’t have any complaints about it.

“A lot of people say that the O-470A is not a good motor, but this one has run flawlessly since 1953. My dad had it overhauled in the late 1990s, and I think it’s a great engine,” Kent said. “It likes to be run hard. I think sometimes people baby

them a little bit, and when you do that, sometimes you get problems with cylinders and valves.”

This 180 still has a Hartzell prop on it, and the prop hub and blades have a complex airworthiness directive (Hartzell Propeller Inc. 97-18-02 R1). Complying with the AD is costly, so Kent is considering the possibility of buying a different propeller.

Maintenance

Speaking of ADs, the 180 has its share of them. For example, from an airframe perspective, the tail can be problematic. There’s an AD (Textron Aviation Inc. 2020-21-22) about what is commonly referred to as the “hockey stick,” which basically is a brace that strengthens the tail. The AD was issued to “detect and correct corrosion and cracks in the tail cone and horizontal stabilizer attachment structure.”

“My airplane has never had a problem with the ‘hockey stick,’ and it’s been inspected twice since that AD came out,” Kent said. “The 180 has a flying tail (instead of a trim tab), so there are also a lot of moving

parts that need to be maintained — such as the pair of jack screws and all the little bushings. You really need a mechanic who’s familiar with the 180/185s to do the required maintenance.”

Another example is the Cessna seat rails and rollers, which also require inspection per AD (Cessna Aircraft Company 2011-10-09). “When I sit down in the pilot’s seat, I kind of go through the ritual of locking the pin and scooting back and forth several times to make sure the seat is locked,” Kent said. “Shortly after I bought the airplane, I inquired with my mechanic about the inertia reel installation (a safety stop to prevent the seat from suddenly sliding aft) to see if it was still available. I encouraged him to check with Cessna, because I’d heard you could still get the parts for free. They were still available at that time, so I had that put in on the pilot seat. There’s enough that can go wrong on an airplane, and a seat track excursion on takeoff is not one of the things you want to happen. I just try to minimize surprises.”

Kent also had a third lap belt restraint installed in the center of the aft bench seat, and a three-point torso restraint system installed for each front seat.

New Avionics

When Kent decided to upgrade the 180’s panel, he knew just where he wanted the work done — SteinAir in Faribault, Minnesota. He was quite pleased with the end product. The center

of the panel also includes a touching tribute to his father — the name “Doc,” styled in his father’s handwriting, with a halo hovering above it.

The new instrument panel includes a new audio panel and GMA 345 comm radios; a Garmin GI 275 electronic flight instrument as the primary attitude direction indicator (ADI); a second GI 275 as the horizontal situation indicator/standby ADI with a GMU 11 magnetometer and GTP 59 outside air temperature probe; and a third GI 275 as an engine information system with a GEA 24 engine adapter. A Garmin six-cylinder sensor kit — including CHT/EGT, gravity-fed fuel flow, oil pressure and temp, and manifold pressure — was installed. Additionally, a Garmin GFC 500 autopilot system and two GSA 28 servos (pitch and roll) were installed, along with a Garmin GNX 375 GPS/ADS-B In/Out transponder.

“The new panel brought it to the 21st century and made it a lot easier to fly. It’s really the first time I’ve had an airplane with autopilot,” Kent

PHOTOGRAPHY BY SPARKY BARNES

Trip Carder with his father, Kent, during an EAA pancake breakfast at Lake Elmo, Minnesota.

The plush interior that Kent’s father had installed.

said and smiled. “That’s a fantastic setup. I can fly IFR, and the autopilot will do altitude and heading preselect, and vertical descent and climb. It has full control, and it’s kind of like having an airliner!”

Paying It Forward

Just as his father did, Kent enjoys sharing his love of flying with his children. Madeline, 13, is just starting to experience general aviation. It was Madeline’s first time at AirVenture and her first time camping.

“I like it. It’s really cool to see how many airplanes are at AirVenture,” she said. “The first time I went for a flight in the 180 was with ‘Papa’ [Grandpa] flying. When my dad and I flew in to Oshkosh, I was helping look out for traffic, and I do want to fly myself. The T-shirt I’m wearing has a 180 on it (N1538C) that Jerrie Mock flew around the world. Her 180 was the same year airplane as ours.”

It was surprising that Madeline knew about Jerrie Mock. In today’s world, there are more than a few pilots who haven’t heard of her. For those unfamiliar, Jerrie Mock became the first woman to fly solo around the world. She flew a modified 1953 Cessna 180, christened Spirit of Columbus. With 178 gallons of fuel on board, the 180 had a range of 2,400 nm. Navigation equipment

included a new compass, twin radio direction finders, dual short-range radios, and one long-range radio system with a trailing antenna. An autopilot system was also installed. After flying more than 23,000 miles in approximately 29 and a half days, she completed her eastbound, record-setting flight on April 17, 1964.

‘PAPA’S AIRPLANE’

Madeline’s 6-year-old brother, Trip; 3-year-old brother, Ben; and mother, Laura, also enjoy taking their turns flying with Kent.

“Madeline will probably be taking some glider lessons next year, and she’s looking forward to that. I’m just hoping that one of our kids will become the caretaker of this 180 when I’m gone! Time will tell. I’d like Madeline to do whatever makes her heart happy,” Kent shared, “but she did like going to Oshkosh and going to local pancake fly-ins. She also likes talking to people about the airplane.”

Kent’s children refer to the 180 as “Papa’s airplane.” Kent laughed and explained, “They always called my dad ‘Papa’ instead of grandpa, so I guess it’s not my airplane! But I still think of it as my dad’s airplane, too. He would never have spent the money that I spent on the avionics … but he would be over the moon with what it does and how it looks, and the amount of attention the 180 has gotten. I’ll do the best I can to keep good care of the 180 and keep it going.”

N2219C certainly carries the mantle of the Carder family’s sentimental aviation legacy in fine flying fashion. It received the AirVenture 2024 Outstanding Cessna 180 (Classic, September 1945-1955) award. No doubt, “Doc” would be proud — not only of his 180, but of his son and grandchildren as well.

Upgrade to Reliability

PHOTOGRAPHY

(left to right) Kent, Trip, Madeline, and Laura, holding Ben.

The Need for Speed

Daren Bannon’s Cessna 180, Wheat Rocket

BY HOLLY CHILSEN

AIRPLANES HAVE A WAY of sparking curiosity. Whether it’s the bold paint job, unique modifications, or the undeniable charm of a vintage model, there’s always something to talk about. For me, it’s the stories behind their names that I’ve always found fascinating. So when I spotted a Cessna 180 at the International 180/185 Club’s annual gathering with the name Wheat Rocket adorned on its side, I couldn’t help but be intrigued. The name alone promised speed, character, and a story worth uncovering.

A PIECE OF HISTORY

Daren Bannon, EAA 644392, of Douglass, Kansas, is the proud owner of N3100C. Not only does this airplane called

Wheat Rocket have a story that makes it part of an elite group of souped-up 180s (we’ll get to that later), but it has a storied past, which makes it extra special.

“This is a 1954 Cessna 180 that was actually originally called a Businessliner,” Daren explained. “This particular airplane was kept by Cessna, and they prototyped it to a 1955. It is featured in all of the ’55 flight manuals and all the brochures in 1955, which makes it unique.”

Sure enough, there is N3100C, photographed in black and white inside the pages of the 1955 Cessna 180 brochure, advertising the latest model that was “NEW in quietness, NEW in styling, NEW in comfort, [and] NEW in several important engineering details.” Daren said some of the upgrades Cessna made between the 1954 and 1955 models included moving the landing gear forward 3 inches for easier and safer landings and adding a baggage door. Other improvements to this particular model included lower

power settings on the O-470-J engine for a quieter, smoother flight; a thicker windshield and extra fiberglass in the cabin for soundproofing; fresh-air inlets were moved farther out on the leading edge of the wing to lessen noise; and new squared seat backs for extra comfort.

The historical significance is not lost on Daren. He credits the previous owner for preserving documents and photos linking the airplane to its early days.

“It’s a neat thing to have,” he said. “And it’s just an appreciation for the history.”

FINDING THE PERFECT MATCH

Daren said he was drawn to the 180 by its performance, speed, and aesthetic appeal, and just knew that was the airplane he wanted to find for himself. Plus, he’s always been a tailwheel guy.

“I’ve been flying tailwheels since 2001, and so I haven’t even been in a trike since I got my training. It’s just natural for me.”

In 2009, he came across N3100C, which was for sale by a gentleman who lived in Redondo Beach, California. For Daren, it was love at first sight.

“Just the eye appeal of it, it attracted me,” he recalled. “I contacted the guy, and we got

together. He actually delivered the airplane to me in Kansas, and I took possession. It was a completely stock airplane when I got it. The dash was stock; it had a stock O-470-J engine in it.”

Sometime after Daren had purchased his 180, he went to his first 180/185 fly-in, where he was introduced to a group of people who had done a variety of modifications to their airplanes.

Daren and his wife, Mary.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CONNOR MADISON

“And everybody says, ‘Well, this person is going to get that J engine,’ and all this. And I kind of smiled because I thought, ‘Oh, this thing’s fast enough; it’s good enough.’”

It wasn’t until Nick Mardis, another Kansan who flies N1655C and a fellow club member, gave Daren a ride in his highly modified 1953 C-180 that Daren got a true appreciation for the potential behind his own airplane.

The takeoffs with the big engine, it just leaps off the ground. It’s just amazing how fast it gets up. — Daren Bannon

with how fast it up.

“All would not be right in the world without mentioning Nick Mardis, the true master of the Wheat Rocket — a guy in Wichita that I’ve done business with and got to be good friends with,” Daren said. “And rode in his airplane and I was like, ‘Wow, this is impressive.’ Not just [that it went] fast. It was the climb. The climb-out

was just crazy. I was kind of one of those lazy pilots that didn’t want to fly very high because it took a while to get there. And so whenever you’re climbing out at 2,000 feet a minute, it just made an amazing airplane out of it. And so that’s kind of how the journey began. I was just a beneficiary of his hard work and friendship.”

After roughly five years of keeping his Cessna in stock shape, Daren began the process of transforming his airplane into one that could perform at that same incredible level. It started with the engine.

“In [Nick’s] airplane, he had a 520 and put a 550 in. And so I purchased his 520 and put [it] in

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CONNOR MADISON

Wheat Rocket’s tail wheel pant gets plenty of looks.

my airplane. And so that began the excitement. It was like, ‘Wow, this is a whole different, whole new airplane.’ And this was before I’d done any of the speed mods,” Daren said. “And then, as chance would have it, another friend of mine had a 550. And so I bit the bullet and I purchased his 550, and bought the STC, and put the 550 in it, which made it even a little bit better.”

ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE

With a cruising speed of 168 knots, the Wheat Rocket is as fast as it is beautiful.

“We’re all running IO-550s, which is the most horsepower that we can legally put in our airplane,” he said. “The takeoffs with the big engine, it just leaps off the ground. It’s just amazing how fast it gets up.”

But Wheat Rocket isn’t just defined by a bigger engine. It has an origin story that goes beyond that. The modifications Daren was

introduced to by members within the 180/185 community were born from a friendly rivalry.

“In this group, before I got involved, these guys like to have fun and a lot of fun with their airplanes, and so they got to where they were racing,” Daren said. “And so that led to, ‘How fast can we get it to go and do it safely?’ And so the competition began. And Nick Mardis — hands-down a legend in the club — got together with some guys, and they started working on cleaning the airplane up from the gear fairings to the fairings that are on the wheelpants.”

Daren said that Nick also had access to a wind tunnel in Wichita, which was used to help in the modifications process. Both the gear fairings and the wheelpants are also longer to enhance its aerodynamic profile.

“And then just some really weird, simple stuff, like the way that the wheelpants are lined up on the tire, and where the split is at, to make that part of it as aerodynamic as we possibly could,” he explained. “Getting that brake covered [to] where it was a very smooth transition, because the brake calipers hanging down there are horrible drag. And then just going through and just looking at all these little things that we could see that was sticking out that we could put a cup on, or cover, or make smoother, just to reduce as much drag as possible.”

Perhaps one of the biggest eye-catching modifications you’ll notice on Wheat Rocket is the tail wheel pant — not necessarily adding to an aerodynamic component, but rather just a touch of elegance.

Wheat Rocket stuck, and so he had Wheat Rocket on his airplane in honor of his mother,” Daren explained.

BECOMING WHEAT ROCKET

Daren said that for years Nick kept the technology of Wheat Rocket to himself. However, he eventually let the cat out of the bag to create a kind of exclusive sub-club. Only three airplanes hold the prestigious Wheat Rocket title, each boasting unique enhancements and a shared Kansas heritage. The third is Bo Butler.

“We all got to be good enough friends, and we all lived in Kansas. All of us are within 30 miles of each other,” Daren said. “We’re the Wheat State. And so I think that was a big part of it. Nick was nice enough to give us the old forms that they had done.”

To transform his 180 into one of the elites, Daren said the upgrades and modifications

— Daren Bannon I wanted to keep [the little bit of

I wanted to keep [the panel] as original as I could. So it’s kind of a mixture between the steam gauges and a little bit of technology added in there.

“I don’t believe that the tail wheel pant does much. It was a Nick thing,” Daren explained. “It also gets people’s attention … makes it different. I didn’t want to put it on at first, but I’m glad I did! And after having it, to me, it makes the airplane just look complete. People have been drawn to [the airplane], and I think it’s just because [of] the tail wheel pant. It’s something that they haven’t seen before.”

So with all that said, we get down to the name of this souped-up machine. Why the name Wheat Rocket?

“Nick Mardis’ mother made the comment, ‘Why are you doing all this, Nick?’ And Nick said, ‘Because I want to go fast.’ And she says, ‘So you’re making a wheat rocket.’ The name

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CONNOR MADISON

happened little by little between 2015 and 2021 — all done in Bo’s shop.

“It was not an overnight thing. Throughout the years, it’s just been adding things to it — bigger engines and wheelpants and getting the airplane the way that I wanted it with the avionics,” he said. “It started off with minor jumps. I went from a 450 to a 520, and then from the 520 to the 550, which did make a huge difference. Went from carbureted to fuel-injected. I started off with a Snider speed kit, and then we worked on this one to make it better. And so Bo was the one that done the majority of the work. I was just a weekend assistant. That’s all.”

For Daren, having Nick personally place Wheat Rocket on the side of his airplane was an honor.

“Yes, christened Wheat Rocket. It was a very ceremonious sort of thing,” he said.

When all was said and done, it was time to put all those slick new modifications to the test in flight.

“It was mind-blowing. The difference was just, it was just incredible. It really was,” Daren said. “The airplane just travels through the air so much smoother. When it was stock, I was doing good to [climb] 800 feet a minute and hold that. And now, you can climb out at 2,000 feet a minute. I usually don’t because it’s just really steep, but I usually climb out at 1,200 to 1,300 feet a minute on average.”

Daren said another major difference he’s noticed is how the airplane responds on a descent, noting that the upgraded power of the engine and the slicker aerodynamics require reducing more power to the engine.

“I used to not have to pull the throttle back out to descend. We just pitched over a 500-foot/ minute descent and started a descent. Well, if you do that now, the airspeed indicator goes way up there. And so you got to pull the engine back, because it’s going to pick up speed. That was the biggest thing I noticed, which verified just how much slicker and smoother the airplane was.”

THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS

Inside the cockpit, Daren has maintained a balance between vintage aesthetics and modern functionality.

“I wanted to keep [the panel] as original as I could. So it’s kind of a mixture between the steam gauges and a little bit of technology added in there. I have a Garmin 650 nav head and the Garmin autopilot, [plus] two G5s as primary. Then I was able to get my IFR certification after I got the airplane. But I still have some analog gauges, and I do like my engine stuff being analog.”

The front seats are also original, but Daren did put in removable back seats to make getting in and out easier.

“The seat mod was crazy good, because there were so many times that we had three boys, and they didn’t always fly with us. And it was just nice to be able to take that seat out and haul stuff. I also use it for work, where I fly and get parts for equipment. So putting the seats in, and being able to pop them in and out within a few minutes, was a great addition to the airplane, made its utility so much nicer. [Plus] being able to fly several hours to pick up parts and return the same day is invaluable.”

Cosmetically, the paint scheme replicates the original, down to the colors sourced from historical photos.

“The guy previous to me is the one that had it painted. Where it’s white now, it was polished aluminum. In the features on all the brochures, it had the polished wheelpants on it. And I love the original paint scheme, so there was no need to change that. I really enjoy it.”

As Daren reflects on his journey, he remains committed to sharing the story of Wheat Rocket and the humble beginnings of his aircraft with anyone who asks. And in between those stories, he’s simply enjoying the ride.

“We have a place that’s about 200 nautical miles away on a lake. And so it’s not uncommon for me and my wife to hop in the airplane on Friday evening and fly down to the lake,” he said. “We now have kids that are scattered across the country. I got one in Kent, Ohio. I got one that’s working in Chicago. And I’m going to have one

moving down to Arizona. So we’re looking forward to using it as a traveling machine to see family.”

Holly Chilsen, EAA 1495056, is EAA’s social media manager. She creates content for EAA’s social media channels and writes for EAA’s print and digital publications. When she’s not learning about aviation, she’s cooking up the latest delicious creation in her kitchen. Email Holly at hchilsen@eaa.org.

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AS WITH MANY BELOVED airplane types, there is a devoted group of pilots and mechanics who keep the Cessna 180s and 185s flying and who understand the breed’s intricacies. They praise the aircraft’s versatile capabilities and performance, and are equally attuned to the airframe’s potentially problematic areas. Ongoing maintenance by mechanics who know the breed is a boon to keeping these aircraft flying safely.

Cessna manufactured 180s from 1953 to 1981, and 185s from 1961 to 1985. It may be splitting hairs, but, historically speaking (per a 1987 Cessna service newsletter), Cessna did not start using the moniker “Skywagon” for the 180 models until 1969. Cessna did use the moniker “Skywagon” throughout its production run of the 185 models. Today, Skywagon is commonly used to refer to either model, and a significant number are still airworthy and flying, thanks in large part to those who are passionate about them.

Skywagons

Patrick McGowan of PK Floats in Maine is one of those passionate pilot/owners. He kindly shared maintenance information about Skywagons in general, based upon his own work and personal ownership experiences.

Patrick has been flying since he was 15. He started out in Taylorcrafts, Champs, and a Piper Pacer. He bought his first Cessna 180 in 1982.

“I’ve had three 180s and four 185s. Now I have a 185 amphibian on PK floats,” Patrick said. “In my opinion, the Cessna 185 is the best airplane that was ever built for general aviation. It can be flown on skis, floats, or wheels, and it has power, performance, and versatility. The thing about the Skywagon is every one of them has a story. These planes have just had a wonderful aviation service life. We’re constantly dealing with 185s, and we do some 180s, but our business is mostly putting amphibious floats on 185s. We also have a fabrication shop and do minor repairs.”

PK Floats is well known for building tough, reliable seaplane floats. Interestingly, and perhaps a bit lesser known, they recently developed and delivered a “Super Skywagon” to a customer in Texas. In essence, they took a great airplane and made it even better. According to the 3050A company brochure, “The Super Skywagon with PK 3050A amphibious floats has a useful load of about 1,000 pounds. The aircraft will break the water in as little as 7-8 seconds. This 185 will cruise at an honest 120 knots, and with longrange fuel, a range of 650 to 700 miles can be expected.”

(Note: PK Floats’ “Super Skywagon” is not to be confused with Cessna’s early-model 206, which had the moniker “Super Skywagon.”)

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CONNOR MADISON

180/185 Replacement Parts

Drawing upon his treasure chest of knowledge about the 180/185s, Patrick shared a few words to the wise regarding the validity of replacement parts: “Most of the education on Skywagon maintenance is done with usually a heavy cost. Look over the airplane closely, because some replacement parts may not be legitimate Cessna parts. But there are companies who do make certified replacement parts, and Beegles Aircraft Service of Colorado has fabricated parts, which, just from my experience, are probably better than Cessna’s. Beegles is outstanding; they’re just a world-class institution.”

Another improvement for the 180/185s is an upgraded, heavy-duty engine mount. According to Patrick, “Seaplanes West (now a division of Acorn Welding, Canada) makes a really nice upgraded motor mount with a lot of mods that have improved it.”

“In my opinion, the Cessna 185 is the best airplane that was ever built for general aviation. It can be flown on skis, floats, or wheels, and it has power, performance, and versatility.”

— Patrick McGowan

Additionally, a significant improvement for the main landing gear is available from P.Ponk Aviation of

Washington. Its STC’d landing gear beef-up kit strengthens the gearbox, which lessens the possibility of a landing gear failure during a ground loop.

Telltale Clues for Wear and Tear

Telltale clues that can reveal potential problems are wrinkles on the firewall and dimpled sheet metal adjacent to the rivets on the belly skins. These can indicate the airplane has been flown over gross weight and/or experienced hard landings.

Other clues include stress cracks in the wing skins. “You’ll see that on an airframe that’s been used hard as a floatplane doing remote deliveries. A lot of these airplanes have 10,000-15,000 hours on them,” Patrick said.

Yet another clue about the airframe’s airworthiness is a component that is particularly vulnerable to wear, but it’s hidden from immediate view. “There’s a critical airworthiness directive to remove the horizontal and vertical stabilizers and inspect the ‘hockey stick’ inside the tail. Basically, that piece gives the aircraft tail strength, and many of those were cracked. They need to be drilled out and totally replaced. Also, the tail stinger can take a beating when they’re pounded onto the pavement during landings. You can check for that by blocking the tail up and grabbing hold of the stinger to see if it has a lot of movement.”

Additionally, the Cessna seat rails should be checked for excessive wear. Easily installed seat stops are available to prevent the pilot’s seat from sliding aft on takeoff and climb-out.

Corrosion and Rust

It’s important to learn where an airplane has spent most of its life and to read through the logbooks to help determine the environmental and maintenance factors that may have facilitated (or prevented) corrosion and/or rust.

“I went to look at an amphibious floatplane at Marathon Key. Because of where it was based, every night that salt air came into the hangar, and the heating and cooling inside the hangar produced condensation, which caused a lot of corrosion in the airframe. Conversely, when you look at a dry country 180/185 that might have been used in Idaho or Arizona, it can be just as

pristine as when it came out of the factory,” Patrick said. “With that said, it comes down to a matter of maintenance. Can you prevent corrosion continually? You bet you can! Do people do it? Nope. But there are some real beauties out there — for example, there was a sole proprietor in Hawaii, and his 3500 PK floats were just like new after 25 years of commercial operation there. He had a scrubbing-rinsing-cleaning protocol that he did every day. That airplane came out of the water every day and was scrubbed down religiously. Those floats were pristine.”

Pilot Transition

Those who may be new to flying the 180/185 would be well advised to seek thorough transition training. Patrick made the transition from his Piper Pacer, which he described as “a tricky little tailwheel due to its short coupling. The 180 is a different beast, and it’s worth it to spend the money to have a good 180/185 tailwheel instructor go with you. Don’t just get ‘checked out’ in it — get some really good competency doing all sorts of landings, including three-point, wheel,

short-field, and emergency landings. The 180/185s have a pretty good glide ratio, but they still have a lot of weight up front with the Continental 470 or 520, and they can react very differently with no power. Take 20 hours of dual with a really good instructor that makes you work.”

Recalling his own transition from a 180 to a 185, Patrick shared, “That was quite a difference, because the early 180 had a 225-hp O-470, and the later 185s had a 300-hp 520. When it’s firewalled, it’s a whole different animal. On takeoff, you can find yourself headed for the side of the runway pretty fast. That increase in horsepower can be a challenge.”

Camaraderie and Technical Support

Type clubs can offer opportunities not only for social gatherings, but also for education and technical support for flying and maintaining their airplane of choice. There are several Cessna-oriented organizations, including the International 180/185 Club, the Cessna Pilots Association, and the Cessna Owner Organization.

“The 180/185 Club knows that a lot of these owners are first-time buyers, and they really get into the mentoring and advocacy — not so much for the pilot, but to keep that airplane going, because they’re not making any more,” Patrick

“As versatile and popular as this venerable aircraft is, it still requires good maintenance to keep it in a condition for safe operation.” — Keith Strange

shared. “The best Skywagon guy in the country is Keith Strange. He worked for PK for years and just recently retired as production manager. He’s spent a lifetime with these airplanes, and he knows more than anybody that I’ve ever run into. And he’s still maintaining 26 Skywagons.”

An A&P mechanic since 1987, Keith Strange of Lincoln, Maine, has spent most of his career working on single-engine Cessnas and Pipers. Notably, Keith was the 2017 recipient of

the Gadabout Gaddis Cup Award for his ardent support of aviation in Maine and the New England region.

“The popularity of the 180/185 in Maine is largely due to its usefulness as a seaplane, and most of the aircraft I maintain are equipped with floats,” Keith said.

Keith generously shared his list of a number of Cessna 180/185 maintenance items he finds on a repetitive basis when doing a first-time annual or prepurchase inspection. Many items on Keith’s list are addressed with ADs, service bulletins, etc. He emphasized that when a mechanic is working on an unfamiliar aircraft, “a prudent A&P should always research the records for historical compliance.”

Following is Keith Strange’s thoughtfully detailed list, in his own words:

“Let’s start at the propeller and work aft.

1. Propeller: Check for model applicability with current engine installed and STC documentation if required. Some changes may include a different engine mount, rpm limitations, and additional placards.

2. Spinner and back plate: These are notorious for cracks. Field repairs are generally not approved (patches or welding). Company in Georgia (ASEI) can repair most for about half the cost of new.

3. Engine cowl: Early models had cracking issues behind propeller and forward corners. Check cowl flap hinges for wear (due to prop wash), all-access door latches, and hinges as well.

4. Exhaust systems: Cracks, burned-out baffle cones, broken cylinder studs, collectors to muffler clamps — should be no movement fore and aft when grasping exhaust outlet stack. Check for shroud cracks and movement left or right — can slide into engine mount.

5. Engine mount: Cracks in the welds around Lord mount pads and corrosion under heat shields is common. Obvious welds and repairs should be documented in records. Deformed and cracked isolator mounts should be replaced.

6. Carburetor air boxes: (180 models) Notorious for cracks on top plate and around mounting flange. Strongly recommend bracket kit from Dynamic Propeller LLC to help stabilize after repairs. Also check heat butterfly shaft bearings, travel and condition of baffle material.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CONNOR MADISON AND CHRISTINA BASKEN

7. Throttle/mixture cable housing bracket: (185 only) On the rear of engine is the bracket that supports the housing of the cables after they come through the firewall. Check for wear in the cable support clamps.

8. Alternator support bracket: Check for movement between the alternator and support. Early models have rubber inserts; later models have a large casting with one sliding plug in the forward support, which will tighten with pivot bolt.

9. Finger screen: In bottom of fuel controller (185), cut safety wire and remove with 7/8-inch crow’s foot. Check each annual/100-hour inspection for contamination.

10. Linkage: Fuel controller to throttle butterfly arm. Check for wear on both pivot ends.

11. Hose clamp: Forward crossover tube center clamp, if not positioned properly, will wear hole through top of induction tunnel.

12. Muffler shroud: Hitting induction tunnel. Caused by worn forward engine Lord mounts, bent engine mount, or wrong collectors. They come long and short.

13. Scat hose: Cold air inlet hose under oil cooler hitting terminals on right landing light caused by improper lengths and/or securing clamp (cowl landing light models only).

14. Rudder pedals: Check brake cylinder actuating arms at attach point. Aluminum arms wear holes elongated and eventually break.

15. Landing gear boxes: Remove outside fairing and inside covers. Check for wear, corrosion, and cracks both inside and out. Lower angle brace inside tends to crack along rivet lines. Outside gear shims should not be bottomed out; ensure approximately 1/8inch clearance between shim and box housing. Add shims as removed.

16. Main gear axles: Check tires’ wear patterns. May need to go through alignment procedure in maintenance manual. Ensure axle bolts are NAS type with correct nuts and washers (reference parts manual).

17. Brake caliper back plates: Clean and check for cracks where caliper pins slide. Keep lubricated.

18. Trim wheel: All models through the late 1970s used stainless shaft with small split pins to drive chain sprocket. Move trim wheel forward and back — should be no movement between wheel and sprocket. Pins can be replaced, but late-model trim wheel with riveted sprocket is best. Difficult to fly aircraft without operational trim.

19. Ailerons: Check all hinges, but in particular center hinge for pin wear and play in ball ends. (Even new may have a little play, so use judgment.)

20. Flap tracks: Aircraft with high float times tend to wear the lower track at the 20 degrees setting roller spot. Difficult to detect (other than visual) unless aircraft is flown. Flap lever will jerk abruptly when going from 20 to 10 degrees during climb-out. Usually the inboard track is worse due to prop blast during power-up with flaps extended.

21 Fuel tanks and caps: Confirm ADs have been complied with.

22 Fuel tank placards: Confirm they are correct. These aircraft had different tanks and capacities over the years. Check type certificate for model and serial number applicability.

23. Top wing skins: Outboard of lift strut, high-time aircraft develop spider cracks around rib and stringer intersections. The Cessna maintenance manual gives a procedure to make repairs in this area.

24 Battery: Unless modified by STC, the battery on all models is located in the aft baggage area. Early models used an aluminum box, with later being plastic. Check hinges and battery cable openings. Movement between the top and lower halves can cause a short. A battery grounding out at this location is not protected by the master switch. Ensure ground cable has clean connection on airframe.

25. Bulkhead Station 108: The lower part of this bulkhead is at the aft end of the cockpit floor pan. It supports the elevator and rudder cable pulleys. There is an opening in the floor skin just forward of this location, which can allow dirt and sand to collect on the pulleys, causing cables to prematurely wear. Tape can be used to seal the opening but keep pulleys clean. They are self-lubricating phenolic pulleys. Excessive lubrication collects dirt.

26 AD2020-21-22: Area of concern is the horizontal stabilizer attachment structure and trim pivot hinges. SEL-55-01 does a good job describing the procedure to do the inspection. Removal of the stabilizer is not required, but a thorough inspection should be performed. If the horizontal is removed for another reason, recommend performing the inspection again as area is more accessible. If discrepancies are noted, kits are available to do a localized repair in lieu of replacing the full length reinforcement angle. If the horizontal is removed, take the time to inspect, clean, and lubricate the trim jack screws. The bottom shaft bearings get rusty, causing the trim to operate hard or even lock up. McFarlane Aviation has a complete stainless steel replacement kit for all models if defects or age warrant it.

27. Elevator torque tubes: The elevators use a torque tube and flange to join with the center bellcrank. Over time or with possible damage, the flange rivets can become loose and work. Simply by grabbing each elevator inboard, lift up on one and down on the other. No movement in the rivets should be detected. Replacement of rivets and/or flanges requires removal of the elevators.

28. Tail wheel and spring: No other area of this aircraft gets more abuse than the tail wheel, tail spring, and support parts. Even normal wear and tear warrants inspection practices to be complete in order to reveal any hidden problems. The aircraft should be jacked to lift tail wheel clear. Check the tail wheel housing to spring attachment by attempting to rotate the wheel on the spring. If movement is noted, check the attachment bolts for wear, and replace as removed. The bolt holes in the housing and spring may also be beyond tolerance. In addition, lift the spring up and down and side to side. If movement is noted, remove the saddle support shaft and check for corrosion on shaft and condition of the support rubber inserts. Removal of the spring also permits inspection of the forward support for bushing wear and corrosion. The forward bulkhead support is welded 4130 steel and is riveted to an

aluminum bulkhead, which tends to be a recipe for dissimilar metal corrosion, particularly on floatplanes due to drain holes only being effective when aircraft is on wheels. Check the saddle bolts for wear, and inspect the spring tube for cracks caused by filling with water (on floats) and then freezing.”

ADs and Service Bulletins

Lastly, though it may seem obvious, it’s still worth mentioning: Visit the FAA website or use an aviation vendor’s software program to research airworthiness directives for airframe, engine, propeller, and accessories. Check the serial numbers for applicability to the particular aircraft in question. The manufacturer’s current service manuals, service letters, and bulletins also provide guidance and knowledge for ongoing maintenance.

“As versatile and popular as this venerable aircraft is, it still requires good maintenance to keep it in a condition for safe operation,” Keith said. “And yes, even the often-cursed internet can provide a wealth of knowledge when it comes to maintaining this great aircraft.”

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Aging Aircraft Issues

PART 2

BY ROBERT G. LOCK

IN THIS CONTINUATION OF the January/February article, we will discuss some more of the problems facing aging aircraft. Notice I said some of the problems. Trying to list everything would take more space than is available, so I will cover what I believe are some of the most important issues, keeping in mind that some of the airplanes we are dealing with were manufactured 70 or more years ago when aircraft design and construction were in their infancy.

Now let’s look briefly at wood structure. Rot: Discoloration in the wood is a key indication of wood rot. Dry rot will turn the wood a light tan to a light gray color. Dry rot is really a fungus growth that removes the moisture and causes the wood to lose its strength and turn soft, like balsa wood. Most nails used in wood construction today are brass-coated steel wire. If the brass coating is removed by sanding, the steel wire will rust, and the rust will discolor the wood dark gray to black. This discoloration will be around the nails.

Loose glue joints: This is common, especially in old structures. Casein glue was primarily used in the old days. The glue rots and fails. Newer adhesives, particularly the epoxy adhesives, are much better and withstand the elements and aging very well.

Shakes, checks, and longitudinal splits: Shakes and checks are likely found on spar ends at the attach fittings. They are caused by moisture entering the wood grain, causing the wood to swell and crack. Shakes are cracks along the annual rings, and checks are cracks across the annual rings. Longitudinal cracks are generally cracks along the annual rings that may extend several rib bays. They are most likely found at strut fittings where moisture can enter the wing.

Compression failure: This is a big deal now on aerobatic airplanes with wood wings. The failures are normally located on the outboard edge of the wing strut/wire attachment point. Most wings have plywood doublers glued to the spars. The failure will be along the outboard edge of the doubler. The failure can also be found along the top of the spar, usually outboard of the strut point. Compression failures are characterized by a “jagged” line across woodgrain. The grain actually fails with the application of very heavy

bending load upward. This area is hard to see because, unless one installs inspection openings, there are no inspection openings on the top of a wing surface.

Delamination in laminated structure: Glue failure along the bond line causes delamination. The wood used in a laminated structure should have close to the same moisture content. Widely varying moisture content will stress along the bond line, and these stresses will cause wood to delaminate.

Now let’s move to a quick discussion of common problems with fabric covering.

Wrinkles in fabric: Wrinkles may very well indicate structural problems underneath. Make a thorough investigation of the structure using a flashlight and mirror. Don’t be tempted to just heat-tighten the fabric! You might have to open some inspection holes or even cut the fabric open to completely inspect the problem area.

Lack of ultraviolet protective coating: Silver or gray coatings are required on all fabric (grade A and Dacron) to exclude the ultraviolet (UV) rays of the sun. Not enough UV protection will allow the fabric to deteriorate at a very rapid pace. Shine a bright light from inside of the fabric and check if the light penetrates to the outside surface. If it does, then more UV protection material should be sprayed on the surface. It’s really best to make this check before painting the topcoat on fabric surfaces. Usually, if the manufacturer’s instructions for covering are followed and spray-gun technique is good, enough material will be sprayed. However, if spray-gun techniques are poor, there could very well be insufficient material to block the sun’s rays.

Aging fabric: AC 43.13-1B states that aircraft fabric can deteriorate to 56 pounds per inch pull strength. Originally this was 70 percent of new strength for grade A cotton fabric (80 pounds per inch new x .70 = 56 pounds). The 56 pounds per inch is for aircraft with wing loading in excess of 9 pounds per square foot and Vne (velocity never exceed) of 160 mph or greater. This requirement is for any fabric-covered aircraft, no matter what type of fabric was used to cover the surfaces. Aircraft originally designed with a

The expertise in keeping our aging fleet airworthy no longer resides in the FAA— it resides in the type clubs.

wing loading of less than 9 pounds per square foot and a Vne of less than 160 mph could be covered with intermediate grade A fabric that had a tensile strength of 65 pounds per inch. In this case, the minimum tensile strength is 70 percent of 65 pounds, or 46 pounds per inch.

Cracking and peeling of finish and/or filler material: If filler material cracks or peels and you can see the fabric weave, sunlight will destroy the material. It’s really best to re-cover the surface. Anything less is purely cosmetic and may not last very long.

Inspection and testing of fabric to determine airworthiness: If this is necessary, the most accurate method is a pull test done under controlled conditions in a laboratory. However, this leaves a rather large opening in the fabric surface that must be repaired. Owners don’t like fabric repairs, so you may be able to field test using a Maule Fabric Tester. This test will give approximate strength of the fabric. However, let me point out that the old Seyboth tool was calibrated only for grade A fabric with about eight coats of dope. The more filler material used, the more error there is in determining the actual fabric strength. If you’re in doubt, have it pull tested by a laboratory for precise strength measurements.

Finally, let me address a problem that is difficult to detect — control cable fraying. Recently I have found two cable problems in aircraft I maintain. First, let me give a short description of the problem. Control cable fraying can

The Vintage Mechanic

ROBERT G. LOCK

occur where the cable rides on a pulley or through a fairlead. To inspect, one must move the control surface to full deflection and then run a shop cloth over the cable. If there are broken wires, the rag will snag.

I detected a frayed aileron cable where it traveled through a fair-lead in the lower wing. And just recently, another fraying problem in a rudder balance cable was detected, which is very difficult to inspect because it is located under the front seat, and the fraying was against the pulley and not on the outside where it could easily be found. Both cables were removed and replaced, but an inspection program was initiated during which we loosened the aileron cable in order to pull the cable from the fair-lead and through an inspection opening in the fabric to inspect every 100 hours of flight time.

The rudder balance cable will be removed every 500 hours of flight time for complete inspection. Removing this cable is difficult because the front seat must be removed, which is a real pain. So don’t overlook control cables,

particularly in areas of pulleys and fair-leads. And remember, some disassembly of the structure may be required. Here, refer to FAA AC 43.13-1B, Chapter 7, Section 8, particularly Paragraph 7-149 and Figure 7-16. There are a lot of good data here on cable inspection techniques.

Since we operate two New Standard D-25 and two Boeing Stearman ships, I have developed “critical area of inspection” guides for both aircraft types. Whenever a problem occurs more than once, it is logged and the inspection checklist is modified to reflect these concerns.

Inspection guidance is a most important issue with aging aircraft. Here, the type clubs offer both owners and mechanics this type of guidance. If you are not involved with a type club, think about joining. The expertise in keeping our aging fleet airworthy no longer resides in the FAA — it resides in the type clubs. Continual vigilance is much better than receiving an airworthiness directive from the feds.

NUTS AND BOLTS

JOHN HOFMANN, VAA PRESIDENT

This year marks the 85th anniversary of the production of the Ercoupe. Designed by Fred Weick and first flown in 1937, the Ercoupe was designed to be the safest fixed-wing aircraft aerospace engineering could produce. Weick set out to develop an airplane that would not stall or spin. It would have a tricycle gear for safe landing and featured interconnected rudder and ailerons with no rudder pedals. A bubble canopy was included for enhanced visibility, and the little Ercoupe found a following that still exists today.

Produced by several manufacturers (including Mooney) through 1970, approximately 5,600 of these airplanes were built. VAA is excited to see a gaggle of ’Coupes coming to AirVenture 2025.

We are also celebrating two centennials. First, Fairchild was formed in 1925. Between the wars, Fairchild produced several successful passenger and private aircraft, including the models 22 and 24. The EAA Aviation Museum currently has the oldest Fairchild aircraft, a 1927 FC-2W model. It is in early American Airlines markings, serving as an early carrier after flying for Interstate Airlines.

VAA is excited to see a gaggle of ’Coupes coming to AirVenture 2025.

Travel Air Manufacturing Co. was formed in 1925 by aviation legends Walter Beech, Clyde Cessna, and Lloyd Stearman. It was an early aircraft manufacturing leader and instrumental in Wichita, Kansas, becoming the “Air Capital of the World.” Along with its line of two-place biplanes, Travel Air created the successful “Mystery Ship” racers, the Dole Derby-winning Travel Air 5000, and the passenger-carrying 6000. In 1931, the giant Curtiss-Wright company engulfed Travel Air.

When I wrote marketing materials for Beechcraft for the King Air line, I was often in Wichita at the Raytheon/ Beechcraft manufacturing campus. I was in an interior wooden building attached to other buildings around it. The building had skylights in the ceiling, and I realized I was in the old Travel Air factory — it still existed!

Before I close, I plan to hold a listening session in Lakeland, Florida, and the SUN ’n FUN Aerospace Expo (FlySNF.org). The dates of the event are April 1-6. If you are there and see me, stop and say hello. Look at the online schedule for a VAA session or two in the Central Florida Aerospace Academy forums area on the south side of the grounds.

Happy flying, safely.

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OFFICERS

PRESIDENT John Hofmann 548 W. James St. Columbus, WI 53925 608-239-0903 john@hangar102.com

VICE PRESIDENT Dan Knutson 106 Tena Marie Circle Lodi, WI 53555 608-354-6101 lodicub@charter.net

SECRETARY Kathy McGurran Brighton, CO 303-829-4808 kmcgurran@aol.com

TREASURER

Paul Kyle 1273 Troy Ct. Mason, OH 45040 262-844-3351 paul_e_kyle@hotmail.com

DIRECTORS

AC Hutson Griffin, GA 678-457-8957 achutsonjr@icloud.com

Ray L. Johnson Marion, IN 765-669-3544 rayjohnson@indy.rr.com

Vaughn Lovley Webster, MN 913-981-3696 pa11pilot@yahoo.com

Steve Nesse Albert Lea, MN 507-383-2850 stnes2009@live.com

Earl Nicholas Libertyville, IL 847-504-6945 eman46@gmail.com

Joe Norris Oshkosh, WI 920-279-2855 wacoflyer@gmail.com

Marla Simon Boone Troy, OH 937-216-5133 msimonboone@yahoo.com

Charlie Waterhouse Dayton, OH 260-385-0851 charles.e.waterhouse@gmail.com

ADVISERS

Jesse Clement jesseclement1@gmail.com

Luke Lachendro avidaviator98@gmail.com

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT DIRECTORY

Kevin McKenzie kevinamckenzie@yahoo.com

Maxwell Wenglarz waco20900@gmail.com

DIRECTORS EMERITUS

David Bennett antiquer@inreach.com

Robert C. Brauer photopilot@aol.com

Jerry Brown lbrown4906@aol.com

Dave Clark davecpd@att.net

Phil Coulson rcoulson516@cs.com

Amy Lemke alemke@eaa.org

George Daubner gdaubner@eaa.org

Susan Dusenbury sr6sue@aol.com

Ronald C. Fritz itzfray@gmail.com

Tim Popp tlpopp@frontier.com