Upgrades to the plane

Nikhiln25

Nikhiln25

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Jan 16, 2024
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nikhiln25
I’ve had my 182 for a little over a year now. I enjoy the plane and it does everything I “need”, but I’ve got money to burn so I’m looking for upgrade ideas to make it safer, more comfortable, more enjoyable.

What upgrades have you done to your plane that you really enjoyed? What have you done that after doing it you really didn’t think it was worth it.

My plane has an Aspen PFD, two Garmin 430 and a JPI. I’ve added RPM and MP to the JPI but that’s all I’ve done since I’ve had the plane.

I’m considering adding Rosen Sun Visors. Im debating if adding Oil pressure/oil temp to the JPi is worth anything given mechanical gauges seem to be working fine.

Later this year I’m getting a new paint job on the plane and having the windshield & all the windows replaced. After that the plan is to upgrade the GPS and add an auto pilot in either 2027 or 2028. I’m looking for other ideas to make this hobby more expensive than it already is.
 
* door stewards
* fresh pick stc / extended baggage stc, if applicable
* center console organizer
 
With a suggested emphasis first and foremost on comprehensive engine monitoring... if not already:
-- I'd want all 6 cylinders' EGT and CHT sensors displayed on the JPI
-- plus fuel flow (gph)
-- plus fuel consumed (via a fuel flow transducer)
-- lean assist function
-- ability to upload all engine data for data analysis (e.g. SD Card or USB stick; uploaded to SavvyMx or FlySto)
 
Later this year? So you're getting it painted in 2 weeks?

Rosen's are OK. But I think they're overrated
 
wayneda40 said:
With a suggested emphasis first and foremost on comprehensive engine monitoring... if not already:
-- I'd want all 6 cylinders' EGT and CHT sensors displayed on the JPI
-- plus fuel flow (gph)
-- plus fuel consumed (via a fuel flow transducer)
-- lean assist function
-- ability to upload all engine data for data analysis (e.g. SD Card or USB stick; uploaded to SavvyMx or FlySto)
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I have a JPI for all cylinders with EGT CHT and RPM and MP on it. Thinking adding oil temp and oil pressure. Fuel flow worth it?
 
Nikhiln25 said:
I have a JPI for all cylinders with EGT CHT and RPM and MP on it. Thinking adding oil temp and oil pressure. Fuel flow worth it?
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Yes, fuel flow is most certainly worth it... as is the fuel consumption transducer... and most certainly the upload for Data Analysis.
 
You don't say what year, and maybe it doesn't matter. BAS shoulder harnesses. Absolutely add fuel flow to the JPI. Airglass extended baggage allows one to sleep in the plane easily, and store emergency gear.

I'm not a fan of visors,or door stewards. Watch the attach points as you close the door with a door steward.
 
Nikhiln25 said:
Meant later 26

Why do you think they are overrated
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Not nearly dark enough. A bit of fumbling around to get them the right position. The only useful thing I've got on mine is the engine power chart on the back of the co pilot visor....which I never look at.
 
Engine monitor all 6 cylinders
Replace one of the GNS 430 with a GTN 650xi
Autopilot if you do a decent amount of X Country. Which one the Apsen can drive I couldn't tell you. I have GI 275's now, so it was easy for me to get the GFC 500.
 
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How is your interior? Decent, or looks like a pack of racoons hibernated over the winter in it?
 
I fly an experimental and one of the recent upgrades was upgrading the memory foam padding in the seats. Comfortable seating is money well spent.

The next install will likely be an espresso machine ... :biggrin:
 
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do the autopilot first, and basically anything else BEFORE they paint. rosens are nice..
wouldn't worry about any avioncs unless neither of the 430's is waas., if not waas replace a 430 with 355, 375 or 650.
i'd probably go 375, shiny adsb in 8) and built in connext. Connext is the must have, everything else is just shinier stuff you already have
 
WDD said:
Autopilot if you do a decent amount of X Country. Which one the Apsen can drive I couldn't tell you. I have GI 275's now, so it was easy for me to get the GFC 500.
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Aspen can drive Trio, any STec-may need the the ACU if not already installed, and the GFC600. Current Aspen OS won't interface with Aerocruze, but could be used directly from the GPS.
 
WDD said:
How is your interior? Decent, or looks like a pack of racoons hibernated over the winter in it?
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It needs new carpet, new headliner, and a seatbelt upgrade all of which are on the list. Seats upgraded with new covers in 2022
 
MackMooney said:
do the autopilot first, and basically anything else BEFORE they paint. rosens are nice..
wouldn't worry about any avioncs unless neither of the 430's is waas., if not waas replace a 430 with 355, 375 or 650.
i'd probably go 375, shiny adsb in 8) and built in connext. Connext is the must have, everything else is just shinier stuff you already have
Click to expand...

My paint is in fairly poor condition, original to the plane and has chipped in a lot of places. Despite being in a hangar for last 25 years (and still is) the plane has minor corrosion on the airframe popping up so I thought addressing paint rather sooner made sense and then get the autopilot - would you disagree?
 
Nikhiln25 said:
It needs new carpet, new headliner, and a seatbelt upgrade all of which are on the list. Seats upgraded with new covers in 2022
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I'd do that before / at the same time as painting the exterior. When you fly, you spend most of time inside vs outside; make it more comfortable. The carpet you can get from https://www.airtexinteriors.com/

Headliner could be tricky, and fitting it is hard. Tricky in that some models of the 182 are impossible to find a replacement for, and you need to have one custom made. Suggest just hire an aircraft interior guy to trim / fit / install / custom make one, and while he's there he could clean and repaint your plastics.

BTW, how are your interior plastics / interior trim pieces? One of our club planes had decent plastic trim that cleaned up and painted nicely. The other had plastics too broken / brittle to be worked on so we had to buy new and had those painted by the interior guy.
 
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Nikhiln25 said:
My paint is in fairly poor condition, original to the plane and has chipped in a lot of places. Despite being in a hangar for last 25 years (and still is) the plane has minor corrosion on the airframe popping up so I thought addressing paint rather sooner made sense and then get the autopilot - would you disagree?
Click to expand...
mines in the same boat, paint is literally falling off. Just doing all the mechanicals and tanks before, don't want them damaging the shiny new paint job
 
WDD said:
I'd do that before / at the same time as painting the exterior. When you fly, you spend most of time inside vs outside; make it more comfortable. The carpet you can get from https://www.airtexinteriors.com/

Headliner could be tricky, and fitting it is hard. Suggest just hire an aircraft interior guy to trim / fit / install it, and while he's there he could clean and repaint your plastics.

BTW, how are your interior plastics / interior trim pieces?
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Cracking and needing replacing. The plane was not the best cosmetically when I bought it. It had a 150 hour engine single owner 25 years and came with a hangar, and an acceptable avionics suite
 
How about the fuel tanks/bladders? Don't know which your 182 has. And there's the fuel cap issue, if yours has the leaky old-style caps.
And, maybe VGs? (before the new paint.)
 
Nikhiln25 said:
Cracking and needing replacing. The plane was not the best cosmetically when I bought it. It had a 150 hour engine single owner 25 years and came with a hangar, and an acceptable avionics suite
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Copy that. It might take you a while to find a good interior guy. It's literally art and science combined, having to touch to fit, trim, paint, what looks good, what colors work, etc. combined with working with burn certified materials, FAA approved glue, knowing how to disassemble (and put back) an aircraft interior, etc.

Get a good parts list and start hunting for plastics. McFarlane and Spruce good place to start. Maybe Vantage for harder to get pieces.

Places you'll find usually do corporate jets, etc., maybe not our Cessnas. Start there and ask around, as well as ask paint shops, FBO's, etc. Usually these guys are found word of mouth. A good interior guy is worth his weight in gold.
 
Jim Carpenter said:
How about the fuel tanks/bladders? Don't know which your 182 has. And there's the fuel cap issue, if yours has the leaky old-style caps.
And, maybe VGs? (before the new paint.)
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VG's?
 
MountainDude said:
BRS is the only upgrade that may save your's and family's lives.
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BRS will solve large swaths of risk territory, but it’s not the only upgrade that might save lives. Shoulder harnesses can save lives, including at the bottom end of a BRS save. Avionics can save lives by giving timely information about engine or fuel shortcomings, weather ahead and along the route, and maybe traffic conflicts. An autopilot can save lives by taking the wheel so you can study weather, take a breather, and otherwise catch up to the airplane when you get behind it.

They can all be abused as crutches or excuses to take risks. But, properly used, every one of these things can save lives.

My priority would be to address the corrosion (maybe with a fresh coat of paint), then get a good autopilot and reasonable set of radios, and probably put the shoulder harnesses in while the panel and/or paint are in progress.

If the OP decides to add BRS, though, I’d say to do that at the same time as paint. I don’t know how they’re installed, but I suspect it involves chopping and drilling holes in the fuselage.
 
Jim Carpenter said:
How about the fuel tanks/bladders? Don't know which your 182 has. And there's the fuel cap issue, if yours has the leaky old-style caps.
And, maybe VGs? (before the new paint.)
Click to expand...

Good suggestions to consider, before the thing goes to the paint shop. Also, having installed several sets of vortex generators, I'd recommend them being installed at the paint shop or in coordination with the paint shop. If they aren't, he might end up buying a second set.

Other than that, the first thing I'd recommend would be a good set of shoulder harnesses and seat belts. A lot of them I see have been neglected.
 
asicer said:
All that money won't overcome the dread of wanting to fly while the airplane is in the shop getting the upgrades.
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This.

That's why I've avoided complex upgrade projects that require a complete tear-down of the instrument panel.
Yes, much nicer to have a pair of 10" displays, but most avi shops these days will holld the plane hostage for 6 months while completing such a project.
I went down the non-integrated path for this reason. I plan things in advance, order the parts, build harnesses and brackets on the bench and when the actual install takes place, the plane is rarely down for more than a couple days.
 
Think about how much weight a BRS adds and what it does to your W&B figures. And costs for parachute repacks.
 
Reading through your list, it all sounds cool. I would move auto pilot to the front. I don't mean necessarily for anything fancy like flying approaches, but just to shed some workload and make the flights more comfortable. Wings level and altitude hold would be fine for me. And congrats on being in a spot where you have the ability to do this!
 
There are a few shops that have huge inventories of parts for your aircraft including plastics - Faeth, BAS and many more - they tend to be pretty honest in sharing what's serviceable and what's not. We restore plenty of plastics for people with a variety of materials if someone doesn't want to or need to go the plane plastics / vantage route.

There are economical and reliable ways to save money here and there on a paint job. It doesn't have to be cost prohibitive. Corrosion treatment is essential - so the idea of sand and paints that many shops offer often make little sense. We try to help owners where we can.

Interiors are one of our favorite and most rewarding things to do...personalizing them is very fun for us.
 
Agree on both the shoulder harnesses (or the ones with air bags if you want) and the door stewards.
I've always liked adding Garmin toys to the panel.
A good autopilot is a huge asset to both safety and comfort - Just be sure you learn how to *really* use it.

Nikhiln25 said:
Why a Mooney over a 182
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The 182 is good for everything, but it's not the best at anything.

With a Mooney, you trade some short field capability and the upright seating position of the 182 for speed and efficiency.

If you like landing at 1200 foot grass strips, keep the 182. If you really like to go places, you might want to consider a Mooney or another type.

FWIW, I've got nearly 1300 hours in the Mooney now and 500+ in the 182. Both great airplanes, for what they do. I'm not gonna land the Mooney in some of the places I landed the 182, but I probably take the Mooney on more trips because it's fast enough that I can beat the airlines from Wisconsin to anywhere east of the Rockies at a cost per mile lower than a 172.

Wagondriver said:
I'm not a fan of visors,or door stewards. Watch the attach points as you close the door with a door steward.
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I agree that the Rosen visors are overrated... But I was really happy with door stewards. Whatever the attach points do, it's probably better than what happens when you don't have door stewards and the wind rips the door out of your hand when you're getting out of the airplane. I mean, the doors didn't seal all that well even before they got bent by whacking the struts I guess, it IS a Cessna after all. :rofl:
 
iamtheari said:
BRS will solve large swaths of risk territory, but it’s not the only upgrade that might save lives. Shoulder harnesses can save lives, including at the bottom end of a BRS save. Avionics can save lives by giving timely information about engine or fuel shortcomings, weather ahead and along the route, and maybe traffic conflicts. An autopilot can save lives by taking the wheel so you can study weather, take a breather, and otherwise catch up to the airplane when you get behind it.

They can all be abused as crutches or excuses to take risks. But, properly used, every one of these things can save lives.

My priority would be to address the corrosion (maybe with a fresh coat of paint), then get a good autopilot and reasonable set of radios, and probably put the shoulder harnesses in while the panel and/or paint are in progress.

If the OP decides to add BRS, though, I’d say to do that at the same time as paint. I don’t know how they’re installed, but I suspect it involves chopping and drilling holes in the fuselage.
Click to expand...
Agree with everything you're saying, but I would do shoulder harnesses day one. In most planes it's a quick A&P job and it's probably the single greatest "bang for buck" safety upgrade out there.
 
MIFlyer said:
Agree with everything you're saying, but I would do shoulder harnesses day one. In most planes it's a quick A&P job and it's probably the single greatest "bang for buck" safety upgrade out there.
Click to expand...
I wouldn't fly a plane without shoulder belts. If you can get them over both shoulders, even better... Or invest in a helmet!
 
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