What would you do?

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fudge80

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fudge80
I have a 172n with the O-320D many look down their noses at. My family and I took it on an expensive grocery trip today, our take on the $100 hamburger. It was my wife and I and our two children ages 9 and 6. After we put about 80 pounds of groceries in it I figured we were out of CG limits, not enough in my opinion to cause any sort of failure but enough that I think it is worth mentioning for the question I am about to ask.

My kids are small, together they weigh around 110lbs is all. My engine hasn't been rebuilt for a long time and is around 1500 hrs, I have been told most of the time they don't make TBO.

Since it is likely I am going to need to replace the engine in the next 5 years or so and I assume my children aren't going to weigh 110 lbs forever would you sell the current 172 and look for a new plane before an engine overhaul is due(at least now there is some time for the new buyer rather than trying to sell a plane with a run out engine) or would you just plan to upgrade the engine to a 180hp on a rebuild?

I honestly don't know if putting in a 180hp will raise the useful load or not, Just assumed it would, please educate me otherwise.

What would you do?
 
There is an STC and you limit flap travel to 30 deg, but that 180 HP conversion makes a useful load over 1000 lb, and you can fit a not too large family of four in that.

Basically, nothing changes but the flap travel, and the max gross weight goes up to 2550 lb.
 
My crystal ball says a 182 is in your future.

The kids will only get heavier from this point forward. Along with the groceries needed to feed them.;)
 
MAKG1 said:
There is an STC and you limit flap travel to 30 deg, but that 180 HP conversion makes a useful load over 1000 lb, and you can fit a not too large family of four in that.

Basically, nothing changes but the flap travel, and the max gross weight goes up to 2550 lb.
Click to expand...

Yep, my old flying club had that. With full fuel, the payload on the 180hp 172 with 30° flaps was better than the 182Q model we also had.

Of course the 182 is faster. Answer is it depends.
 
With a growing family that flys together,look at the 182s.
 
A 172n is a very nice plane. No reason the h2d engine shouldn't go to tbo and beyond. But, financially probably be better off to put the 30g plus a engine is going to cost plus what the 172 is worth towards another airplane. Kids will get bigger and trips will probably get longer. The downside with a bigger faster plane has been for me that I don't fly as many hours. I still fly to same places pretty much but doesn't take as long. A 172 is pretty reasonable to own also.
 
Here's the thing. They will get heavier, then suddenly their weight will go to zero because they will get lives and won't want to fly with you all the time.
 
MAKG1 said:
There is an STC and you limit flap travel to 30 deg, but that 180 HP conversion makes a useful load over 1000 lb, and you can fit a not too large family of four in that.

Basically, nothing changes but the flap travel, and the max gross weight goes up to 2550 lb.
Click to expand...

The problem with that is that unless you throttle back a bit farther, the fuel burn goes up but the gas tanks stay the same 40gal. And you aren't adding any baggage space or rear seat room to go along with the added weight.
 
fudge80 said:
I honestly don't know if putting in a 180hp will raise the useful load or not, Just assumed it would, please educate me otherwise.
Click to expand...

It may, in this case. Apparently does from some of the prior posts.

But just be aware that performance is often not what determines maximum gross, and hence, useful load.

It's more likely the load imposed on structure at various g-loadings. So anyone says "My plane performs just fine even 200 lbs over gross" is likely misunderstanding why weight limits are imposed in the first place.
 
Sac Arrow said:
Here's the thing. They will get heavier, then suddenly their weight will go to zero because they will get lives and won't want to fly with you all the time.
Click to expand...

This is true. It happens around 12 or 13 years old. You become a chauffeur (but with a car, not an airplane).
 
asicer said:
The problem with that is that unless you throttle back a bit farther, the fuel burn goes up but the gas tanks stay the same 40gal. And you aren't adding any baggage space or rear seat room to go along with the added weight.
Click to expand...

Hmm, I've flown several of these now, and they still burn 8.5 GPH at 2500 RPM, just like a regular 172N. The 180 HP engine doesn't make much difference in fuel consumption, top speed at 75%, or fuel burn. What it does make a difference in is takeoff performance, and it seems to be able to maintain 75% to a few thousand feet higher.

And the room in back is adequate for a larger adult.

The only real drawback for adults in a 172 is the seat rail travel limitation, as that makes the right seat more difficult to get into. But that's an issue for every 172 and 182 up to the mid 2000s. Or if you try to squeeze 400 lb passengers in. Even 300 lb passengers aren't that bad as long as you do your weight & balance.
 
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