The International Cessna^® 170 Association

gahorn wrote: PS, the Va for this airplane is 115mph. It works both ways, so unless we've tied down in a hurricane
....well, maybe that's an exaggeration, but if a gust damages internally locked controls, then it was probably parked in the wrong place.

Not to be argumentative, but Va is with the airplane going forward, I don't think it applies to a tailwind. That's where control locks are needed.

Absolutely. (poor example on my part perhaps with regard to wind velocity)
but I doubt even external locks would protect from damage in that example.

If you are using these external gust locks for the ailerons/flaps, how do you secure the elevator? Are you using the seat belt through the control wheel?

In my case I have an A model elevator which is not balanced and so the elevator is pretty heavily weighted down. In addition to that we have a rudder lock system which consists of 1/4 rods with a hook on both ends that stretched from the elevator hinge opening in the skin to a fixture slid on the rudder just above the nav light. This arrangement help keep the elevator down. I don't really like the rod arrangement but my partner has been using it for 35 years.

When I had a B model balanced elevator I made an extendable rod that engaged the yoke and extended into the seat holding the yoke full forward and the elevator full down. I wanted the elevator secured in the full down position because the prevailing wind at my tie down is from the rear of the aircraft and I didn't want it lifting the tail like it would with the seat belt arrangement holding the yoke full aft. Another reason I don't like the seat belt set up at least for my tie down spot.

Hi folks - I'm the guy that made the locks in the original post. Bruce, I'm not familiar with the 170A flaps, but the reason I made these originally was that the flaps on my 140 didn't have anything but spring tension holding them up, and when the wind from the wrong direction was strong enough, the things would bang down and really screw up the wing root fairings (there were no stops at the bottom of travel, so putting them down didn't help much). These hold each aileron/flap pair together so that nothing can move (since the ailerons try to move in opposite directions). It's impressive how rigid everything is. But like I said I'm not sure if there is something about the 170A that makes it not work well.

But I'm not trying to make a "sales" post, I'm really here because I've always wanted a 170A or 170B, and this gave an excuse to finally join the forum and start reading about them, even though it'll be a while before I'm able to buy one. After flying in a friend's 170B and seeing how nice it flew and how much easier it was than the 140, and going from being single to married with two small kids in the last five years, I think my two-place days are coming to a close I also like the 195-looking tail.

Steve Dold
Dixon, CA

Hi Aryana, thank you and I will join, it sounds like you have the same system that we use on the 140 site where the forum is open to all, but with lots of other stuff filed away for those who join. I like it! We even use phpbb too. Thank you for the invite and I'll join as soon as I get to a "real" computer (stuck at the hangar currently with just an iphone). I'm looking forward to reading about how maintenance on the 170 compares to the 140.

Hi Steve. If the aileron lock is really secure and snug at the aileron and flap then no further lock is probably needed but our locks are not and so we have 4 locks.

You will find a lot in common between the 170 and the 140 specially the '48 170.

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Now THAT is a red caution ribbon. I see you don't do anything half way.

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bigrenna wrote:im sure he can make them in green....

Yep.... LOT more sensible when you consider they're purpose is to STOP ALL MOVEMENT!

Found this pic recently...another example of the WRONG TYPE of rudder gust lock to use: