The International Cessna^® 170 Association

Does anyone know what the actual 170B empty weight is and how light you can get one?

Thanks much.

jm

JM there is not such thing as a single actual empty weight for every plane because every plane is an individual. However I know that Cessna at least advertised the empty weight somewhere about 1200 lb. best I recall. Maybe even less.

This would be for a plane with no paint, no radios or antennas or the wire required. No vacuum system, 6.00x6 wheels with no pants and a wood prop with no spinner. The interior would be bare probably with no rear seat and no unusable fuel

Here are the actual numbers and equipment list for my 1950 A model.
This would be in addition to the standard primary equipment but is some cases like the prop, it's instead of.

Cabin heat
Radio Shielding
Fixed Antenna
Loud Speaker
Landing Light (left only)
McCauley propeller
Spinner
Recording Tachometer

Weight was 1201.5 lb. plus unusable fuel of 30 lb. for a total of 1231.5 lb. You can't fly without oil so lets add another 15 lb. for that and we are ready to go at 1246.5 lb..

No radio but we do have some of the accessories required for it. We have no paint either other than maybe the standard trim color. We may not have a gyro panel as well as that is an unchecked item on my list.

You asked about a B model and mine is an A but I'd think they would be similar.

Ok how is my A model equipped know.

Well for starters somewhere along the line someone installed B model wings so essentially my airplane is a '52 B model. There is a single venturi and new style horizon and DG. I have 2 Nav/Coms, a Glide Slope, audio panel with marker beacon, Garmin 155 and annunciator and one CDI. A transponder, encoder, vacuum gage, EGT, CHT, MPG and ELT. Of course there are antennas for the avionics. A 20 amp generator, Scott 3200 tail wheel, 8.00x6 tires and full paint all not standard. The interior has been redone with non stock material which includes carpet on the side kick panels and lower door panels but the headliner was not installed at the time of the weighing.

With unusable fuel and 6 qt. of oil the plane weighed 1317.9 lb.. This from an actual weighing which I did myself. I later added the F&M filter and swapped out the 20 amp generator for a 25 amp generator and the plane picked up 7.3 lb. for a total weight of 1324.78 lb. A quick look at my equipment list shows I have 23 lb. of disposable avionics which doesn't include the ELT, transponder and encoder.

My painted ragwing weighs 1310#, ready to gas-n-go. No vacuum system,VFR radios,3 seats.
The actually weighed,no-bleep, lightest 170B I know of was Kelly Mahon's: 1,250#, ready to gas-n-go. No vacuum system,vfr radios,no paint, 3 seats,stripped interior,26" tires.
I don't think there's too many 170's of any model that weigh in at less than 1,300# these days,unless the owner has put the airplane thru a weight-loss program.

Eric

I think we have listed these all before................ mine is 1336 wheels, 1405 skis, 1519 floats.

Hi,

My '52 new was 1295 now 1353

I think what we learned from previous EW questions was that the average EW is going to be around 1300 + or -.

My 53 B is also 1,353. 8.50X6 tires, 80-40 prop,VGs, stock rear seat removed (~-29 lbs) and Atlee Dodge single folding seat added (+6), two venturis, radio, elt, transponder, not much more than regular VFR instruments, cabin V brace, and bubble side windows. I can't figure out how to get it much lighter.

My "A" model calculated GW is 1290#, I use 1400# for a conservative and more realistic weight.
David

My '52 170B weighes 1530 lbs , converted to 220 hp Franklin with CS Hartzell , bush STOL , big tires , a few other things. Is there any other Franklin 170's that want to weigh in ? Andrew

My 53 B is 1283 with the back seat removed vfr bird original dg and attitude indicator.

My 56 tailwheel 172 weighed in at 1256lbs, but the left side scale tipped over 70lbs heavier than the right...

Any ideas why so much? I've got the opening window, battery, and articulating seat on the left, but it can't be that much, can it?

JR

Things that come to mind, besides what you mentioned: instruments (biggest, heaviest ones are on the left); radios (if you don't have a center stack, they're probably heavy on the left); the electrical bus is on the left, which concentrates the weight of wiring; landing lights (not heavy, but the arm is long); pitot/static system (again, a long arm for some components); stall warning switch; brake cylinders, plumbing and hydraulic fluid; fire extinguisher. Has the left wing been repaired and/or repainted? Paint adds a surprising amount of weight. A lot of little things can add up to something big!

Our '53B weighs 1440#. heavily painted, primered inside and out,(including wings, tail feathers, fuselage), cert. center stack IFR panel, strobes, Javelin aux tank, 850s, Lyc 0360 narrow deck, Hartzell 80" C/S prop, one piece windshield, BAS tail pulls, and (2) pretty little blisters on the sides of the cowl ! Jon

My radios and ELT are right of ceterline, and there's been a spar repair (less than 1 lb) on the right wing. The left wing has not been repaired that I can tell. It did have a large critter nest almost filling a whole rib bay (no critter, fortunately) that we pulled out by the handful when we had the wings off, but that was before we weighed it.

I almost wonder if the gear is out of square. One gear leg canted down steeper than the other. It's not noticable to the eye, but easy enough to check. I'll put a tape on it this weekend...

800x6 tires single com radio,sling seat, 1322, 1462.5 on federal 3000 hyd skis