Cessna Cardinal 177
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The stabilator slots were added (and retrofitted for free) to counter a stong pitch down motion when side slipping with flaps down.
This allowed the stabilator to tolerate a steeper down flow of air without stalling the underside of the stabilator.
This allowed the stabilator to tolerate a steeper down flow of air without stalling the underside of the stabilator.
Join Date: Jun 2009
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A friend of mine owns one in Thailand. He likes the plane but is at the same time aware of some of it's shortcomings - but then most planes have anyway. He mentioned to never buy a 'repaired' 177RG that had an accident for the fuselage can easily be out of alignment. On the positive side the fuel consumption is reasonable when flying long distances. And the look of course.
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I think the RG would be a little rich for my tastes, with potentially higher maintenance and less rugged gear for visiting back-country strips. A 180hp fixed gear would do nicely. Backpacker has kindly put me in touch with an owner nearby, so I hope to go for a flight in one soon!
Interesting about the fuselage alignment; I shall give greater preference to aircraft with NDH...
Interesting about the fuselage alignment; I shall give greater preference to aircraft with NDH...
Join Date: Nov 2005
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I my experience there are several design faults built into O360 & IO360 engines. Very poor valve cooling, causing seized closed exhaust valves or high valve guide wear. Also need to carry out the wobble valve test every 400 hours or fit the latest hardened valve guides. Best to set up for very high oil pressure 80/100psi to push oil into the rocker covers to cool them.
The Mooney 235 actual has 4 oil lines to the rocker boxes with an oil jet on each exhaust valve stems to cool them, also all 360s have Sodium filled exhaust valves to try move the heat into the rocker box.
On low usage engines, with the camshaft being set high up, all the oil drains off it and the cam lobes starts to rust, then wear at a high rate. Lycoming now produce a 360 with roller camfollowers to overcome this, also produces a bit more power.
The end caps at each end of the wristpin in the pistons have aliminium/bronze plugs to keep it in the centre, these can break up score the cylinder and rightoff the piston.
In the Cardinal cyl 3 runs the hottest this must be corrected or the oil control ring is cooked breaks and detonation will occur at high power
due to oil blow by plus oil consumtion becomes very high.
The cylinder head redline is stated as 475f but is should be 400f with 380 or below in cruise. Above 380 cooling changes must be slow or damage can occur over time.
I do not agree the 360 is reliable and have the invoices to prove it.
To many design faults that Lycoming have never fixed, even after many attempts.
I agree the Cardinal is great to fly, the wing has forward sweep for better view. On wieght & balance, difficult to load out of C of G but can be overloaded on later models with 60usg tanks early ones have 50usg.
The RG weights 200lbs more than the FG due to the under carriage,
both can pick up approx 950lbs with 300lbs (50usg) of fuel leaves 650lbs for pay load. So easy 4 hours range with reserves.
The slot in the stabilator was fitted to overcome it stalling during landing flair.
The Cardinal can be sidesliped with any flap setting.
The most important thing on landing is approach speed control.
On an RG 72 +-2.5 mph, over speed and they eat runway.
Loverly handling aircraft with space but must be maintained by Cardinal trained people.
The Mooney 235 actual has 4 oil lines to the rocker boxes with an oil jet on each exhaust valve stems to cool them, also all 360s have Sodium filled exhaust valves to try move the heat into the rocker box.
On low usage engines, with the camshaft being set high up, all the oil drains off it and the cam lobes starts to rust, then wear at a high rate. Lycoming now produce a 360 with roller camfollowers to overcome this, also produces a bit more power.
The end caps at each end of the wristpin in the pistons have aliminium/bronze plugs to keep it in the centre, these can break up score the cylinder and rightoff the piston.
In the Cardinal cyl 3 runs the hottest this must be corrected or the oil control ring is cooked breaks and detonation will occur at high power
due to oil blow by plus oil consumtion becomes very high.
The cylinder head redline is stated as 475f but is should be 400f with 380 or below in cruise. Above 380 cooling changes must be slow or damage can occur over time.
I do not agree the 360 is reliable and have the invoices to prove it.
To many design faults that Lycoming have never fixed, even after many attempts.
I agree the Cardinal is great to fly, the wing has forward sweep for better view. On wieght & balance, difficult to load out of C of G but can be overloaded on later models with 60usg tanks early ones have 50usg.
The RG weights 200lbs more than the FG due to the under carriage,
both can pick up approx 950lbs with 300lbs (50usg) of fuel leaves 650lbs for pay load. So easy 4 hours range with reserves.
The slot in the stabilator was fitted to overcome it stalling during landing flair.
The Cardinal can be sidesliped with any flap setting.
The most important thing on landing is approach speed control.
On an RG 72 +-2.5 mph, over speed and they eat runway.
Loverly handling aircraft with space but must be maintained by Cardinal trained people.
Join Date: Jan 1999
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H-F
Your view seems a little bleek and drags up old problems that have been fixed for years, the 400 hour valve check is only for engines without the hi-chrome valve guides, I cant remember when I last saw one of these.
I cant see how a roller would have any effect of the corrosion on the face of a cam, I think it has far more to do with ease of production, rather than having to produce solid cam follower with a slightly offset face to ensure that it rotates slowly & the PR department turning it into a selling point.
The piston pin problem has nothing to do with them being ali-bronze, it is due to a step being worn in the bore.......this is becoming a real issue with the O-235 were I have seen failure starting to happen at as little as 300 hours. If you had a piston pin plug break up it is due to very poor maintenance as basic examination of the oil filter will indicate piston pin plug problemd long before total failure.
I cant see how a roller would have any effect of the corrosion on the face of a cam, I think it has far more to do with ease of production, rather than having to produce solid cam follower with a slightly offset face to ensure that it rotates slowly & the PR department turning it into a selling point.
The piston pin problem has nothing to do with them being ali-bronze, it is due to a step being worn in the bore.......this is becoming a real issue with the O-235 were I have seen failure starting to happen at as little as 300 hours. If you had a piston pin plug break up it is due to very poor maintenance as basic examination of the oil filter will indicate piston pin plug problemd long before total failure.
I wonder if one could fly it around the world...
Join Date: Jul 2001
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Cessna Cardinal 177
It's been 18 - 20 years ago now but I flew both the fixed gear and RG Cardinal from Beek in the mid-90s. Both were a joy to fly and the RG in particular remains the finest all round touring aircraft I've flown. Roomy, fast (for 200hp), comfortable. But I take the point regarding the gear retraction mechanism.
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I'd be more than happy to fly around the world in my Cardinal FG.
Katamarino, if you are ever in the North of the UK, give me a shout and you can see two of the best FG's there are in Europe.
Katamarino, if you are ever in the North of the UK, give me a shout and you can see two of the best FG's there are in Europe.
