C172 0-540 Conversion

[FlyingFisherman]

C-150 with a 180hp O-360. Banner tow A/C, VGs and droop tips. Used something on the order of 18" of runway with a 15kt tailwind

I'd like to stick a 540 into an S1S or S1T Pitts and see what that's all about. On that note...the 720 would be even better! Maybe someday this whole aviation thing will start to pay me the big bucks just like the brochure said at the FBO.

 

[NoPax]

An IO-540 will burn around 24 GPH on climb at sea level, 20 per hour in climb above 3000', and 15 per hour or less cruise.

It will also produce 290 HP at sea level with a constant speed prop running at 2575 RPM

A bit too much for a 172...I'd also imagine the additional weight of the prop & engine might cause an issue with a forward CG. The 540 will cost about 40000 new/reman, and the 720 (!) will be about 55000...good luck with that.

Be careful of the bearings in the 540s and 720s...we had problems with the 540s in 04 in the 500s, and a string of problems with the 720s on the bigger fuselage Aero Commanders 680s.

 

[FreightPup]

I used to tow gliders with a 172 that had a 210 Franklin and a constant speed prop. SRB's were quite fun!!

 

[A Squared]

A 152 with an O-360??? That sounds like alot of fun. Just curious, what's the most "Over-Engined" POS anyone has ever flown in here? And another question, anyone know if it was the Lockheed LodeStar that had the 2800's on it?

I read a magazine article a few years back about a banner tow company that put a 540 on a cub. I think that might be a candidate.

Also the Turbo Raven some airshow performer had. PT-6 (I think) on a little bitty experimental plane. Thrust to weight ratio greater than one. Part of his routine was doing vertical climbs.

 

[ultrarunner]

Looking for information on Cessna 172 0-540 STC conversion. Has anyone ever seen one?

Sure have, it's called a C-182. Lot's of 'em for sale.

If you want more HP in a 172, get a Penn Yan or Avcon 180 hp conversion.

 

[Vector4fun]

A 152 with an O-360??? That sounds like alot of fun. Just curious, what's the most "Over-Engined" POS anyone has ever flown in here? And another question, anyone know if it was the Lockheed LodeStar that had the 2800's on it?

I believe the Lodestar had Wright 1820s. The Howard 500 conversion of the Super Ventura did have R2800s installed though. 330 kts and 2800 mile range.

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/m.zoeller/H500.htm



And iirc the pa-32-300 burned about 20 gph at takeoff, and around 14 gph at cruise.

 

[averyrm]

FlyingFish, was that at Air America? I towed with that one season!

 

[VNugget]

While not as riduculously overengined as the Cub with a 540 (is that really real?) I currently fly a Swick T, which is a clipped wing (among other mods) Taylorcraft BC-12, with a 160 horse AEIO-320... originally A-65. Yeah, it's got some get up and go. I don't even wanna imagine what it would do with a 360, which is possible to stick in there.

How bout this 720 in a Pitts?

P.S. 11:1 compression

 

[crash-proof]

Aerial Sign here in fort lauderdale has (or had) an 0-540 powered cub, I saw the thing taking off here at FXE years ago and the thing even put an Helio Courier to shame, it almost floated off the runway followed by a ridiculous climb. Not sure what happened to it, been years since I last saw it.

I read a while back about a Glasair III kit with a IO-720 , got W/O at the last sun n fun unfortunately.

The Harmon Rocket also falls into the insanely overpowered category.

 

[USMCmech]

I know there are IO-540 conversions for C-182s, but I've never heard about one for a 172. Texas Skyways does one of the conversions out of Boerne (5C1) near San Antonio.

The tow plane for the gliders where I'm learning is a C-152 with an O-360. Aparently the hardest part is the descent with all that extra power is keeping it under the yellow arc.