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Aviation Concepts 1/3 scale Cessna 185 full kit
This kit has been revised and updated on 04-23
All Copyright Photos courtesy of Jeff Duhaime
Full scale parked on a beach
It's Finally Here!
Conceived in 2015 around a camp fire at an aerotowing event this has been a project 4 years in the making... This was a design consortium project among three of my friends spread out in the North East. They were looking for a robust, quality airplane with special details and features for the rigorous duties of towing up giant scale sailplanes. Thanks to Kevin Kremer, Jim Dolly & Len Buffinton
Actual photo of model (not photo shopped)
Photo courtesy from Steve Passierb
Though not 100% scale, it's built with a sport scale structure in mind. It has plug in wings with aluminum wing tube. Removable horizontal and vertical tail surfaces on carbon fiber tubes. Elevator servos in the stab. Rudder servo is in the tail cone which is also removable for easy access to the quick release linkage to the rudder. This model can be for scale Sunday flying, limited aerobatics or as a glider tow plane. This rugged Cessna is built tough and will deliver in all areas! That's why it's so popular as an Alaskan Bush Plane. Muddy runway... No problem!
It's all in the Details...
Attention to the finer details makes it a better model. You will find this in the cowls' front end; rolled inlet edge opening with molded in landing light pockets and carb. air inlet screen. Sturdy aluminum main gear and aluminum formed wing struts. Functional main doors with a locking latch (no screws to remove for opening) with magnets in the corners to prevent ratteling. Also a functional luggage door, great place for accessing your reciever switches etc. A semi scale aluminum tail wheel assembly that will take the abuse of full STOL landings. The floors' interior has pleny of room for all your recievers, batteries or even telemetry. It's a perforated floor system with plenty of slots for strapping your equipment down. Finally the lasr cut windshield with all the screw mounting holes laser drilled out too. And to compliment the windshield are the laser cut windshield frames. It looks Just That Much Better! Also the last detail provided is a pair of CG balancing jigs.
The Plans and Manual
We start out with a very detailed step by step full color laser printed manual wire bound. Pictures and text won't keep you guessing on this build. There is just over 1,000 pictures... more pictures than text. There are 7 sheets of rolled plans to build on; fin and rudder, stab and elevator, left and right wings. The fuselage is built flat over one sheet on your work surface while the side view sheet is 1/2 scale for your reference. Also provided is a Parts Sheet to help you find and locate the parts you need.
Whats in the kit
The kit is packaged and shipped in 3 boxes.
Box #1 is the laser cut wood pieces; lite ply, thin birch ply & balsa. Also laser cut clear plastic PETG windows and front windshield with all the screw mounting holes laser drilled for you too. Also there is thin G-10 windshield frames and cardboard templates along with the construction manual. Plus 3 bags of metal, wood and hardware.
Box #2 is the CNC router cut parts from 3/16" to 3/8" thick birch aircraft ply along with G-10 control horns and main door hinges. Also in this box is all the stock lumber sheets and sticks. Topping off this box is your aluminum wing tube and carbon fiber tail tubes with sockets. Servo wire conduit tubes, aluminum wing struts cut to length with both ends coped at the correct angles. 7/32" dia. music wire bent tail gear along with a TIG welded aluminum tail gear assembly. Tail wheel included too. Finally a beefy 5/16" thk. water jet cut T6 aluminum main gear. Plus the rolled set of plans.
Box #3 is the one piece fiberglass cowl with landing light pockets and air intake molded into it.
Fuselage structure...
The fuselage builds up from your work bench over the plans. The four sides are from multiple pieces of lite ply with doublers up front, while the corners are 3/8" thick contest balsa sheets rounded over. The landing gear mounting structure is from thick CNC cut birch aircraft ply which is very beefy and not just attached to the fuselage sides but ties into the bottom of the main former at multiple points. Very Strong! The fire wall, engine box structure and the formers that surround it is also from CNC cut birch aircraft ply.
Tail structure...
The tail structures are built as one assembly at first to keep the control surfaces in perfect alignment and thickness with the parent surface. Build tabs and interlocking parts speeds up the build process. The tail is fully sheeted in 3/32" thick balsa skins. They are all easy removable with birch ply mounting tabs instead of the commonly used lite ply tabs that break off easily.
Wing structure...
The entire wing (inboard & outboard panels) is built as one unit. No more joining and gluing the inner & outer panels separately. Inboard panel builds directly flat on your work surface while the ribs on the outer panel have progressively longer build tabs on them as you move out to the tip including the set 1 1/4° washout. A laser cut "jack stand" supports the bottom spar into position. This "Thinking Out Of The Box" and new technique really simplifies, speeds up the construction and keeps things lighter and more accurate. "Brilliant!" Open structure with 1/8" balsa skins and cap strips.
Wing Tip Purchasing Options
Choose a standard out of the factory look with conventional rounded wing tips. OR Aftermarket drooped vortex wing tips.
New is a fiberglass molded drooped wing tip.
The wood wing tips are contest balsa sections laser cut that gets glued and stacked together then carved and sanded to shape.
Standard Wing Tip +$0.00
Wood Vortex Wing Tip +$15.00
Fiberglass Molded Vortex Wing Tip +$100.00
Optional Accessories
Kit and optional accessories are added to Pay Pal's shopping cart (click continue shopping in Pay Pal to add more optional Cessna accessories.
Tow release package +$50.00
The Shipping Situation
The kit is shipped in 3 boxes. Box 1 and box 2 are in a 36" x 12"x 9" box that weighs about 30 pounds each and is corner reinforced and strap banded. The 3rd box (the cowl) is in a 16" x 16" x 17" box and weighs about 5 pounds. This kit ships UPS or FedEx only to the US lower 48 States. Adult Signature is required to take delivery. Tracking of all 3 boxes will be provided. Shipping of all three boxes may or may not be all at the same time. Also scheduled delivery of all three boxes may not arrive at the same exact time or from the first delivery vehicle. The flat rate shipping for this kit is $170.00 in the US.
Purchasing
In the beginning, these complete kits (not a short kit) will be made to order on a first come first served basis. Wait times will vary and is difficult to calculate. However, I will email you as soon as your kit gets into the build que. It takes about a 2 weeks to produce one kit after all the materials arrive. You get a TON of quality materials and hardware in this kit except for the main wheels, clevises, pushrods, spinner and fuel tank etc. See the manual for additional items needed. Sales tax will be collected for WV State Residents.
Please note: while adding this the kit or any of its option(s) will bring you into Pay Pal's shopping cart. To add more items to the cart please click on "CONTINUE SHOPPING" and it will bring you back to the top of this page. To check out, click the "View Cart" button below.
Cessna 185 complete kit
$2,695.00
OUT OF STOCK
Vortex Generator Kit $60.00
Stall Fence Kit $55.00
10" Wheels $250.00
Tow Release Package $50.00
Spare Parts (call or e-mail to purchase)
Cowl ---------------------------------------------------------------------------$190.00
Landing Gear 1 pair --------------------------------------------------------- $100.00
Wing Struts w/ straps, airfoil pieces plus hardware --------------------- $230.00
Tail Gear Yoke --------------------------------------------------------------- $ 79.95
Windshield ------------------------------------------------------------------- $39.95
Side Windows full set ------------------------------------------------------- $ 29.95
Wing Tube ------------------------------------------------------------------- $ 60.00
Tail Tubes (1) 36" lg. and (1) 18" lg. --------------------------------------- $ 70.00
(2) Skywagon Decals -------------------------------------------------------- $ 9.95
(2) Cessna 185 Decals ------------------------------------------------------- $ 7.00
Door Magnets each ---------------------------------------------------------- $ 1.00
Bonded Washers for cowl mounting each -------------------------------- $ .50
Axles pair --------------------------------------------------------------------- $ 6.95
Door Latches each ----------------------------------------------------------- $27.95
Main Wheel Collars pair ---------------------------------------------------- $ 4.95
Tail Springs pair ------------------------------------------------------------- $ 2.49
Wood Drooped Wing Tips -------------------------------------------------- $45.00
Fiberglass Molded Drooped Wing Tips ----------------------------------- $100.00
Tow Release only ------------------------------------------------------------ $ 45.00
Tow Release package w/ wood mount and hardware --------------------$50.00