Speed kit effects on a 1970 182

[kwmoore]

Byron and I were doing our customary evening-after-dinner-just-before-bed-drive-to-the-airport-so-Byron-will-sleep thing, and we passed by a newly painted 1970 182 with newly installed speed kit: gear fairings, cowling fairing, flap gap seals--it looked great. The owner was there and it turned out he was someone I knew, one of the officers of the Palo Alto Airport Association. I asked him about the mods and how they were doing for him. He indicated that whereas it had been a ~138 KTAS flat-out performer before, he was now seeing top-of-the-green-arc (138-140 KIAS, about 146-148 KTAS) at 4500 feet. That's every bit as fast as was 812KT but with only the stock engine. The mods were new as were the cylinders so he was still breaking them in and hadn't yet flown above 4500. Remarkable what a little drag reduction can do!

In my mind the 1970 which should be the N model is the most desireable 182. It still has the spring gear so you can get the ultra fast speed kit from Horton. And the takeoff wieght was raised to 2950 with the empty weight remaining close to the same as the G model. Making the N capeable of fast speeds and a 1250lb legal useful load.

Glen

[kwmoore]

Does anyone in this group have experience with applying a full set of speed mods--the gear fairings, flap gap seals, cowling fairing etc.--to a 182P, Q or R? What were the before-and-after results? Which mod appeared to be most effective?

Todd and Jo have mentioned that in their experience it is difficult to predict gains; some airframes gain 14-15 kt while others get little or nothing extra. I don't think they're sure of the reason.

I wonder if a bird that is fast to begin with--say, 138+ KTAS @ 75% ROP--would gain more or less from such mods than a pokey plane (high 120's - low 130's)? I suspect the fast bird might actgually gain less, but I'm very interested to hear others' experience. Right now I'm contemplating going with a cowl fairing and flap gap seals in addition to the standard gear fairing kit installed by the PPP. Thanks in advance!

Hey Kevin, give me a call. It would take me all day to type what little I do know about the subject.

Glen