This airplane has been in the club gallery for several years. It started out as a stock 150M. Here are the notes:
Year: 1975 Model: 150M Serial Number: 15076977
1,196 of 1,224, 1975 150M's manufactured in the USA
18,976 of 21,404, 150's manufactured in the USA
Reg: N25DA Manufactured: 1975
This airplane started out life as a 1975 Cessna 150M. It was extensively modified by Paul Davids, an A & P, AI and owner of the FBO at Calevaras County Airport at San Andreas, CA. The conversion was done over a period of about 10 years, a piece at a time. Many of the mods were done while it still had standard certification. It appears the FAA finally said enough is enough, and required it to be reregistered as "experimental amateur built".
Many of the mods were done to experiment with various flight and handling characteristics. For example, Paul added vortex generators at various places, such as the wing and on the fin. There are places where some VGs have been removed because they had a negative impact. The "bubbles" over the holes where the original landing gear exited the fuselage are actually there to try to modify the turbulence introduced by the steps which he installed for easier access to the cockpit. The gull wing doors are an interesting piece of engineering, they allow easier access to the cockpit.
The engine was personally rebuilt by Paul, then extensively modified. The most striking mod is the dual Lightspeed electronic ignition, which not only provides a much better spark, but adjusts the timing based on RPM and manifold pressure. It starts immediately in any condition without prime, and fuel consumption is significantly reduced. It would take a dynamometer to determine how much HP the engine is now developing, but it is definitely significantly more than the original 160.
Modifications:
Wings - clipped 18" each side, Horton STOL, Flap gap seals, Wet wing gas tanks with total fuel capacity of 63 gallons. Tailwheel conversion with C140 landing gear and Scott tailwheel.Wheels and dual caliper brakes from a C206. Custom Wheel pants, Custom strakes on lower rear fuselage, dorsal fin from C172. Battery relocated to tailcone with access door. Thick windshield with interior bracing between panel and top of fuselage. Vortex generators on wings and fin, Top Hinged "Gull Wing" doors with heavy duty struts on doors and windows, BAS Seat harnesses.
The engine is a Lycoming O320 H2AD modified as follows:
Dual LightSpeed electronic ignition, Custom built headers and mufflers, Blueprinted and increased compression, MA4-5 carburetor from O360, Custom baffles for better cooling, Larger oil radiator with NACA input duct.
Ram air intake duct, EGT and CHT on all 4 cylinders. Engine instruments include electronic tachometer, manifold pressure, oil temperature and pressure, carb air temperature, voltmeter/ammeter. Custom Catto wood/fiberglass propellor 72" x 63", and equipped with Navaid autopilot coupled to GPS.
It's unique look attracts attention wherever it goes. As of May 2004 it had a total airframe time of about 5,840 hours. PERFORMANCE:
120 Knots at 2500 rpm and 8.5 gph.
130 Knots at 2600 rpm.
140 Knots at 2700 rpm.
Top speed has not been determined.
