• If You Are Having Trouble Logging In with Your Old Username and Password, Please use this Forgot Your Password link to get re-established.
  • Hey! Be sure to login or register!

MASA Stol

Pretty sure that stands for Mid-America. I've been told its very similar to a Horton. All in all they're not bad, but a Sportsman would be preferable.
 
Some discussion: https://backcountrypilot.org/forum/horton-stol-pirep-18874

For all except the Sportsman they are very similar...rounded leading edge, stall fences, wing tip mods, and maybe gap seals. Most of the tech came out of Mississippi State College's military contracts to improve liaison aircraft like the Cessna L-19. Rounded leading edge on the NACA 2412 airfoil reduces the pressure peak near the leading edge at high angles of attack and smooths the AOA vs C/L curve. Cessna eventually did similar on later models. Sportsman kit is the best if you want that.

Edit: If interested in this subject read this SAE paper 670245 by J.J. Cornish and R.F Tanner "High Lift Techniques for STOL Aircraft": http://papers.sae.org/670245/
It's a summary work from studies at Mississippi State College (later University) and elsewhere. I have a copy but they charge for copyrighted material. A preview section of a couple of the pages is available on the link.

Gary
 
Last edited:
Pirep early 180 wings. (in order of effectiveness)

1 Virgin wing early 180: ailerons lack authority, but effort is light. Especially scary in gusty conditions and slow on short final.

2 Bush, MidAmerica, Owl, Horton STOL kits: Slightly better aileron authority than virgin wing. Nose quite a bit higher at stall break.

3 Early stock wing with Micro VGs: Good Aileron authority in gusty wind and slow on short final. Way better ailerons than stock wing OR Horton STOL un-VGed. Nose high at stall break. (higher than you would ever pull it unless your head is up and locked)

4 Horton STOL with micro VGs: a pretty good step above #3 in stall break AOA and aileron authority

5 Sportsman STOL. cream of the crop with good aileron authority and a stall break AOA that you have to arrive at with speed and elevator authority enuff to pull the nose very high. With more normal AOA, and coordinated flight, the airplane will not stall but will mush in control. THIS IS UN-VGed!!

A Horton,Owl, Bush, MidAmerica STOL kit is just fine. NOT a detractor, nor a selling point! NOT something I would remove for a Sportsman unless it was dinged.

VGed Sportsman? I havent bothered going there on my current 180, and its been awhile since I flew a Vged Sportsman early 180.
 
Of all of those old-school STOL kits, I prefer the Owl.
Why? I just like their owl logo decal.
 
A 180 wing is pretty good without any stol mods. Clearly Cessna liked the cuff idea since once they added the Camberlift cuff they never looked back. What it does? If you fly a plane long enough to know the attitude your speeds provide? Adding a cuff or VGs will allow you to fly that same attitude at a slightly lower speed. It doesn't transform the plane into a nose high, hang on the prop beast.

Wing X is the clear market favorite for Skywagon stol mods these days. More wing and a gross weight increase.
 
Like many I've flown the stock Cessna 185 with factory Camberlift cuff and then the Sportsman on the same plane. The latter offers better slow flight control and glide ratio in my experience.

I've not flown the stock Cessna wing in that platform, just C-150's. They like to stall and spin which makes for a good trainer.

One experienced pilot that went from the stock wing to the Camberlift model noted to me it lifted off and landed in a more level attitude and had a milder stall with the Cessna cuff. I guess it's all just a progression in behavior and performance.

Gary
 
They are all good. They do add weight though...about 13 lbs. I wouldn't let the small differences between the kits affect your decision much on a purchase. There are so many big ticket items to consider in buying a plane.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using SuperCub.Org mobile app
 
Back
Top