The Cessna 120-140 Association Forum

I was wasting time perusing Barnstormers this morning and came across an ad for a 140A with what appears to be a C-150 tail. I didn't know this was possible. Anyone know the history of this aircraft? What would be the benefit of such a transplant? I love the round tail, but I have to admit I find this one attractive too!

This is being sold by the Sun N Fun education foundation and looks to be parked at the grounds there for the pics in the ad. I have seen the Navy marked aircraft behind it, quite an interesting project!

The square tail with the dorsal fin give it a Cessna 180 look.

That's a 140A with an early Cessna 150 fuselage. Cowling, tail surfaces, instrument panel, and (3) three hinge doors are all 150 items. Probably possible many years ago when someone with a good rapport with an FAA maintenance inspector could get such a conversion accomplished. Original fuselage was more than likely damaged very heavily, and owner at the time along with an A&P IA decided that the more economical route would be to replace the 140A fuselage with one from an early 150 complete with tail surfaces. Doubt you could get that accomplished today.

On another note, a few years ago a fellow contacted me to give him a checkout in an L-4 Cub. When I arrived at the airport, and looked over the airplane I found that it was actually a 1940 J-3 that had an L-4 fuselage. He told me the original fuselage was destroyed in a wind storm, and some owner found an L-4 fuselage, and got it signed off. Owner kept calling the airplane an L-4, but the data plate said J-3C. Since no L-4 existed in 1940, I wouldn't sign his logbook as a flight in an L-4.

I think you could make a better case that it's a Cessna 150 with 140A wings..........

The data plate is the data plate and I see it's registered as a 140A.............but really?

Wow, that does seem to be a lot of work to assemble the parts! So this is a taildragger conversion to an old 150, and move the data plate of the 140A to the 150 fuselage. Somewhere I have read that the 140 series has better control harmony than the 150. It has been many years since I've flown a 150 so I cannot really compare to my plane. I wonder (if that is true) if a previous owner felt he might get better aircraft "feel" (ailerons) sticking the 140A wings on the 150 base. Or, could be as simple as suggested by Mike -

V529 wrote: ↑Wed May 13, 2020 7:54 am I think you could make a better case that it's a Cessna 150 with 140A wings..........

The data plate is the data plate and I see it's registered as a 140A.............but really?

Sometime in the distance past, miracles like that happened.

8455 wrote: ↑Wed May 13, 2020 8:09 am Wow, that does seem to be a lot of work to assemble the parts! So this is a taildragger conversion to an old 150, and move the data plate of the 140A to the 150 fuselage. Somewhere I have read that the 140 series has better control harmony than the 150. It has been many years since I've flown a 150 so I cannot really compare to my plane. I wonder (if that is true) if a previous owner felt he might get better aircraft "feel" (ailerons) sticking the 140A wings on the 150 base. Or, could be as simple as suggested by Mike -

That's probably the case. Early 150 wings are near clones of the 140A wing except for some internal pieces (i.e. ribs in the flap area, rear spar area, and electric sending units for fuel tanks) and the use of Fowler flaps (all 140A wings have hinged flaps instead of Fowler type units). It wouldn't be too difficult to take an early 150 fuselage and covert it to what the picture shows. Using a 140A data plate will raise some eyebrows in this day and time.

David Lowe once told me that any early 150 he converted to a tail wheel could fly rings around any 140A due to the larger elevator and rudder surfaces. Those big barn door Fowler flaps are also very nice. I occasionally instruct in the 115th C-150 made (1959 model). It's one of the smoothest and lightest C-150's I've flown, and is very agile. Original empty weight of this particular airplane from the factory even with a nose gear was 1004 lbs.(with a radio and other add ons).

Some of you may recall Ken and Loraine Morris converted a very early 150 to a tail dragger and found many if not all the gear box parts already installed. Seems the earliest 150's were built from 140A fuselages.

Hmmm, I seem to remember that information from another source. Perhaps we're missing out. Old 150 fuselages may be pretty cheap.........we might have a cottage industry in the making!