The Cessna 120-140 Association Forum

Hello all,

Just doing some brainstorming here - I found a 120 for sale that I really like, except it has a metalized wing and is a bit heavy at 1000 pounds empty.

If I were to buy it and change over to a fabric wing at a later date, what’s a ballpark number of hours to budget for in terms of labor?

Provided the final cost is reasonable, is there any reason not to switch back to a fabric wing?

Thanks in advance for any info!

Depending on the STC used to put the skin on the wings. Some have the wires still in place. Most have them removed.

One might even consider finding another decent set of fabric wings and restoring them, then doing a swap when convenient.

De metalizing those wings will only save you about 50 pounds and be the biggest pain you ever had, especially if the internal hardware is missing. It is much easier to gain the 50 lbs by things like lightweight starter, alternator conversion, lighter avionics, etc; all of which enhance the utility of the airplane as well as lighten it and probably cost not much more to do in the long run. JMHO.