Cargo Pod 172

[clrgrd]

I am looking into developing a cargo pod to mount on the belly of a Cessna 172 for cargo or potentially survey/photo equipment. Multi-purpose. Just wondering if anyone had any thoughts on if this is something others would be interested in purchasing?

[digits_]

I am looking into developing a cargo pod to mount on the belly of a Cessna 172 for cargo or potentially survey/photo equipment. Multi-purpose. Just wondering if anyone had any thoughts on if this is something others would be interested in purchasing?

How is that going to work for weight and balance?
Survey and photo people generally like to stay in the air a long time. With full fuel, a pilot, the equipment and then the extra cargo pod, are you going to be legal to take off?

Prices for 172s have increased significantly the past couple of years. The extra cost for a bigger airplane such as a 206 is not that much anymore. Those often already have cargo pods. Might not make much commercial sense to convert a 172 to use the pod.

Then again, I'm sure there is someone out there who would want it.

[PilotDAR]

Just wondering if anyone had any thoughts on if this is something others would be interested in purchasing?

I expect that the market is small. You can't make it big enough to carry enough to be worth the cost to build, test and approve it. If approved, you still have to build and certify them for sale and installation, unless you're already a TC approved manufacturer, that's quite a bit of work.

The 172 will carry a decent pod, but there's probably not enough ground clearance under the belly to install a practically sized [for cargo] pod.

[photofly]

I say go for it. It would be a handy place to stow some tie-downs, rope, cowl cover, survival gear - other stuff that always gets in the way in the baggage compartment when you're trying to load bags. It doesn't have to be enormous.

One for a 182 would be nice too.

[fish4life]

I say go for it. It would be a handy place to stow some tie-downs, rope, cowl cover, survival gear - other stuff that always gets in the way in the baggage compartment when you're trying to load bags. It doesn't have to be enormous.

One for a 182 would be nice too.

The problem with a 172 is if you are out of room for baggage chances are you are also over your max take off weight, adding 40-50 ish lbs to the empty weight of a 172 is only going to further hurt this.
The surveillance/ camera option is interesting but I bet the issue there is each camera / piece of surveillance equipment is a different size with different mounting causing a generic pod to not help either.

[Redneck_pilot86]

I say go for it. It would be a handy place to stow some tie-downs, rope, cowl cover, survival gear - other stuff that always gets in the way in the baggage compartment when you're trying to load bags. It doesn't have to be enormous.

One for a 182 would be nice too.

The problem with a 172 is if you are out of room for baggage chances are you are also over your max take off weight, adding 40-50 ish lbs to the empty weight of a 172 is only going to further hurt this.
The surveillance/ camera option is interesting but I bet the issue there is each camera / piece of surveillance equipment is a different size with different mounting causing a generic pod to not help either.

Depends on the 172. Even with full fuel and 3 adult males in ours, I have capability, but no space, for 300lbs.

[all_ramped_up]

I say go for it. It would be a handy place to stow some tie-downs, rope, cowl cover, survival gear - other stuff that always gets in the way in the baggage compartment when you're trying to load bags. It doesn't have to be enormous.

One for a 182 would be nice too.

The problem with a 172 is if you are out of room for baggage chances are you are also over your max take off weight, adding 40-50 ish lbs to the empty weight of a 172 is only going to further hurt this.
The surveillance/ camera option is interesting but I bet the issue there is each camera / piece of surveillance equipment is a different size with different mounting causing a generic pod to not help either.

If you're doing Survey etc in a C172 you're just going to turf the rear seat and put the camera port in the floor. No need for a pod.