In 1958, the Skylane name was applied-prior to this, the airplane was simply called the 182-and a deluxe version with wheel pants, standard radios and full paint instead of the trim over bare aluminum bettered the basic 182. That’s an early 182S retrofitted with an Aspen PFD and Avidyne GPS. The 182A got an external baggage door and a 100-pound higher gross weight. The 182A saw redesigned gear with a wider track and a lower stance, with the mains 4 inches shorter and the nosegear 2 inches shorter. (More on that later.)Ĭessna embarked upon a continuing improvement program, introducing new model designations every couple of years. Gross weight was 2550 pounds, compared to the modern Skylane max takeoff weight of 3110 pounds. With its straight tail and windowless back, the original 182 looks like an antique, but Cessna soon sleeked it up with a rakish tailfin and the classic rear window everyone loves. The engine remains easily overhaulable, for prices under $30,000. In the first 182s, power was provided by a 230-HP Continental O-470-L, an engine that proved to be such a worthy choice that some variant of it was retained until the airplane went out of production in 1986. Obviously, given the price of the new 182T, aircraft prices have far outstripped inflation. That’s equivalent to about $158,000 in 2019 dollars. When the airplane appeared in 1956, the average price was just under $17,000. It’s not unusual to see an older 182 with repaired gear and firewall due to a nose prang. With the new gear, the 182 developed a nose-heavy tendency and Cessna never did sort this out.Įven new ones require deft trimming or the lazy pilot risks smashing the nosegear into the runway and crow hopping down the strip. The 182 evolved from the 180 taildragger, so Cessna added the tri-gear, redesigned and relocated the exhaust and reworked the fuel vent system. The fact that it looks like a giant Skyhawk which itself looks like an inflated 150 shows that Cessna just did what it does best: It built on its experience with previous designs and scaled them up. Wind the clock back to 1956 to reach the beginning of the 182 evolutionary history. A big investment, to be sure, but far less money (and far less speed) than a new Cirrus SR22, as one example. These days, you can buy a 182 with a full G1000 glass panel and a luxe interior for a price in the high $300Ks. For many, it’s as far up the pecking order as they’ll go in their flying careers. That covers a lot of bases.Įxcept for its intolerance for mismanagement on and around the runway-giving it a not so respecful ranking in the NTSB reports-we suspect buyers are comfortable with long-term Skylane ownership. From the oldest Skylane to the current all-glass model that flirts with $500,000, a 182 has good hauling capability, good dispatch reliability and a relatively comfortable cabin, plus maintenance shops know how to work on it. It’s easy to see why the venerable Cessna 182 Skylane is an easy choice for a wide variety of missions. Skylanes are prized for short and rough airfield operation and deservedly so.
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