Airtest – Cessna 182 Skylane

At that time, the new-fangled trike undercarriage was attached to the aircraft, along with a lot of newbies.

The base price in US dollars was $13,750. The engine was a Continental 0-470-L giving out 230 horsepower.

Apart from the fact that Cessna’s new baby was virtually a 180 with a tricycle undercard, there appeared to be little in major mods on the ’56 production 182.

Through the years, however, there have been changes, cosmetics in great numbers and refinements in aerodynamics to the point where the old 182 with its stalky-looking main wheels looks entirely inadequate, the nose gear hanging out like some lost orphan on the end of a long oleo, and the straight-up-and-down vertical stabiliser is almost unrecognisable.

One thing has remained constant; the legendary and proven name for trustworthiness, forgiveness and docility long past the point where many light aircraft would turn round and bite you most devastatingly.

Perhaps 1958 was the first real turning point in Skylane’s evolution; the first deluxe version rolled out of Wichita that year.

Then came the 1960 change – a significant one; the 182 boasted a swept fin, which remains to this day.

The year 1962 saw two more important refinements.

Electric flaps were introduced, along with the wrap-around mar window. The base price at this time went up to $18,500, still virtually in line with the current earning power of your average pilot-worker.

Wichita began scratching its head, looking for more come-ons to attract a still bigger share of the buyer market. In 1964 an optional child’s seat was introduced· – and there the mods stayed until 1970 when new wingtips were thought up. Gross w. eight and base price went up – by 150 lb, and to $US 20,895. During the Cessna consolidated its pole position in the market, but nothing of real importance was done – until the magic 1980 Model turned up. That’s if you discount the RG Skylane currently selling on the world market.

The AADR evaluation team consulted Rex Aviation for details of Cessna’s 1980 model 182, the Space-Age Skylane. We had earlier digested the words of Cessna Senior VP Bob Lair:

“The name Skylane is the symbol of the ideal in business and personal transportation . . . for many years the Skylane’s reputation for comfort, speed, range and payload, plus landing ease has made it the accepted standard for the industry. ”

We did not argue. AADR has been flying Cessnas for some years and is familiar with the type in terms of an undefinable but definite solidity, comfort, and complete trustworthy acceptance of an aircraft for all reasons and seasons.

Rex Aviation Sales (NSW) Ply Ltd chief David Irons was enthusiastic when contacted. “We’ve just got a new ’80 model 182 . . . a very pretty machine,” he commented.

With Rex’s Allan Bligh, AADR met the new bird, an 1820 model, still serially N5119N, and decked out in Cessna’s new base optional colour of adobe beige instead of the almost traditional white base. And very pretty it looked, too.

The evaluation aircraft was trialled at the factory as 182-67529, according to the manual. We had already digested the claim – a justifiable one – that the Skylane is now the best-selling four-place high-performance single in the world, and the third best-selling aircraft, full stop. (The other two are also Cessnas).

What’s new for the ’80 model? With the help of Allan, we eyeballed the new seatback recline levers on standard seats, the optional fully-articulated front seats, and the optional writing desk, which appears to really work.

New exterior striping and interior fabrics and colours enhance the cosmetic appeal of an already popular type. The panel has a definitely new look with standard black or shadow grey panel inserts, all-black radios and pedestal.

There’s a new audio control panel and marker beacon with updated circuitry, new switching for transmitter-changing and separate nav/com monitoring on two radios at once.

On flappery – the 1980 182 has a new indicator for easy reading. The plastic indicator was missing on the test aircraft, so we couldn’t vouch for the claim.

Wing flap electrical circuitry has been revamped to cut down the number of wires and connections. Result – easier maintenance.

Add all these refinements to the already sturdy reputation built around the 1254 lb useful load, the biggest four-place cabin in the upper atmosphere and a fast cruise speed of 144 knots, 1000! pm-plus rate of climb and the ability to span more than 1000 nm with full fuel and you have the 1980 Skylane.

Our evaluation was more of a renewed acquaintance with an old friend. Many pilots in Australia are already more than familiar with the series and AADR’s first Skylane evaluation sortie was flown in 1971. Every time we check out an 182 it seems to renew the problem – albeit a theoretical one – of what aircraft we would like best to own if we were given a choice.

The test Skylane was fitted with many options, including a 200A auto-pilot, navcoms, VOA and localiser indicators, EGT gauge and a transponder – all featured in the Cessna II package. Asking price for this aircraft was $61, 610 at the time of evaluation.

Our evaluation consisted of a shortish flight from Bankstown to Katoomba, a cruise-climb, high and slow speed runs, stalls with and without flap, a landing at Camden for ground photography, and a short-field take-off from Camden.

During all these manoeuvres and in all configurations the Skylane bore out – and in most cases bettered – the manual claims and fully justified all the sometimes eulogistic publicity given in the brochures.

In our book, the ’80 Skylane is yet another winner from the Wichita stables, and we find it hard to predict what will come with the successive years’ models in terms of value reliability for money, and sheer cost-effectiveness.

The weather was kind enough as we departed Bankstown, despite a mild chop from the mountains which later developed into a definitely strong wind later that day.

The test aircraft was carrying about 2458 lb on take-off. Maximum gross is carded at 2950 lb for take-off or landing. The outside air temperature was fairly high at +24 C as we rolled for take-off with about a half-turn of the right rudder fed in.

After a strong climb-out to 5000 ft, bettering the book figure of 705 ft for take-off roll (we had 10 degrees of flap extended for take-off), and 101o fpm at sea level, the test aircraft was set up for a typical cruise.

With a mild chop still hanging about, increasing as we made for Katoomba, a 23/2300 setting was applied in an outside air temperature of +14 C. This resulted in bettering the given 75 per cent power cruise speed of 144 knots by a handsome margin.

Coming back to 21 inches on the manifold pressure {21/2300 is the rated 65 per cent power setting) we still indicated well above the book’s figure, managing 138 indicated and getting fuel flow back to around the 1 O US gallons/hour mark. This eventually fell still lower as the EGT was adjusted critically.

Vernier’s controls on power, prop and mixture made these jobs much easier in terms of fine-tuning.

According to the manual, a clean stall should occur at 56 knots on the clock. The needle just about disappeared round the stop before we got anything like a sink rate, the 182 getting quite irritated about the whole procedure. Flaps down, the situation was even more stable, although we got a left-wing drop at the end of much effort.

The Skylane will glide from 6000 ft for about 10 nm while indicating 70 knots, nil flap. We tried it and found this to be an understatement.

En route to Camden we set up 75 per cent settings to check out the book’s claim that 75 per cent should give you 144 indicated, fuel flow of just under 13 mph (US) in exchange for setting up 22/2400. Once again an understatement on the pessimistic side.

The short field take-off from Camden proved once again that a Cessna can get out of many places with safety where other types in the same class could be definitely chancing their luck. There is so little that can be written in terms of originality when one describes the perennial 182; it’s all been written before.

The proof of this timeless light aircraft can best be reflected in the sales figures from year to year.

Suffice it to say that as long as there are light aircraft in Australia’s skies, Cessna will always have the lion’s share by virtue of sheer comfort, reliability and market appeal.

Happy anniversary, Skylane.