cessna 182rg turbo cruise speed

Dive Into The Details Of Cessna’s Skylane RG182 & TR182 Turbo

Cessna By Textron Aviation

Before creating his own initial aircraft, Cessna’s founder Clyde V. Cessna made his first appearance at an airshow in 1911. It was there that he quickly became interested in designing and producing aircraft. With experience as a mechanic and auto salesman, Clyde put together his aircraft with a kit from Queens Airplane Company in the Bronx. Over time, Clyde became a fairly good pilot.

In 1916, Clyde got the opportunity to use a space for his aircraft dreams rent-free on one condition – any new aircraft he made had to have the name of a particular car model called “Jones-Six” painted on the underside of its wings.

In 1917, he built the Comet. However, World War I impacted his vision, halting sales and production altogether as most critical parts and supplies became essential for war use. After coming to terms with his failed venture, he returned to farming.

Years later, in 1925, wealthy businessmen Walter Beech and Lloyd Stearman offered Cessna an opportunity to build and produce more aircraft. After teaming up, they created Travel Air Manufacturing Company with Cessna as its president. But Cessna didn’t enjoy his role as president and missed being heavily involved with aircraft design and production. So, two years later, Cessna teamed up with Victor Roos to create the Cessna-Roos Company. His partner Roos left the business shortly after for another job.

Cessna had successful sales through the business’s A and D series, but tough times were still up ahead. After private aircraft sales fell to an all-time low in 1931, Cessna closed his company again.

By 1933, Cessna’s nephew Dwane Wallace had obtained his degree in Aeronautical Engineering from Wichita University. He eventually worked for Beech Aircraft Company, where he convinced executives to allow his uncle to reopen his shop and continue making aircraft. At the time, Beech occupied a small section of Cessna’s former factory.

After Cessna’s retirement in 1936, he allowed the sale of all of his shares to his nephews, Dwane and Dwight Wallace. Under the Wallace Brothers’ leadership, Cessna designed and built its first twin-engine aircraft in 1938. Before World War II, government demands from the U.S. and Canada poured in for aircraft to be used for military training. From there, Cessna’s business expanded quickly, embracing its newfound success.

Country of Origin: America

Cessna Skylane RG182 & TR182 Turbo

Below are the average statistics for the latest Cessna Skylane RG182 and TR182 Turbo models. Find more information on Cessna’s Skylane series by joining VREF Online .

Cessna Skylane R182 (1986) Statistics

Cessna skylane rg turbo tr182 (1986) statistics, operational resources, operations manual.

TR182 Turbo

Maintenance Document

• RG182 & TR182 Turbo Service Manual

Local Resources

• Textron Aviation Inc. (Domestic and International Service Centers)
• Cessna Flyer Association

Manufacturer

• BWI Aviation Insurance
• Falcon Aviation Insurance
• Travers Aviation Insurance
• AOPA Insurance
• USAA Aircraft Insurance For Pilots

Cessna Skylane Details

The following is information about the latest Cessna Skylane RG182 and TR182 Turbo models (1980s).

The RG variation of the 182 features optional weather radar technology and a larger interior cabin than many other piston models. It also has deep-cushioned, reclining seats for additional comfort.

Cessna’s Turbo TR182 model features a quiet and comfortable cabin with a spacious rear baggage area and rear access door. This model also offered air conditioning as an option during production.

The RG182 features retractable gear and a high-wing design for better flight life, stability, and safer landings.

The turbo model has a high-wing retractable undercarriage and is equipped with long-range wet-wing fuel tanks. This model also features an optional 3-blade propeller.

• PS Engineering PMA 7000B-T Audio Panel/Intercom System (Bluetooth)
• Dual King KX 170B Navigation/Communications
• Dual Glideslopes
• King KCS 55A Compass System
• L3 Lynx NGT-9000 Multilink ADS-B In/Out Transponder with traffic display
• Northstar GPS-60 Navigator
• Davtron digital clock
• King KR 87 ADF
• King KN 64 DME
• Cessna 300 A Autopilot with ST-60 Altitude Hold, Vertical Speed, and Glideslope Coupling
• Eventide Argus 5000 Moving Map
• WX-10A Stormscope
• Shadin Digital Fuel Flow/Totalizer
• Electronics International UBG-16 Engine Analyzer with Burst Recorder
• Precise Flight Standby Vacuum System
• Pulselight Landing and Taxi Light System
• Garmin 3X GDU PFD Touch
• Garmin G-5 Standby
• Garmin GTN-750Txi
• Garmin GTR 225 Navigation/Communications
• Garmin GNX375 GPS WAAS ADS-B in and out
• Garmin GAD 29B
• Garmin GSU 25D ADAHRS
• Garmin GMA 340 Audio Panel
• Garmin GFC 500 Autopilot System

Specifications

• Configuration: Single Engine, Piston, Retractable Gear
• Max Take Off Weight: 3,100 lbs.
• Range: 800 Nm
• Take Off Run: 820 ft.
• Landing Roll: 600 ft.
• Wing Span: 35 ft. 10 in.
• Length: 28 ft. 8 in.
• Height: 8 ft. 11 in.
• Take Off Run (50 ft.): 1,570 ft.
• Max Seats: 4
• Cruise: 160 Kts
• Payload: 739 lbs.
• Useful Load: 1,291 lbs.
• Length: 28 ft. 7.5 in.
• Fuel: 88 gal
• Gross Weight: 3,100 lbs.
• Useful Load: 1,256 lbs.
• Baggage Capacity: 200 lbs.
• Cruise Speed: 173 Kts
• Max Range: 905 Nm
• Endurance: 6 hours
• Rate Of Climb: 1,040 fpm
• Service Ceiling: 20,000 ft.
• Takeoff Ground Roll: 820 ft.
• Landing Ground Roll: 600 ft.

Cessna Skylane Models

After receiving its certification in 1956, the first 182 features four seats and is powered by a carbureted 230-horsepower Continental O-470-L piston engine. It has a gross weight of 2,550 lbs.

182A Skylane

This four-seater, light aircraft has fixed landing gear and is powered by a carbureted 230-horsepower Continental O-470-L piston engine. This model received its first certification in December 1956, and it has a gross weight of 2,650 lbs.

182B Skylane

The 182B received its certification in August 1958. Furthermore, this version also seats four with fixed landing gear and is powered by a carbureted 230-horsepower Continental O-470-L piston engine. It has a gross weight of 2,650 lbs.

182C Skylane

This four-seater 182C Skylane received its certification in July 1959. It features fixed landing gear and is powered by a carbureted 230-horsepower Continental O-470-L piston engine with a gross weight of 2,650 lbs.

182D Skylane

Powered by a carbureted 230 horsepower Continental O-470-L piston engine, Cessna’s D variation of the Skylane seats four with a gross weight of 2,650 lbs. It received its certification in June 1960.

182E Skylane

Skylane’s E variation uses a carbureted 230 horsepower Continental O-470-L or O-470-R piston engine, seats four with fixed landing gear, and has a gross weight of 2,800 lbs. Its certification was received in June 1961.

182F Skylane

After the 182E became certified, the 182F also received its certification in August 1962. This variation is a four-seater light aircraft with fixed landing gear, powered by a carbureted 230 horsepower Continental O-470-L or O-470-R piston engine with a gross weight of 2,800 lbs.

182G Skylane

Cessna’s G variation is a four-seat light aircraft with fixed landing gear powered by a carbureted 230-horsepower Continental O-470-L or an O-470-R piston engine. It has a gross weight of 2,800 lbs. and was certified in July 1963.

182H Skylane

Certified in September of 1964, this four-seater light aircraft uses a carbureted 230 horsepower Continental O-470-R piston engine with a gross weight of 2,800 lbs.

182J Skylane

Skylane’s J variation received its certification in October 1965. This four-seat light aircraft with fixed landing gear is equipped with a carbureted 230-horsepower Continental O-470-R piston engine. The J variation has a gross weight of 2,800 lbs.

182K Skylane

Following its J-model predecessor, this light aircraft seats four with fixed landing gear and is powered by a carbureted 230 horsepower Continental O-470-R piston engine. It has a gross weight of 2,800 lbs. and received its certification in August 1966.

182L Skylane

With a gross weight of 2,800 lbs., this is a four-seat light aircraft with fixed landing gear that uses a carbureted 230 horsepower Continental O-470-R piston engine and received its certification in July 1967.

182M Skylane

The M variation of the Skylane is a four-seat light aircraft with fixed landing gear and a carbureted 230-horsepower Continental O-470-R piston engine. Its gross weight is 2,800 lbs, and it was certified in September 1968. An experimental version of the 182M also exists with a full cantilever wing.

182N Skylane

Cessna’s N variation seats four with fixed landing gear and has a carbureted 230 horsepower Continental O-470-R or an O-470-S piston engine. Its gross weight is 2,950 lbs. for takeoff and 2,800 lbs. for landing. It was certified in September of 1969.

182P Skylane

Powered by a carbureted 230 horsepower Continental O-470-R or O-470-S piston engine, the P variation has a gross weight of 2,950 lbs. It seats four and received its certification in October 1971.

182Q Skylane

Closing out the 70s, Cessna produced this four-seater light aircraft with fixed landing gear and carbureted 230 horsepower Continental O-470-U piston engine. It has a gross weight of 2,950 lbs. and was first certified in July 1976. But significant changes were made to transform it into a 24-V electrical system in its 1978 model year. It also had a change from the bladder to wet-wing fuel tanks in its 1979 model year.

182R Skylane

This four-seat light aircraft with fixed landing gear is powered by a carbureted 230 horsepower Continental O-470-U piston engine with a gross weight of 3,100 lbs. for takeoff and 2,950 lbs. for landing. Certified in August 1980, this variant, along with the 182Q, can alternatively be equipped with the jet fuel-burning SMA SR305-230 diesel engine.

182S Skylane

Cessna’s S variation seats four with fixed landing gear, using a fuel-injected 230-horsepower Lycoming IO-540-AB1A5 piston engine. It has a gross weight of 3,100 lbs. for takeoff and 2,950 lbs. for landing. This model received its certification in October 1996.

182T Skylane

Cessna’s 182T received its certification in February 2001. It seats four with fixed landing gear and is powered by a fuel-injected 230-horsepower Lycoming IO-540-AB1A5 piston engine. It has a gross weight of 3,100 lbs. for takeoff and 2,950 lbs. for landing. This variation is still in production.

R182 Skylane RG

This four-seater light aircraft has retractable landing gear and uses a 235-horsepower Lycoming O-540-J3C5D piston engine. It has a gross weight of 3,100 lbs. and was certified in July 1977.

Using a turbocharged 235 horsepower Lycoming O-540-L3C5D, this piston-engine aircraft seats four and has a gross weight of 3,100 lbs. for takeoff and 2,950 lbs. for landing. This aircraft received its certification in August 1980.

T182T Skylane

Cessna’s turbocharged four-seater version features fixed landing gear and is powered by a turbocharged and fuel-injected 235-horsepower Lycoming TIO-540-AK1A piston engine. Skylane’s turbocharged model has a gross weight of 3,100 lbs. for takeoff and 2,950 lbs. for landing. It received its certification in February 2001. After being produced from 2001 to 2013, a press release dated February 2022 by Textron announced resumed production for its delivery in 2023.

TR182 Turbo Skylane RG

Certified in September 1978, this four-seater light aircraft with retractable landing gear is powered by a turbocharged 235 horsepower Lycoming O-540-L3C5D piston engine. It has a gross weight of 3,100 lbs.

T182JT-A Turbo Skylane JT-A

Initially introduced as the Turbo Skylane NXT, Cessna changed the name to avoid confusion with the Remos NXT. This light aircraft seats four with fixed landing gear and is powered by a 227 horsepower SMA SR305-230 diesel engine. It burns 11 U.S. gallons per hour of Jet-A fuel and cruises at 156 knots. It was first flown in May 2013; however, it has since been discontinued.

Top Cessna Skylane RG182 & TR182 Turbo Questions

• Check out FAQs about Cessna’s Skylane.

How Much Does The Most Recent Skylane Cost?

• A 2023 Cessna Turbo Skylane T182T has a base price of $653,000. A non-turbo variation of the Skylane has a base price of $530,000.

How Fast Is The Turbocharged T182T?

• Cessna’s Skylane T182T has a maximum cruise speed of 165 ktas and a top limit speed of 175 kias.

What Is The Difference Between A Cessna Skyhawk & Skylane?

• While Cessna’s 172 is widely popular, the Skylane is known for having a larger airframe, more power, and more interior space. However, when it comes to pricing, the 172 is the more affordable option for the two aircraft, which is largely due to its lower engine costs to repair when necessary.

Everything You Need To Know About Cessna’s Skylane Series

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Cessna 182 Turbo Skylane: Business Turbo for the Family Man

Posted by Bill Cox | May 27, 2015 | Featured Plane

Like many of you, I’ve logged my share of hours in C-182s of one description or another, fixed-gear and retractable, normally-aspirated and turbocharged. By any measure, Skylanes are almost universally regarded as wonderful machines, blessed with docile handling, reasonable performance, good reliability, and (in some cases) full fuel, four-place capability.

These days, creature comforts are generally excellent, regardless of the size of your creatures, the avionics suite is nothing short of amazing, and the airplane continues to carry a phenomenal payload. Still, position an old and a new Skylane side-by-side in bare aluminum trim, and you might be hard-pressed to tell the difference. Despite the basic model’s age, the Skylane and Turbo Skylane continue to represent the state-of-the-art from the Independence, Kansas, manufacturer.

Rumors have been flying for years about the Cessna Next Generation Piston airplane, and indeed, many of us saw the airplane at an AOPA Convention in Palm Springs a few years ago. Cessna is unlikely to pursue that design until the market turns around, however. For the nonce, the Skylane is Cessna’s top, four-seat single.

Just as the Piper Cub was regarded the generic airplane of the ‘30s and ‘40s, and the butterfly-tail Beech Bonanza dominated the ‘50s and ‘60s, the Skylane has come to be regarded as the definitive general aviation design of the ‘70s and ‘80s. Discontinued with all other Cessna piston singles in 1986, the revived Skylane has evolved into a handsome package that continues to endear itself and give the competition a run for the money, specifically BECAUSE the basic design remains true to the original.

If the basic airplane’s comparative lack of innovation and aerodynamic improvement seem almost anachronistic in this age of composite construction, NLF airfoils, ballistic parachutes, and innovative fuselage design, that’s not necessarily such a bad thing—assuming you got it right the first time. Cessna did. Like the DC-3 and Boeing Stearman in other general aviation markets, the venerable Skylane is far from perfect, but almost a half century after its introduction, it continues to offer perhaps the best combination of simplicity, performance, comfort, economy, and payload in the industry.

If you accept the premise that the Skylane is one of the world’s definitive singles, the Turbo Skylane represents perhaps the best of the best. In Western skies where runways often perch a mile or more above the sea, the trend is definitely toward turbos. Combine a 90 degree F day with the field elevation of Albuquerque or Denver, and many normally-aspirated airplanes simply need not apply.

Cessna uses essentially the same 540 cubic inch Lycoming engine in both the normally-aspirated and turbocharged Skylanes, but the sloped controller in the heavy-breathing Lycoming TIO-540-AK1A Turbo Skylane maintains full-rated power (235 hp) all the way to the airplane’s maximum operating altitude of 20,000 feet. High density altitudes are less of a challenge with such power on tap.

The Cessna store in my neck of the woods is Pacific Air Center, one of the world’s largest piston Cessna dealers. Sales manager Rich Manor put me in touch with Mike Bastien, owner of a late-model Turbo-Skylane. Bastien also owns Universal Flooring Systems, a commercial flooring company with contracts up and down the West Coast and as far east as Phoenix. Bastien purchased his Skylane specifically to service his company’s interests. “It’s truly a marvelous airplane,” says Bastien. “For me, the Skylane was the perfect follow-on to my Skyhawk XP.”

Bastien was first licensed in 1977, and the flooring executive wanted a stable IFR platform to service his projects in San Francisco, San Diego, and other locations out West. “I use the airplane probably 90 percent for business, 10 percent for family transport, and it’s ideal for operation in the mountains. Once you’re trained in the use of the G1000 in the Skylane, the combination of gentle handling and simple, straightforward avionics makes IFR flying almost intuitive,” Bastien explains.

Today’s basic Skylane includes a list of accoutrements the old Skylane could only dream of. Perhaps the most innovative safety improvement is the AmSafe Aviation Inflatable Restraint (inevitably A-I-R), a system of seatbelt-mounted airbags designed to inflate within milliseconds of detecting a 16 G impact. Automotive-style airbags were out of the question because of weight, airframe, and certification considerations, so Cessna contracted with AmSafe to create a simpler, but similarly effective, method of restraint.

The new generation of Skylanes also features the Garmin G1000 glass cockpit. It’s hard to imagine a communication and navigation system with more talent. We’ve expounded on the virtues of the G1000 many times before, so we won’t belabor the point here, but the G1000 brings essentially all the tricks of airline cockpits to the ranks of general aviation.

Aircraft speeds can translate to impact G-loads that far outstrip anything you might experience in an automobile, so you probably shouldn’t expect to walk away after driving head-on into a mountain at cruise, but the AmSafe system will improve survivability in most “more reasonable” impacts. Yes, the thick belts are a little clumsier to use, with bulky, decompressed airbags tightly packed across your waist, but it’s comforting to know you have some protection in the event of a minor impact.

Other nice touches inside the Turbo Skylane include a 14-volt power outlet, Rosen visors, a classy, floor-mounted chart and cup-holder console between the front buckets, and a dramatically improved air circulation system that doesn’t shortchange the folks in back.

Any pilot who has flown a 182 knows it’s essentially a 172 with a hormone problem, and for that very reason, the secret to the Skylane’s personality is trim. At its full gross weight of 3100 pounds, the Skylane is 550 pounds heavier than the old Skyhawk SP, and the additional weight manifests itself primarily in pitch. The airplane’s elevator is notably heavier than that of the ‘Hawk, demanding immediate re-trimming for any sudden attitude change, such as a go-around.

The roll rate isn’t dramatic, but you wouldn’t expect it to be considering the airplane’s mission. As with most, current-generation Cessnas, adverse yaw is virtually non-existent, making rudder coordination unnecessary in banks shallower than 35 degrees.

The key to the T182’s personality is the turbo itself. An obvious primary benefit of turbocharging is that – most of the time – the effects of temperature and field elevation aren’t such limiting factors during takeoff and initial climb. The Turbo Skylane will turn in a 1000-fpm ascent or more at practically all heights to 10,000 feet, then 750-800 fpm on up to the airplane’s maximum operating height of 20,000 feet.

A turbo also expedites high altitude cruise for those pilots who don’t mind sucking on supplemental oxygen. A built-in, four-position oxygen system is standard on the T-Skylane, and the new generation of cannulas makes oxygen use more tolerable than the old, full facemasks. The gas still dries out your throat and sinuses, but it does facilitate travel four miles above the Earth for those pilots who are so inclined.

There are even some O2 systems available that attach an oxygen dispenser to a headset microphone stalk, blowing oxygen directly into the pilot’s nostrils and making the process of oxygen delivery almost totally transparent. If you fly regularly with a skittish non-pilot, these can be a valuable option.

A turbo offers the benefit of better speed at all heights above about 9000 feet, but higher altitude also provides better VHF radio range, reduced traffic congestion, less turbulence, and better weather. Use of oxygen does increase operating cost somewhat, (roughly $4/passenger/hour), but for many pilots, the benefits outweigh the costs.

Fortunately, the definition of high altitude doesn’t have to involve the flight levels. The Turbo Skylane can realize significant performance benefits at non-oxygen altitudes. The Lycoming is so severely de-rated, that max cruise power is listed as 88 percent. If you’re flying at 12,000 feet with power at the limit, you can expect 158-160 knots, depending upon weight. That’s easily equal to or better than the best efforts of some retractables, like the old Commander 114, SOCATA Trinidad, and the Piper Turbo Arrow.

For those who don’t mind the inconvenience and are willing to strap on a mask and climb to 18,000 feet or higher, the Turbo Skylane will turn an extra 15 knots of cruise, and it will scoot across country at 175 knots. With 87 gallons in the tanks and a typical burn of 17 gph at high cruise, plan on 600 nm plus reserve between fuel stops. For those pilots with long-range bladders who can endure eight-hour legs, dramatically reduced power settings can extend range to nearly 1000 nm.

The turbocharging and associated plumbing does inflict a 100-pound penalty on payload, and the result is the airplane will no longer lift four folks and full fuel. It’s more of a three-place machine with both tanks topped. If you fly with half fuel, however, you’ll have allowance for the fourth soul plus a little baggage, and you can still endure for two hours plus IFR reserves.

It wasn’t so many years ago that pilots were scared of turbos, and with good reason. TBOs were lower, turbocharged engines ran hotter, fuel burn was high, maintenance cost more, and pilots were justifiably concerned about reliability.

A turbo does add complexity, but blower manufacturers have refined and improved their systems so much that turbo TBOs are often the same as on the normally-aspirated models, the overheating problem is no longer a factor, maintenance isn’t a significant headache on modern turbochargers, and reliability is pretty much the same as on a normally-aspirated Skylane.

The airplane also returns to Earth with similar reliability, demanding minimum piloting skill. Stalls are gentle and forgiving, and easily recoverable. That contributes to excellent manners in the pattern. Takeoff and landing runway requirements are minimal, if not exactly in the STOL class. The Skylane’s leaf-sprung steel main gear allows it to land in places where other airplanes would fear to roll a tread. Just remember to remove the wheel pants if you fly off-airport. The Turbo Skylane’s bulbous, composite wheel fairings won’t tolerate truly rough strips.

To some extent, at least, the Skylane’s turbo defines the airplane. If you fly out west where the Earth demands airplanes to match its mountains, a Turbo Skylane may offer exactly the right combination of ingredients. Combine excellent reliability, plentiful performance, and reasonable comfort, and you have the formula that has made the 182 a winner for nearly a half-century.

Just when Cessna thought it was safe to discontinue the normally-aspirated and turbocharged avgas 182s in favor of the new Skylane JT-A, fate stepped in with a surprise. As the new JT-A was nearing certification, one of the test airplanes suffered a complete power failure and had to be landed off-airport. The test pilot did a good job and walked away, but the certification effort was set back quite a bit. This left Cessna in the unenviable position of having no Skylanes to sell, since the avgas models had been phased out. Stay tuned for the next chapter of the Skylane saga.

Specifications & Performance –  Cessna Turbo Skylane

All specs and performance numbers are drawn from official sources, often the aircraft flight manual or the manufacturer’s website. An alternate source on used airplanes is Jane’s All-The-World’s Aircraft.

Specifications

Engine make/model:                Lyc TIO-540-AK1A

Horsepower on takeoff:           235

TBO – hours:                              2000

Fuel type:                                   100/100LL

Propeller:                                   McCauley CS

Landing gear type:                    Tri/fxd

Max TO weight (lbs):                3100

Std empty weight (lbs):            2017

Useful load – std (lbs):             1083

Usable fuel – std (gal/lbs):       87/522

Payload – full std fuel (lbs):     561

Wingspan:                                   36’

Overall length:                           29’

Height:                                        9’ 4”

Wing area (sq ft):                      174

Wing loading (lbs/sq ft):          17.8

Power loading (lbs/hp):           13.2

Wheel size:                                 6.00 x 6

Seating capacity:                       4

Cabin doors:                               2

Cabin width (in):                       44

Cabin height (in):                      48.5

Performance

Cruise speed (kts – Max Crs):  158 (@ 12,000′)

Fuel Cons (gph – Max Crs):      14

Best rate of climb, SL (fpm):   1040

Max Operating Altitude (ft):   20,000

TO ground roll (ft):                  775

TO over 50 ft (ft):                     1385

Ldg ground roll (ft):                 590

Ldg over 50 ft (ft):                    1350

About The Author

Bill Cox took his first flight in a Piper J-3 Cub in 1953 and has logged some 15,000 hours in 311 different types of aircraft since. He has authored more than 2,200 magazine articles and was the on-camera host of the 1980s TV series “ ABC’s Wide World of Flying.” Bill is currently rated Commercial/Multi/Instrument/Seaplane/Glider/Helicopter. He can be contacted via email at [email protected]. Learn About Bill's Book Here

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• March 23, 2020

Photograph:

Cessna R182 Skylane RG II VH-PUF (c/n R182-01788) at Cowra, NSW in September 2010 (David C Eyre)

Country of origin:

United States of America

Description:

Four-seat cabin monoplane

Power Plant:

One 175 kw (235 hp) Avco Lycoming O-540-J3C5D six-cylinder horizontally-opposed air-cooled engine

Specifications:

• Wingspan: 10.92 m (35 ft 10 in)
• Length: 8.72 m (28 ft 7½ in)
• Height: 2.72 m (8 ft 11 in)
• Wing area: 16.2 m² (174 sq ft)
• Max speed at sea level: 296 km/h (184 mph)
• Cruising speed at 75% power at 2,286 m (7,500 ft): 289 km/h (180 mph)
• Stalling speed flaps down: 93 km/h (58 mph)
• Initial rate of climb: 347 m/min (1,140 ft/min)
• Service ceiling: 4,359 m (14,300 ft)
• Max range at 3,048 m (10,000 ft): 2,102 km (1,316 miles)
• Take-off run: 250 m (820 ft)
• Landing run over 15 m (50 ft) obstacle: 479 m (1,570 ft)
• Landing run: 183 m (600 ft)
• Fuel capacity: 348 litres (76.55 Imp gals)
• Empty weight: 786 kg (1,732 lb)
• Loaded weight: 1,406 kg (3,100 lb)

Following the production of almost 17,000 Cessna 182 Skylanes, Cessna in 1977 decided to build a model of the well proven design with a retractable undercarriage, thus providing an aircraft with the proven reliability of its predecessor with the increased speed and fuel efficiency of a retractable undercarriage. The new model proved quite successful on the market, and in 1979 Cessna introduced the Turbo Skylane RG model, this having the turbocharged Avco Lycoming O-540-L3C5D engine of similar power but providing a max speed at 6,096 m (20,000 ft) of 346 km/h (215 mph), permitting this model to have a range at that altitude of 1,880 km (1,168 miles).

The 182RG model was said to be introduced in response to customer demand for improved performance combined with established Skylane economy. Apart from the retractable undercarriage the RG was substantially identical with the Skylane but was fitted with a de-rated Lycoming engine in place of the Teledyne Continental unit installed in fixed undercarriage models. The undercarriage retracted into the fuselage in similar fashion to the Centurion, the main undercarriage legs folding back and the nose wheel forward. The turbocharged variant was added to the range in 1979, at that time introducing the Lycoming engine rather than the Continental unit, and introducing a bonded wing structure which increased the fuel capacity by 45.4 litres (10 Imp gals).

First examples of the Skylane RG were seen in Australia early in 1980 and the type proved quite popular with more than 80 examples of both the standard Model 182RG and the turbocharged model being imported.

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• June 26, 2020

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Cessna Turbo 182

This skylane develops full power all the way up to 20,000 feet, bill cox / photography by rich cox.

These days, creature comforts are generally excellent, regardless of the size of your creatures, the avionics suite is nothing short of amazing, and the airplane continues to carry a phenomenal payload. Still, position an old and a new Skylane side by side in bare aluminum trim, and you might be hard-pressed to tell the difference. Rumors have been flying for several years about Cessna's all-new, four-place piston single, but until that taxis up onto the ramp, the Skylane and Turbo Skylane represent the state-of-the-art from the Independence, Kan., manufacturer.

Just as the Cub was the generic airplane of the ’30s and ’40s, and the butterfly-tail Bonanza dominated the '50s and ’60s, the Skylane has come to be regarded by many as the definitive general-aviation design of the ’70s and ’80s. The C-182 has evolved into a handsome package that continues to endear itself and give the competition a run for the money, specifically because the basic design hasn't changed.

The big innovation for 2005 is Garmin's remarkable G1000 glass cockpit. The talents of the G1000 do-everything navcom and instrument system have been extolled before, so we won't belabor the point, but it's hard to imagine a communication and navigation system with more capability.

Garmin's G1000 combines aircraft attitude and heading, and all flight instrument indications, communication, VHF and GPS navigation, moving map, transponder function, terrain and weather warnings and all engine indications. The bright, multi-colored, two-tube primary and multi-function display is more reminiscent of what you'd expect in an Airbus 330 than a general-aviation, single-engine airplane. There's nothing amateurish about the display, but modern pilots might be tempted to look for the coin slot to play Pac-Man.

An airplane's very basic aerodynamic innovation and power improvements aren't a bad thing when you stop and think about it, assuming you got it right the first time. Cessna did. Like the DC-3 and Boeing Stearman in other aviation markets, the venerable Skylane is far from perfect, but almost a half-century after its introduction, it continues to offer perhaps the best combination of simplicity, performance, comfort, economy and payload in the industry.

If the Skylane is one of the world's definitive singles, the Turbo Skylane represents the best of the best. In Western skies where runways often perch a mile or more above sea level, the trend is definitely turbos. Combine a 90-degree F summer day with the mile-high field elevation of Albuquerque, N.M., or Denver, and many normally aspirated airplanes simply need not apply.

Cessna uses essentially the same injected, 540-cubic-inch Lycoming engine in both the normally aspirated and turbocharged models, but the sloped controller on the heavy-breathing Lycoming TIO-540-AK1A maintains full-rated power (235 hp) all the way to its maximum certified altitude of 20,000 feet, so high-density altitudes are less of a challenge.

The Cessna store near me is Tom's Aircraft in Long Beach, Calif., one of the world's largest piston Cessna dealers (with about 45 airplanes delivered in 2004). Company president Tom Jacobson put me in touch with Mike Bastien of Huntington Beach, Calif., the new owner of the airplane you see on these pages.

Bastien owns Universal Flooring Systems, a commercial flooring company with contracts up and down the West Coast and as far east as Phoenix. Bastien purchased his new Cessna Skylane in March 2005 specifically to service his company's interests. Like all of Tom's new aircraft, Bastien's Skylane is fitted with the Garmin G1000 system and virtually every other option except ADF and air conditioning, and he purchased the Skylane specifically because of the talents of the Garmin G1000.

"For me, the new Skylane was a great follow-on to my 210 hp Skyhawk XP," says Bastien.

First licensed in 1977, the flooring executive wanted a stable IFR platform to service his projects in San Francisco, San Diego and other locations out West. "I use the airplane probably 99% for business, and once you're trained in the use of the G1000, it makes IFR almost intuitive," explains Bastien.

The list price of the G1000 Turbo Skylane comes out to $340,000. It seems no one buys my old friend ADF ($6,100) anymore, and air conditioning, the ultimate luxury at $24,700, simply isn't necessary on the California coast.

The basic machine also includes a list of standard accoutrements the old Skylane could only dream of. Perhaps the most innovative is the AmSafe Aviation Inflatable Restraint, a system of seat belt-mounted airbags designed to inflate within milliseconds of detecting a 16 G impact. Weight, airframe and certification considerations made it impractical to mount conventional, automotive-style airbags, so Cessna contracted with AmSafe to create a simpler, but similarly effective, method of restraint.

Aircraft speeds can translate to impact G-loads that far outstrip anything you might experience in a car, so you still can't drive head-on into a mountain at cruise, but the AmSafe system will improve survivability in most lesser impacts. Yes, the thick belts are a little clumsier to use, with bulky, decompressed airbags tightly packed across your waist, but it's comforting to know you'll have some protection in the event of a minor impact.

Other nice touches inside the cabin include a 12-volt power outlet, Rosen visors, a classy, floor-mounted chart and cup holder console between the front buckets, and a dramatically improved air circulation system.

Any pilot who has flown a C-182 knows it's little more than a C-172 with a hormone problem, and for that very reason, the big secret to the Skylane's personality is trim. At its full gross weight of 3,100 pounds, the Skylane is 550 pounds heavier than the Skyhawk SP, and the additional weight manifests itself primarily in pitch. The airplane's elevator is notably heavier than that of the Hawk, demanding retrimming for any sudden attitude change, such as a go-around.

The roll rate isn't dramatic, but you wouldn't expect it to be, considering the airplane's mission. As with most current-generation Cessnas, adverse yaw is practically nonexistent, making rudder coordination unnecessary in banks shallower than 30 degrees.

The key to the T182T's personality is the turbo itself. An obvious primary benefit of turbocharging is that, most of the time, you can ignore temperature and field elevation as limiting factors during takeoff and initial climb. The 2005 Turbo Skylane will turn in a 1,000 fpm ascent or more at practically all heights to 10,000 feet, 750 to 800 fpm on up to 20,000 feet.

A turbo also expedites high-altitude operation for those pilots who don't mind sucking on oxygen. A built-in, four-position oxygen system is standard on the Skylane, and the more comfortable, new-generation of cannulas make oxygen use more tolerable than the old, full-face masks. It still dries out your sinuses and throat, but it facilitates operation nearly four miles above the Earth. There are even some O2 systems available that attach an oxygen dispenser to a headset microphone stalk, blowing oxygen directly into the pilot's nostrils and making the process totally transparent. If you fly regularly with a skittish non-pilot, these can be a valuable option.

A turbo also offers the obvious benefit of better speed, but high-altitude flight also provides better VHF radio range, reduced traffic, generally less turbulence and better weather. The use of oxygen does increase operating costs slightly (roughly $4 per passenger per hour), but for many pilots, the benefits outweigh the costs.

Fortunately, the definition of high altitude doesn't have to involve flight levels. The T-Skylane can realize significant performance benefits at non-oxygen altitudes. Max cruise power is listed as 88%, and flying at 12,500 feet with power at the limit, you can expect 159 to 160 knots, depending upon weight. That's easily equal to or better than the best efforts of some retractables: the Commander 115B, Socata Trinidad and Piper Arrow.

Better still, the Skylane's leaf spring steel main gear allows it to land in places where most retractables would fear to roll a tread. Just remember to remove the wheel pants if you fly off-airport. The T182T's bulbous, fiberglass wheel fairings won't tolerate truly rough strips any better than low-hanging gear doors.

If you're willing to strap on a mask and climb to 18,000 feet or more, the Turbo Skylane will turn in an extra 15 knots of cruise and cross-country at better than 170 knots. With 87 gallons in the tanks and a typical burn of 17 gph at high cruise, plan on over 600 nm plus reserve between fuel stops. For those pilots with long-range kidneys to endure eight-hour legs, dramatically reduced power can extend the airplane's reach to more like 1,000 nm.

The turbocharger and associated plumbing does inflict a 100-pound penalty on payload, and the result is the airplane won't lift four folks and full fuel. It's more of a three-place machine with both tanks topped. If you fly with half fuel, however, you'll have allowance for the fourth soul plus a little baggage, and you can still endure for two hours plus IFR reserve.

It wasn't so many years ago that pilots were scared of turbos. TBOs were lower, turbocharged engines ran hotter, fuel burn was higher, maintenance cost more, and pilots were concerned about reliability. A turbo adds complexity, but blower manufacturers have refined and improved their systems so much that turbo TBOs are often the same as the normally aspirated models, the overheating problem has been solved, maintenance is no longer a significant headache on modern turbos and reliability is pretty much the same as on the normally aspirated bird.

The T182T is the best of Cessna's line of evolution. If you want an airplane that will do everything well, it may be the one for you.

Contact Cessna at (800) 4-CESSNA or log on to www.cessna.com .

SPECS: 2005 Cessna Turbo Skylane 182

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Cessna 182 RG Skylane RG

The 182rg is an oft-overlooked high-performance choice, but watch out for maintenance bugaboos - especially the landing gear..

Pilots shopping the field for a high-performance retractable sometimes have one of those forehead-slapping moments when the Cessna 182 RG is mentioned. For reasons probably related to the Skylanes rep as a stodgy family sedan, its not often considered in league with the likes of Bonanzas, Mooneys and even Cessna 210s. Yet there it is. The Skylane RG has good performance, hauls a load and is a reasonable buy, although in recent years, thanks to demand, its value has spiked compared to Mooneys and Bonanzas. Mechanically, the 182RG is somewhat of a mixed bag. The landing gear has a troublesome history and although it performs we’ll if maintained, its simply not the equal of systems found on Bonanzas and Mooneys. Ignore maintenance on a Skylane RG and you’ll pay for it sooner or later. History of the Line Cessna put folding legs on the redoubtable Skylane relatively late in the GA came. The first models arrived in 1978 and the model faded by 1986, along with the rest of Cessnas piston line. Only 2000 RGs were built in both turbo and normally aspirated variants, which explains why you don’t see many of these on the ramp. (By comparison, there are nearly four times as many J-model Mooneys and tons of Bonanzas of various models.) While the stiff legged Skylane has Continentals rugged O-470, Cessna switched the 182RG to the Lycoming O-540-J3C5D, at 235 HP. The Cessna TR182RG sports the same engine, turbocharged. Aside from the engine, the only other major difference between the RG and the straight Skylane is the retractable gear. This makes use of Cessnas electro-hydraulic actuating system, which is found in the entire Cessna retractable single line. The aircraft underwent no major changes during its eight-year production run. But Cessna made lots of small functional and cosmetic changes to fix minor bugs in the design and to improve cockpit comfort. The biggest occurred in 1979 when the troublesome rubber bladder tanks were dropped in favor of integral fuel tanks of larger capacity. The bladders had problems, collecting water in wrinkles and some leaked. The integral tanks solve both problems nicely and never need resealing or repair. In 1980, a new door latch and pin system designed to help seal the doors better against howling winter drafts was offered, although mechanics sometimes still need to do a little rubber-mallet persuasion on the doors. Further addressing the comfort issue, the airplane got wing root ventilators which are still in use in current Skylanes, albeit with Wemac eyeballs. Owners note that the ventilators become loose with age and occasionally leak or pop open uncommanded. Field solution: Duct tape over the wing inlets. Windshields also tend to leak: Field solution: Removal and resealing. In 1981, Cessna added improved battery access along with a new muffler for better heating to address complaints from rear seat passengers. Although its not quite as slick as a Bo, the RG will still build speed in a descent so to help control that, the 1983 models had higher flap limit speeds, up to 120 knots for the 20-degree setting. A low-vacuum warning light was offered, as was an electric six-cylinder primer system, which is found on injected Lycoming engines using the Bendix/RSA system. The panel also got a red gear unsafe light that shows when the hydraulic pump is running, as it is during gear transit. Given the potential trouble if the system leaks and the pump runs continuously, this is a band-aid fix with a purpose. Gear Woes In the 210, Cessna had a rather complex main gear door arrangement, prompting some owners to just remove the things. No problems with that in the 182: It has no main gear doors. A scan of Service Difficulty Reports shows three instances where the nosegear doors interfered with operation of the gear, however. These were redesigned in 1983 so the door skins overlap the lower cowl skin, eliminating butt joints and fit/catch problems. The Skylane RGs got new composite fuel caps in 1984 and rear-seat shoulder harnesses as standard equipment. Also, the copilot got a standard control wheel and rudder pedals, so these controls didnt have to be purchased as options. Evidently, most owners got them anyway, for all of the Skylane RGs weve seen have full dual controls. Resale Value In the early 1980s, the resale value of Cessna 182RGs took the usual depreciation plunge then resumed its expected climb. Through the mid-1990s, used RGs were relatively cheap compared to Mooneys. But airframe values can be fickle and the RG soon overtook the 201 in value, probably because despite its quirks, its easy to fly and carries more than the 200 HP Mooney. In late 2000, an average 1980 RG sells for $123,500, according to the Aircraft Bluebook Digest. The same year 201 retails for $95,000. Just a few years ago, the Mooney cost several thousand dollars more on the used airplane market. Sex may sell, but utility does, too. Performance Since the Skylane RG is most often compared with the Mooney 201 (not Bonanzas, for some reason), worth noting is that the J-model Mooney will probably outrun the 182RG in full-power run at low altitude. But barely. Owners report true airspeeds in the 150 to 160-knot range, at mid altitudes and burning about 12 to 14 GPH at higher power settings. Some 201s actually run a little slower than that, but on less fuel. In a side-by-side flyoff by The Aviation Consumer between the two aircraft (when both had two aboard and about three-quarters fuel), the Cessna showed itself to have the better climb rate and to be more adept at getting into and out of airports than the Mooney, especially on rough or turf fields, since the 182 sits high and has more prop clearance. The Cessna also hauls more, both in weight and in volume. The piper is paid, of course, in higher fuel burn and marginally greater maintenance costs.The turbocharged version of the 182RG is, of course, significantly faster on the same fuel burn, since it will ascend into the low teens without breathing hard. Owners tell us it can be counted on to deliver 165 knots between 9000 and 13,000 feet, with speeds approaching 180 knots at higher altitudes. With 235 HP, the RG also climbs well. Full power is available on the turbo all the way to 20,000 feet. One turbo pilot told us he got a 1000-FPM climb to FL 200. Said another, I have climbed through 14,000 feet with an inch of ice at 900 FPM, and Im here to tell you this is the true value of a strong turbocharged engine. With plenty of fuel aboard, the 182RG has respectable range, among the best in this class of aircraft and better than early Bonanzas and Mooneys. It has 88 gallons usable on 1979 and later models, which is easily enough for six hours at high cruise speeds. At lower power settings-say 55 to 60 percent-the airplane can motor along far longer than your bladder can stand. The Connecticut state police use the 182RG for traffic, prisoner transport and admin duty and one pilot claimed that if the weather turns bad over his home state, he can fly to Chicago. Thats hardly an exaggeration. Handling, Cabin This aint no Bonanza. Like the straight-leg model, the 182RG is heavy in pitch, so much so that pilots of small stature complain about the tug it takes to flare one for landing. (The trick is to trim correctly.) Said one owner: I lift weights for a hobby, but still had trouble holding full aft control wheel in a full stall. A common source of damage is nose-first landings because the pilot didnt have the juice to haul the nose up. This can be avoided but is still a pitfall of the design and something Mooney and Bonanza drivers don’t have to contend with. Hard to land? No. Unforgiving? Definitely. Our review of accidents shows that many pilots lose control of the RG on the runway, land it hard or prang the nosewheel. This cant be overstated. Get lazy in the flare or leave your feet on the floor in a crosswind, and the Skylane may bite. As in other Cessna models, pitch-up moment with flap deployment must be trimmed off, especially if a go-around is contemplated. More than one Cessna pilot has watched in horror as the nose pitches up with application of full power on a go-around. Then again, we know of several pilots who have earned private ratings in this airplane, so its hardly unmanageable. Compared to a Mooney or even a Bonanza, the RGs cabin is commodious. There’s plenty of leg and shoulder room for both front and rear seat occupants. Having two doors and a generous, low-to-the-ground baggage door also helps. And the windows on most models open, which aids in hot-weather taxi comfort. But there’s a downside to that, too. With age, Cessna doors tend to fit poorly-if they ever fit we’ll at all. This occasionally creates drafts that are a nuisance in winter weather. Watch for rain ingress in baggage doors, too. Cessna seats are hardly industry award winners. Owners complain about cheap plastic and fabric and theyre neither the most nor the least comfortable. They tend toward an upright seating position with a good view over the glareshield. Theyre adjustable in both height and seatback angle with lots of parts and pieces; watch for broken adjustors. Payload Cessnas have and deserve a good reputation for payload. But you may have to adjust the fuel load to get the most out of it. The 182RGs gross weight is 3100 pounds, with empty weights in the 1800 to 1900 pound range, for a useful load of 1200 to 1300 pounds, tops. Fill the tanks and you can typically carry about 700 pounds, or four FAA-approved people and an overnight bag. Thats one more person than a Mooney 201 can manage on full tanks. Leave an hour of fuel with the FBO and you can carry generous baggage and still have more than five hours of fuel for a still-air range of 900 miles to dry tanks. Not bad. Clearly then, the Cessna 182 RG fits in a tiny niche between the load champion 210s and Saratogas and the stingier Mooneys and Bonanzas. Unlike the Bo, the Cessna is not cranky about CG. You have to work to load it outside the envelope. Maintenance History If the 182RG has an Achilles heel, this is it. The Skylane RGs are plagued with a number of problems that merit buyer attention. Heres a list gathered from owner reports and FAA Service Difficulty Reports:

Landing gear malfunctions. Despite claims by Cessna and owners groups that the landing gear isn’t that bad, problems with the folding legs lead the list of maintenance woes. However, recent reports from owners contain few complaints about the gear, leading us to conclude that its shortcomings can be managed. Most SDR problems on various airplane models can be tallied in singles or perhaps tens of occurrences. Gear SDRs on the 182RG run into the dozens. And remember that only a fraction of problems find their way in the SDR database. Examples: Main landing gear actuator bolts loose, broken or sheared; chafed hydraulic line failed, pilot unable to lower gear and lock; rudder cable rubbed hole through emergency hand pump gear down line; control cable to carb heat rubbed through hydraulic line to power pack; nose landing gear actuator hose ruptured in flight; downlock actuator leaking, found piston rod assy. scored; relay became intermittent, causing landing gear to fail to operate either up or down; landing gear failed to extend due to screw missing from gear motor circuit breaker…and on and on. Shimmy dampers: Problems were legion, involving broken clamp pins, broken attach bolts, worn bellcrank bolts, cracked barrels, etc. At least one Cessna Service Bulletin (80-67) was aimed at correcting the problem with a modification kit. Two pilots, however, said they found a cure to nosewheel vibration by increasing tire inflation to 55 PSI. Balky throttles: At least five different service bulletins and mod kits were put out to cure the problem. Any used RG should have them installed. Instrument panel eyebrow lights that flicker out. Multiple replacements seem to be the rule. Said one owner, I buy them by the dozen. If anyone can figure out a fix, Ill happily buy the STC. Cabin air and water leaks: Service bulletins address the chronic Cessna problem of leaks around the windshield and wing roots. Other problems noted included turbos leaking oil, vacuum pump drive shafts shearing, aileron hinge cotter key holes badly aligned, Bendix starters failing, exhaust stacks cracked and alternator mounting bolts worn. In short, the 182RG has a greater list of maintenance bugaboos than average. Any owner should know that going in, especially during pre-buy inspections. ADs of Note Despite the SDR list as long as the proverbial arm, the Cessna 182RG has managed to escape the AD list from hell. Most of those that have been issued are of the shotgun variety that affect a wide variety of airplanes due to common components. Much-publicized ADs called for inspection of fuel tank caps for leakage, and for inspection of bladder fuel tanks on 1978 RGs for wrinkles and installation of quick drains-the famous rock & roll AD. Fortunately, it only affects 1978 models, which account for about a quarter of all 182RGs built. Others required inspection of aileron hinges for the correct location of cotter pins. AD 87-10-6 requires inspection of the rocker arm assemblies and 82-27-2, inspection of the prop shanks. Mods, Club Given the large number of both straight-leg and retract 182s, the model has spawned a number of aftermarket modifications and improvements. Some mods apply only to the straight-leg versions, some apply to both RGs and fixed gear models. Bush Aircraft Conversions makes a STOL kit and flap gap seals, contact them at P.O. Box 431, Udall, KS 67146, phone 800-752-0748. Horton has been in the STOL and speed mod business for many years. Reach them at 421 NW Road, Wellington Airport, Wellington, KS 67152, phone 800-835-2051. Monarch Air and Development, Inc. also offers a range of Cessna mods (not just 182s), contact them at P.O. Box 419, Oakland, OR 97462, phone 541-459-2056. For ongoing support of any Cessna-singles and twins-we recommend the Cessna Pilots Association as an unparalleled source of competent technical advice and help. Contact www.cessna.org or 805- 922-2580. Owner comments Six months ago I purchased my first aircraft, a 1979 TR182. I wanted rock-solid safe airplane able to carry two to four adults and pretty much full fuel and go to the mountains with a little power reserve. I also wanted it to be relatively inexpensive to maintain and operate.

For that matter I wanted to have an out in weather and thought the turbo, although more expensive, was a safety option. I trained in Cessnas and Cherokees. Reading your publications, I felt the 182 was the way to go. I wanted a turbo 182 straight leg, but there are so few of them and everyone talked me out of the conflicting turbo and straight legs. Despite my low time (250 hours) and no IFR rating, my advisors felt that a transition to the TR182 would be no problem. And as a side benefit, it came with the better Lycoming O-540 de-rated to 235HP vs the Continental in other 182s. Most influential was speaking to Field Morey of Middleton Wisconsin (www.ifrwest.com) who has owned many of them and uses them for around-the-country 10-day IFR training courses. This was much the kind of flying that I wanted to do. I bought the airplane, took his course, got the IFR rating and am very happy with my decision to buy the TR182 over a normally aspirated Skylane. Total time was 1400 hours and I purchased it for $129,000. No corrosion, amazing panel, all Bendix/King radios, HSI, S-TEC 55 autopilot, Precise Flite Standby Vacuum, Argus moving map, Stormscope, Magellan VFR GPS, Clark intercom. It had had a gear-up landing with good repair. Engine, turbo and prop in great shape. I have flown it about 80 hours, all in training so far, and use about 15 GPH at the various training power settings. It seems to burn about a quart of oil every time I go up no matter how long or short the ride. Asking around, I found out that these Lycomings, although calling for eight quarts, may be happier at six. Add any more than that and you probably just blow it overboard. I am cautiously still trying using less than 8 quarts to test that theory. I find that doing run-ups at 1700 RPM as called for in the POH leads to very rough mag checks, despite timing and plugs being okay. I learned that doing the run-up and mag check at 1200 RPM is better. Also, the lower six plugs tend to foul. On expert advice, I replaced the lower six with iridium fine wire plugs which tend not to foul. I have as yet not found the annoying water leak from the front windshield wing root area. At 6000 to 10,000 feet, Im getting IAS 150 to 155 knots with two to three people aboard. The airplane is fairly easy to fly, like a 172, but so much more nose heavy. I am still working on getting the flare just right. Joseph Koveleskie New Orleans, La. We have owned a 1979 182 RG since 1993. It has been a great airplane. We have flown approximately 160 hours per year, much of it IFR. It is a solid and stable IFR platform. In 1998, we did a complete makeover and put in a new leather interior, paint, windshield, replaced the old plastic and so on. In 1999, we replaced the plastic on the panel with aluminum and recessed lighting eliminated the post lights that were a continuing source of frustration. Annuals on the airplane have run about $2500 for the routine things. The maintenance issues that seem to recur with some frequency include the shimmy damper on the nosewheel and the brake seals on the mains. At cruise, we consistently see TAS of 151 to 153 knots at the 6000 to 10,000 feet. Fuel burn is typically about 14 GPH, block to block. We had a problem with fresh oil on the belly of the airplane from the breather tube. The mechanics convinced us we needed a top overhaul since they determined that valve issues were pressurizing the crankcase and forcing oil out the breather. After topping all six cylinders by Lycoming, the oil problem continued. We then went directly to Lycoming. They showed us a mod done for the 50 or so 182RGs that the FBI was flying and had the same oil problem. The fix was to cut off the crankcase breather tube about 1/2 inch inside the cowling. This immediately solved the problem and we have had no oil issue since. We probably did not need the top overhaul at all. The other thing Lycoming recommended was to run the engine 50 to 75 degrees rich of peak, versus POH recommended 25 degrees lean. We do this consistently now. While it costs a few cents in fuel, the jugs are all turning out compressions in the mid 70s after 300-plus hours. Anyone looking for an airplane of this type should also look closely at the windshield and the condition of vent tubes inside the wings. The windshields leak water along the lower front edge in rain. The insulation around the wing root (or lack thereof) will also allow a lot of cold air in. The air vent tubes to the rear seats rot and leak air even with the vents closed. We replaced all of them at the time of the paint work. We love the airplane and feel we now have one of the best ones out there. I would compare our airplane to any new one coming off of Cessnas line. I have attached a few pictures. Hope you might use one. Ted and Mike Ehrlich Pittsburgh, Pa. My wife and I purchased a spanking new1978 RG from the factory when we were each 52 years old. We flew home to San Luis Obispo sans radio but with Cessnas 300A Nav-o-Matic autopilot and electric trim. We installed a Bendix/King RNAV, transponder, ADF and KX-170-B navcomm as Cessna electronics were poorly rated then, as you no doubt know. We now have over 4000 hours on the airframe, are on the second paint job after the original and preparing for a third. There is a story here: The single-engine models in 1978 and 1979 had received faulty primer so within two years, filliform corrosion began showing on the exterior surfaces, whether hangared or parked outside. Some eight owners of these affected airplanes at SBP were forced to sue Cessna for new paint jobs. We won and that was paint job number 1. Eleven years later, we had it painted again and now, eleven more years, its due once more. This eleven-year cycle is less expensive than hangaring in the least expensive hangars at SBP-$350 to $400 per month. The first engine went to 2500 hours Hobbs time and was overhauled by Medallion engines of Camarillo, California, now of Las Vegas. We used exchange cylinders and it ran fine for 1500 hours, when it was fed bad fuel at Oakland, which resulted in a rebuilt as new engine by Lycoming courtesy of Chevron. Both Chevron and Lycoming did an exemplary job of coordinating and getting us into the air again in just seven weeks. We cruise at 7500 feet, 65 percent power on 11.5 to 12.5 GPH, leaned 50 degrees rich of peak at 155 knots true, very slightly slower at peak lean. Landing gear problems have been nil. Once only have the gear not thunked down, requiring hand pumping to green. It was a broken electric connection to the nosegear. Once a burning smell sent me back to land about 10 minutes after takeoff, that turned out to be an overheating gear pump; got a green light after two tries and landed without incident. Insurance is for $1 million one-incident liability and $95,000 hull and costs $1325 through Falcon, the CPA recommended broker.For cost, we figure at $95 per hour all-inclusive, figuring older fuel prices of under $2, $42 per month tiedown, 2000-hour TBO and 200 hours a year of use. We have talked about other sleeker, faster aircraft but always decide that our 182RG is best for us. If anything stands out for us, its ease of flying and load hauling capability. We load it with two normal 10-speed bikes, baggage and such to overflowing or two other adults and baggage, full fuel and still stay within the envelope. Thats unmatchable with any other airplane with the possible exception of the 210. James H. Maul San Luis Obispo, Calif. I bought my 1979 Cessna 182RG in 1990 and have flown it 1200 hours since. It has 3200 hours total time, oxygen, STOL, aftermarket interior insulation, a repositioned horizontal stabilizer, new paint in 1088 and a top overhaul with new ECI cylinders at 300 hours. I paid $72,000 for it and its easily worth $120,000 today, with lots of bells and whistles installed by the previous owner, including a Stormscope and other items. Its the perfect airplane for me and my kind of flying: Lots of long, high-altitude flights to northern California, south Texas, the San Juan Island, with heavy takeoff loads from high-altitude fields. My home field is 6875 feet, with high density altitude during the summer. I get 155 knots at 10,000 feet at 75 to 80 percent power and half payloads. Its a little bit faster when lighter. Its easy to fly, fast or slow, costs much less to maintain than my previous Beechcraft retrac due to the hideous prices I paid for Beech parts. Its also lovely to look at and seems timeless in its lines and curves. Im 58 years old and will probably fly this airplane until Im 65 and then give it up. Id buy something else new or used if it better fit my needs and my body; Im 6-foot-2 1/2 and 240 pounds. Mooneys are great airplanes and I have to fly em but the difficulty of egress/entry is too great for me. And I like the idea of those two big doors, just in case. The most important element of the cost of this airplane is that thus far, all the money Ive spent flying it has been equaled by the appreciation in value. Through the three airplanes in my life, my wet cost of flying for 3300 hours is zero, because of the increase in price between purchase and sale for each my airplanes equals the cost of ownership. I pay $1400 a year for insurance with high limits and low deductibles. I burn fuel at about 13 to 14 GPH, buy thorough and expensive annuals and keep the airplane hangared and waxed regularly. If I think hard about the negatives of 182RG ownership, I come up with the usual Cessna criticisms: Cheap and shoddy original equipment interiors, poor fabrics and doors that did not fit-mine do now-and the typical short-sighted poor quality assurance. All of those are past memories for now and I think of this airplane as a perfect, mature bottle of old Cabernet Sauvignon that I can keep on drinking endlessly. John Loehr Montezuma, N.M. Also With This Article Click here to view charts for Resale Values, Payload Compared and Prices Compared . Click here to view “182RG Accident Review.” Click here to view the Cessna 182RG Skylane RG features guide .

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Used Aircraft Guide: Cessna R182 Skylane

Live the likes of new-age airplane companies like cirrus and diamond one thing: they have resisted the overwhelming urge to fit their airplanes with folding gear. but manufacturers of the 1960s and 1970s had no such resistance, including cessna when it added retractable gear to the venerable 182. was the effort worth it it did add about 15 knots of cruise speed without too much of a hit in fuel burn. but it also introduced a complex, maintenance-hungry gear system that owners say will work acceptably well if looked after. owners generally like the airplane and it sold well initially from its introduction in 1978 until the bottom dropped out in the early 1980s. by 1986, the model was gone, along with the rest of cessnas piston production., editorial staff.

Live the likes of new-age airplane companies like Cirrus and Diamond one thing: They have resisted the overwhelming urge to fit their airplanes with folding gear. But manufacturers of the 1960s and 1970s had no such resistance, including Cessna when it added retractable gear to the venerable 182.

Was the effort worth it? It did add about 15 knots of cruise speed without too much of a hit in fuel burn. But it also introduced a complex, maintenance-hungry gear

system that owners say will work acceptably well if looked after. Owners generally like the airplane and it sold well initially from its introduction in 1978 until the bottom dropped out in the early 1980s. By 1986, the model was gone, along with the rest of Cessnas piston production.

Model History

Cessna introduced the R182 Skylane RG in 1978, making almost 600 of them that year. The total run, including the turbocharged version, would reach 2032 through 1986, when a mere nine were built before Cessna took a powder from the single-engine market. Thats not many airplanes compared to all the M20 Mooneys or Bonanzas out there, so the choice on the used market isnt as wide as with straight-leg Skylanes. Prices of the newest models hover around the $100,000 mark.

To create the model, Cessna took the popular 182 and gave it a variation of the folding electro-hydraulic gear used on the 200-HP Cardinal RG, which had been introduced two years before. The R182 II Skylane RG (thats the correct type designation, not 182RG) got a bigger Lycoming than the 182s 230-HP Continental O-470; the retractable came with the Lycoming O-540-J3C5D, which required adding four inches to the length of the cowling.

The turbo option was offered on the 1979 model, when Cessna first began building the line with integral fuel tanks instead of those troublesome bladders, which leaked and trapped water in wrinkles. The integral tank never needs resealing or repair. Some 727 R182s and TR182s or TurboR182 IIs were built that year. Fewer than half that number were built during the 1980 model year and the total fell off each year thereafter.

Aside from the switch from bladders after 1978, Cessna made only minor changes in the airplane through its eight-year run. The alternator and over-voltage sensor were swapped for an alternator control unit and the high-voltage warning light was switched to a low-voltage light in 1979.

The next year a new latch and pin system was introduced to reduce the notoriously drafty fit of the doors-there are two on the Skylane, which is as celebrated for its ease of entry and loading as it is reviled (or patiently accepted) for its so-called "gappy" Cessna construction and fit.

In 1980, an avionics cooling fan became standard and the oil cooler was relocated from the left forward baffle to the firewall. Also, the battery was moved from the firewall to the less hostile environment of the tail cone, where access is also easier. A new muffler for better cabin heating, especially in the rear seats, addressed another Skylane complaint.

(Photo: Marc Ulm.)

In 1983, Cessna replaced the amber gear-up light, which stayed on if the gear did not lock down, with a red gear-in-transit light, which stayed on whenever the gear motor was running.

With the gear tucked up, the Skylane will build up speed when the nose drops. It helps that the first 10 degrees of flaps can extend at 140 knots. In 1983, Cessna beefed up the flaps further so they can be lowered to 20 degrees at up to 120 knots.

The wing root ventilators were redesigned in 1980, but they are known for getting loose with age, spraying water into the cockpit in rain and popping open all by themselves. Duct tape over the wing inlets is the standard field solution.

Skylane windshields also tend to leak and the R/TR182 is no exception. The only solution that works is removing the windshield and resealing it. Watch for shops that use silicone sealant instead of the proper felt stripping. Windshields expand and contract; hardened silicone does not.

The R/TR182 has no main gear doors. But it does have nosegear doors and early on they occasionally caught the cowling skin and got stuck. A 1983 redesign addressed the problem. In 1984, the airplane got new composite fuel caps and rear-seat shoulder harnesses as standard equipment. Dual controls became standard instead of optional that year, but whos seen any single-control Skylane RGs around?

Performance

The Skylane retractable is a solid cross-country airplane with a 150-knot cruise commonly reported at a fuel burn of 12 to 14 GPH. With its 88-gallon usable standard tanks (on 1979 and later models), it can go far. Its range and its 1200- to 1300-pound useful load give it lots of flexibility as a good hauler.

Those big tanks, which provide better range than early Mooneys and Bonanzas, leave less of a useful load than a 250-HP Piper Comanche with full tanks-but that comparison doesnt do justice to the airplanes flexibility.

With full fuel, four FAA grownups can go on a long trip-close to 1000 miles-and share a single overnight bag. Fly with less fuel and you can carry just about anything you can fit into the airplane and still fly for hours. Weve said it before and cant resist saying it again: Your bladder cant last as long as the fuel supply when you cruise an R182 at lower power settings, say 55 to 60 percent.

Another big attraction is that the R182, with its big, fat wing, big flaps, high flap extension speeds and good prop clearance, is just as handy getting into and out of smaller airports and rougher fields as it is keeping up the speed on the ILS into a Class Bravo airport, even as it drops full flaps at the last minute and gets out of the way at the first turnoff.

Try that in a Mooney. A few owners do complain, however, that because the tires on the RG are smaller and inflated to higher pressures than those on the fixed-gear Skylane, it can be a little squirrelly in crosswinds and harder to control on the runway.

Its 235 horses also take some pilots by surprise when they pour on the coal: A Mooney or Arrow pilot used to 200 HP might be surprised by the left-turning tendency of the Skylane RG at full power and high pitch. These traits, and the heaviness of the elevator, may explain a number of runway and go-around crack-ups over the years.

Comparisons are not made between the R182 and the Bonanza, which pilots do not consider a lower-priced choice in the used market. So Aviation Consumer a few years ago conducted a side-by-side flyoff between the R182 and a 201. It found the R182 had the better climb rate and more dexterity getting into and out of a variety of airports. The Cessna hauled more, both in weight and volume, and was a little faster than the sleek 201, but of course at 20 to 40 percent more gallons per hour.

The turbocharged version is significantly faster after its easy climb into the low teens, where it can achieve 165 knots TAS and more at higher altitudes. The normally aspirated R182 climbs well, too, with 1000 FPM typical at lower altitudes at gross weight and standard temperature. The turbo, its adoring pilots have told us, will lope up to FL 200 at 1000 FPM the whole way up.

Handling, Cabin

In the air, the 182RG is a gentle, forgiving beast with a solid ride and feel. An Avcon writer used it to practice airwork for his CFI certificate and found it gentler than a 172, unwilling to bite even in a fully cross-controlled stall. Still, it requires some skill to fly well. It is not a feet-on-the-floor airplane like the Cherokee and its derivatives.

(Photo: Gustavo Carujo.)

Pilots who dont use as much rudder to help roll out of a turn as they used rolling in will wallow all over the sky. (They never seem to notice how far the ball slid outside the cage.) The RG likewise needs nimble and firm rudder work on and near the runway to keep the nose straight on takeoff and in crosswinds.

Most notorious is the heavy elevator feel, something youd expect pulling back on a DC-3 yoke. The heavy pitch and the Skylanes brick-like descent rate with full flaps and gear out-something youd expect of the Space Shuttle-have led to a fair number of hard landings and runway loss-of-control accidents. Dont try to land power-off with full flaps; the timing of the roundout and flare will be so critical as to invite a hit or a drop. Keep some power in. Watch out especially for forward-CG landings, with full fuel and only two aboard in the front seats. And before buying a used Skylane RG, check the logs, gear and the firewall carefully for evidence of damage.

The Skylane cabin is famously roomy and easy to access with a wide door on each side and windows that open on both, in most models. The baggage door is low to the ground and convenient. That big box of a cabin, however, flexes and the door and windshield fit can get sloppy over the years. That makes for drafts and water leaks. The original seats are okay except for their cheesy plastic and fabric. They are adjustable in height and seatback angle with lots of parts and pieces. Watch out for broken adjusters as well as worn seat tracks, the subject of a well-known AD affecting many Cessna singles.

Maintenance

A look at the past Service Difficulty Reports confirms that landing gear malfunctions and problems continue to top the list of R/RT182 maintenance woes. Out of 73 SDRs submitted between 2000 and 2010, 20 percent had to do with sheared bolts, failed downlock pins, cracked pivot assemblies, stuck doors and the like in the gear system, a figure consistent with the last time we looked.

Owners who wrote us recently had no serious complaints about the gear. Pilots who know how to avoid hard landings, we suspect, probably have landing gear systems that work just fine (as long as a previous owners mistakes have been properly repaired).

The next most common issues found in the SDRs were engine issues of various sorts, including worn or stuck valves, magneto woes and carburetor trouble. This pattern hasnt changed much over the years.

Other complaints over the years have included instrument lights that flicker out, leaks around the windshield and wing root, turbos leaking oil, shearing vacuum pump drive shafts, poorly aligned aileron hinge cotter key holes, failing Bendix starters, cracked exhaust stacks and worn alternator mount bolts.

Be aware that in the past, the RT182 had more than its share of bugaboos. Recent history and owner comments suggest, however, that at least some of the old RG problems have been ironed out. There have been no ADs specific to the RG series in recent years.

Mods, Owner Group

The Cessna Pilots Association is a great source of information for all Cessna owners. A membership is $55. Visit www.cessna.org to sign up. AOPAs member section (www.aopa.org/) has a great summary of the hundreds of mods available for the Skylane, some of which can be applied to the RG series, including kits for drag reduction, STOL performance, replacement tanks, and caps for the 1978 bladders, and caps and backup vacuum and electrical systems. Well-respected speed mods come from Horton STOLcraft in Wellington, Kansas (800-835-2051 and www.hortonstackdoor.com) and Knots 2U, Ltd. of Burlington, Wisconsin (262-763-5100, www.knots2u.com). If there are still RGs out there with the old bladders, Monarch Air and Development, Inc. in Oakland, Oregon, has the fix (541-459-2056, www.airsport.com).

Reader Feedback

The Paramus Flying Club has owned and operated a 1979 Cessna 182 RG since 2003. The members collectively log around 200 hours a year on this aircraft.

Despite its higher cost, a handful of members prefer this aircraft to all others in the fleet. They cite its speed, its power and the safety margin that that provides, and its versatility as primary factors.

With retractable gear, the 182RG is a full 15 knots faster than our fixed-gear 182. And with 88-gallon tanks and 1200 pounds-plus useful load, this is indeed a very versatile aircraft. Members also note the intangibles-one pilot noted the "unmistakable growl coming from under the cowl" while another opined that somehow "this feels more like a real plane-maybe its the raising and lowering of the gear."

As might be expected, control forces are much heavier than a Cessna 172. Proper trim is critical to flying this aircraft well. And executing maneuvers where trim adjustment is not practical, or go arounds with the airplane set to landing trim, require quite a bit of muscle. As with all Cessna 182s, the RG feels nose heavy, especially in the flare, which can lead to bounced landings or worse if one is not careful.

On the plus side, the inertia of the heavier aircraft makes for a more pleasant ride and a better instrument platform. Members also note that the 182RG makes a great training platform for those looking to move up to bigger and faster complex aircraft.

The cost of annual inspections have been consistently around $4500 to $5000 over the last five years. We allow for an additional $6000 to $8000 per year for other maintenance-oil changes, 100-hour inspections, the inevitable repairs and so on. Insurance is expensive but still possible to get even in a club environment, although it does come with experience, training and currency requirements. On the plus side, time in the 182RG has made it easier for some of our members moving up to bigger aircraft to get insurance.

Overall, the operating cost for the aircraft is about $145 per tach hour--$70 for gas and oil changes, $50 for maintenance (excluding annual), and $25 for reserves (engine overhaul at TBO, paint, etc.).

As might be expected of an aircraft of this vintage, there have been a number of maintenance issues. Like many 182s, ours drains the left tank first even with the fuel switch set to both. The transponder had to be relocated-proximity to the heat

vent ducting was causing it to overheat and malfunction. A persistent nose-gear shimmy was ultimately traced to a faulty nose gear bungee, which was in turn damaging the rivets holding the nose gear assembly. Left unrepaired, this could have resulted in a nose gear collapse. (We corrected this, but only after a number of expensive false starts, which included a shimmy-damper replacement which may not have been necessary.)

Most seriously, the aircraft began leaking exhaust into the cabin, tripping CO monitors on several occasions. After a lengthy investigation involving two shops, the problem was remedied. However, why the problem suddenly developed was never explained. Finally, the factory original autopilot has been inop for a while now, and will need to be replaced.

Nevertheless, our 182RG has been a rock solid and predictable performer, taking on whatever our members can throw at it-from local weekend getaways, to commercial certificate training, and long-haul cross country trips. It even went to help out in the relief effort in Haiti, where it performed like a champ in the warm tropical environment ferrying personnel and supplies over the 10,000 foot Central Range of Hispaniola.

Tomoharu Nishino, Paramus Flying Club

In 1981, I sold my Cessna 172 and purchased a 1978 Cessna 182RG for $36,000 so I could fly IFR for business travel, and until recently, I never found reason to trade up (that is 29 years in the same airplane!).

Now my use is primarily family travel and a 182RG fits the mission because it carries 780 pounds with full fuel. I can fly my family of four with lots of luggage, or two couples with light baggage. With the backseat removed, the cargo area is impressive with a nearly flat floor stretching from the front seats to the baggage compartment.

Ive carried firewood, bags of crawfish, sculpture, industrial test equipment and a small surfboard. Two passenger doors are a bit high and awkward for the uninitiated, but this arrangement is still much better than walking on the wing. Plus the high wings provide a roof for loading in the rain.

The aircraft typically flies 150 to 155 KTAS at 4000 to 6000 feet and 140 to 145 KTAS at 10,000 to 12,000 feet. Ive been up briefly to 14,000 feet, but it gets pretty sloppy. At 70 percent power, fuel consumption is 12 to 13 GPH at 50 degrees rich of peak.

The fuel bladders were replaced when they were about 10 years old, but Ive had no leaks since then. Fuel capacity is adequate for the size of my personal bladder. I plan maximum 4.7-hour legs.

Dispatch reliability has been very good, with only one trip postponed due to an oil leak in the cabin on departure because of a hole in the oil pressure gauge line (that was exciting). I usually put it in the shop for repairs once or twice a year. Annual inspections run from $2100 to $3000 (up from $500 in 1982). Repair and maintenance costs average $2100 per year over the last eight years.

The original engine went to 2000 hours TBO without a top overhaul or any other major work. The overhaul (1992) cost was $15,500, including engine balance, battery, prop, carburetor, exhaust system, magneto, fuel pump and vacuum pump. Im on the second engine and it looks likely to go the distance, too, despite spending a lot of time in the hangar for a few years.

Im a born skeptic, but in 2001, I installed a plug to let me use an IES DeSulfator battery conditioner whenever the airplane is in the hangar. The result is that the life of the pricey 24-volt batteries has improved two- or three-fold. Now Im a believer. I had to pump the gear down by hand once and that was fixed simply by replacing the hydraulic pump motor brushes. Parts are readily available except for one 30-day delay for a Cessna made to order hydraulic line.

The airplane is a stable IFR platform and a few inadvertent and scary encounters with ice yielded no bad handling characteristics. The plastic interior trim is painfully fragile when it gets old, but replacement is not a big deal. Insurance cost is about $1200/year for $1 million liability, $100,000/passenger, $91,000 hull.

In summary, this model provides a respectable speed, good reliability and impressive cabin load capacity for a reasonable acquisition cost. More important, operation costs are reasonable. It does not have the snazzy look of a Bonanza, Arrow, or Mooney, but for my money, it provides the best value on the performance vs. cost curve. If a general aviation plane can be called practical, this is the one.

Marc McDaniel, Via e-mail

I have been the owner of a 1978 Cessna R182 for 40 months as of February 2011. I have been pleased with the selection of the R182. First, it handles big and tall people well. I am seven-feet tall and over 270 pounds. It has great head and shoulder room for the front row. It has very good load-hauling capacity. I almost never have to worry about weight and balance.

My expenses for maintenance the first year were $7724, second year $6198 and third year $5270. These maintenance costs include my annuals, which alone are about $2800. These numbers do not include an engine reserve.

My insurance for this fourth year will be $1357 for $1 million/$100,000 with a hull value of $115,000. I have 558 hours total and 471 hours in the R182. I upgraded to a Garmin 530W, GTX330, Century NSD360 HSI and digital encoder, and plan to do more upgrades over the next several years.

The R182 flies well. It does not taxi well, probably due in part to its relatively small tires. But I did not buy an airplane to drive. The small tires make it harder to steer than many singles, but you get used to it. I have a Horton STOL kit, so my stall speed dirty can be as low as 37 knots. At first, the nose-heaviness was something to get used to, as I had a harder time "slicking" my landings. But now, its almost second nature.

It had two gear-up landings before I bought it, by the first owner, but you would never know, except for the documentation. My R182 had a factory remanufactured Lycoming O-540 with just 65 hours on it when I bought it. I use Aeroshell 80W in the winter with a pint of ASL Camguard, and Aeroshell 100W in the summer, also with Camguard. Due to its short/soft field performance, I enjoy visiting many grass landing strips.

My R182 is on its fourth prop control cable since 1978. Its not a major expense, but its about one new prop control cable every eight years. Thats too frequent. Cessna had me file a Product Condition Report. I have not heard a response. They claimed it had nothing to do with the fact my cable passes near the engine exhausts, which I hear can melt the Teflon coating inside the cable. Cessna has an updated design which re-routes the cable over the top of the engine and not below it, which they say is just an ease of operation concern.

Its three times the cost. If my new prop cable cant make it more than 10 years, Ill get the MacFarlane part or switch to the new service kit. For my R182, parts availability is wide. Membership in a club like Cessna Pilots Association is a must. The parts locators and resources connected on this website are invaluable.

Todd Fuller, Charlotte, North Carolina

I bought a 1981 TR182 in 2006. After five years of ownership, I have concluded that this aircraft is the best tricycle 100 series Cessna has ever built. I was fortunate to buy from a gentleman who put it in perfect condition before I bought it, making my ownership experience very economical. Changing the oil and filter on this model is very easy and can be done by removing just the passengers side upper cowl.

An owner can change the oil and filter in jig time, since the filter and oil drain are so accessible. Annuals and associated minor repairs inevitably found at each annual have been $2000 or less, not including my optional upgrades. Insurance for a hull value of $130,000, hangared, has been about $1200 per year. The gear has been absolutely trouble free. Gear-related expenses have been zero. The first upgrade I added was a JPI engine monitor with TIT and fuel flow. It is the singular most valuable and important upgrade I have ever done and critical for proper operation of this bird, in my opinion. I quickly found out that my CHTs were way too high due to old and partially functioning baffles. Replacement of all my flexible baffles solved this problem along with a modification of the metal baffle on number 1, which took that hot cylinder from hottest to fourth warmest.

I have gone through the ignition system, IRANed the mags, checked resistance in the wiring harness and replaced the coiled spark plug leads on all six cylinders, plus replaced all the plugs with new Unison massives. After this maintenance, my cruise fuel flow was reduced by 1.5 GPH for the same speed. I cruise at 60 to 65 percent power setting with the prop pulled back to the bottom of the green, leaned to peak TIT or, when conditions permit, 10 degrees lean of peak. This yields 150-knots at a fuel flow of 10.5 GPH at 9500 to 11,500 feet. This gives you an amazing (no reserve) range of about 1300 statute miles on 88 gallons of usable fuel. Leaning to best power at the same altitudes gives speeds of 165 knots with higher fuel burns.

TR182s have factory-installed oxygen systems which make high-altitude cruising a convenient matter of just plugging into the overhead oxygen ports. This ship will cruise over 20,000 feet at 200 MPH. My bird has a useful load of 1100 pounds, so with full fuel, two adults and two kids, plus some bags, we can get half-way across the country.

The TR182s are factory turbonormalized, possibly the first turbonormalized factory set up in the industry at the time. The TR versions were only produced from 1979 to 1986, so they are more rare than fixed-gear 182s of the same vintage. The turbo setup is simple. The wastegate is manual with a straightforward mechanical linkage which needs minimum maintenance-mostly lubing, but it does require the pilot to understand and be aware how it works.

The POH does not explain proper operation well. Any owner should join the Cessna Pilots Association to learn more about the proper operation of this capable aircraft. Its too bad Cessna doesnt bring this excellent design back into current production. It is a versatile, economical and fast strutted-Cessna with a trouble-free gear system. Virtually every A&P can work on it. Maintenance, insurance and operating costs are very economical for a retract. I think I may just keep mine forever.

J. Hurst, Tahoe City, California

I have owned my 1978 R182 for six years and 850 hours now. In my opinion, there is no better GA aircraft built by Cessna and may even be the best all-around airplane in the fleet.

The airplane has been reliable, reasonably fast, economical, roomy, stable, virtually immune to loading out of CG and can carry a serious load. With full fuel (74 gallons) I can carry 800 pounds in the cabin at 150 to 155 knots on 13 GPH. I used to have a 180-HP 172 and on a trip, the R182 uses the same amount of fuel, but arrives much faster and more comfortably.

The landing gear has had a bad rap in the past, but properly maintained it is great. There are only two hoses in the gear system and the rest is hard piped. The actuators get rebuilt every six years, which consists of replacing O-rings and seals and flushing the hydraulic fluid. Properly maintained, the system is as trouble free as any retract. The engine is the reliable O-540 rated at 235 HP and with proper maintenance on the engine will easily go to TBO.

There is room in the cabin for four people and the comfort is better than most GA airplanes. Two doors helps entry and exit from the plane.

It is a great IFR platform and heavy on the controls, especially pitch. It is not unusual for me to leave North Carolina, fly to Pennsylvania or Georgia for a business meeting, and return in time for dinner at home. It is a great traveling machine.

This airplane is not as numerous as others in the fleet and will compare well to Mooneys, Comanche 260s and Bonanzas. With the current values of these airplanes, they are a true bargain in the market.

Mark Shilling, via e-mail

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1978 - 1986 CESSNA R182RG Skylane II

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Single engine piston aircraft with retractable landing gear. The R182RG Skylane II seats up to 3 passengers plus 1 pilot.

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Performance specifications

Horsepower:

Best Cruise Speed:

Best Range (i):

Fuel Burn @ 75%:

Stall Speed:

Rate of climb:

Takeoff distance:

Landing distance:

Takeoff distance over 50ft obstacle:

Landing distance over 50ft obstacle:

Gross Weight:

Empty Weight:

Maximum Payload:

Fuel capacity:

Ownership Costs 1978

Total cost of ownership:.

Total Fixed Cost:

Total Variable Cost:

Total Fixed Cost

Annual inspection cost:

Weather service:

Refurbishing and modernization:

Depreciation:

Total Variable Cost ( 102.6 Hrs ) Cost Per Hour = $115.27 Cost Per Mile = $0.74

Fuel cost per hour: (13.0 gallons/hr @ $5.40/gal)

Oil cost per hour:

Overhaul reserves:

Hourly maintenance:

Misc: landing, parking, supplies, catering, etc

Engine (x1)

Manufacturer:

O-540-J3C5D

Overhaul (HT):

Years before overhaul:

Also Consider

Cessna 182s skylane (1997 - 2000).

Typical Price: $305,442.00 Total Cost of Ownership: $30,274.64 Best Cruise: 140 KIAS ( 16 ) Best Range: 820 NM ( 25 ) Fuelburn: 12.5 GPH ( 0.5 )

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