Aviation enthusiasts from around the world joined Textron Aviation to celebrate 65 years of the Skylane 182 Skylane. More than 23,000 Skylane aircraft have been delivered since its type certification way back in March 1956.
The four-seat, single-engine piston aircraft remains popular with aviation enthusiasts worldwide because of the adventure and freedom it provides, making this a special anniversary to many pilots who took their memorable first solo flight in a Skylane.
The Cessna 182 was introduced in 1956 as a tricycle gear variant of the C180. In 1957, the 182A variant was introduced along with the name Skylane. As production continued, later models were improved regularly with features such as a wider fuselage, swept tail-fin with rear "Omni-vision" window, enlarged baggage compartment, higher gross weights, landing gear changes, etc.
The Cessna 182 is an all-metal aircraft, although some parts – such as engine cowling nose-bowl and wing-tips – are made of fibreglass or thermoplastic material. Its wing has the same platform as the smaller Cessna 172 and the larger 205/206 series; however, some wing details such as flap and aileron design are the same as the 172 and are not like the 205/206 components.
By mid-2013, Cessna planned to introduce the next model of the 182T, the JT-A using the 227 HP SMA SR305-230 diesel engine running on Jet-A with a burn rate of 42 L per hour and cruise at 155 kn. Cessna has no timeline for the JT-A and the diesel 172. The normally aspirated, avgas fuelled 182 went out of production in 2012 but came back in 2015.
The retractable gear R182 and TR182 were offered from 1978 to 1986, with and without engine turbo-charging. The model designation nomenclature differs from some other Cessna models with optional retractable gear. For instance, the retractable version of the Cessna 172 was designated as the 172RG, whereas the retractable gear version of the Cessna 182 is the R182. Cessna gave the R182 the marketing name of "Skylane RG".
The R182 and TR182 offer 10-15% improvement in climb and cruise speeds over their fixed gear counterparts or, alternatively, 10-15% better fuel economy at the same speeds at the expense of increased maintenance costs and decreased gear robustness. The 1978 R182 has a sea-level climb rate of 1140 fpm and cruising speed at 7,500 feet of 156 KTAS at standard temperature.
The landing gear retraction system in the Skylane RG uses hydraulic actuators powered by an electrically driven pump. The system includes a gear position warning that emits an intermittent tone through the cabin speaker when the gear is in the retracted position and either the throttle is reduced below approximately 12" MAP or the flaps are extended beyond 20 degrees. In the event of a hydraulic pump failure, the landing gear may be lowered using a hand pump to pressurize the hydraulic system. The system does not, however, allow the landing gear to be manually retracted.
The Skylane is an iconic aircraft to aviators, supporting a wide range of roles and missions. Multiple variants have been produced through the decades, and the aircraft is regularly used by civil operators, cadet organizations and flight schools worldwide.
Happy anniversary to the Cessna 182 Skylane, and a special thanks to the many operators and owners around the world who have made it a legendary piece of aviation history.
