thumb|1956 Cessna 182 on floats

thumb|Cessna R182 Skylane RG, one of two variants with retractable landing gear

thumb|[[Cockpit of Cessna 182M Skylane]]

thumb|1958 Cessna 182A landing

thumb|1967 model Cessna 182K belonging to the [[Canadian Owners and Pilots Association]]

thumb|A Cessna 182P

thumb|Reims Cessna F182Q

thumb|Cessna 182Q fitted with the SMA SR305-230 engine

thumb|Cessna T182T

thumb|Cessna 182J

thumb|1981 Cessna 182R Skylane

thumb|T182T cockpit with [[Garmin G1000]]

The Cessna 182 Skylane is an American four-seat, single-engined light airplane built by Cessna of Wichita, Kansas. It has the option of adding two child seats in the baggage area.

Introduced in 1956, the 182 has been produced in several variants, including a version with retractable landing gear, and is the second-most popular Cessna model still in production after the 172.

Development

The Cessna 182 was introduced in 1956 as a tricycle gear variant of the 180. In 1957, the 182A variant was introduced, followed by a deluxe version the following year known as the Skylane.

By mid-2013, Cessna planned to introduce the next model of the 182T, designated the JT-A, using the SMA SR305-230 diesel engine running on Jet-A with a burn rate of per hour at cruise speed of . Cessna has no timeline for the JT-A. The normally aspirated, avgas-fueled 182 went out of production in 2012, but came back in 2015.<!--old sources prediction the future

The R182 and TR182 offer 10-15% improvement in climb and cruise speeds over their fixed-gear counterparts, and similarly, 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 and a cruising speed (75% BHP) at of TAS 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 about manifold pressure or the flaps are extended beyond 20°. 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.

;182A

:Introduced for the 1957 model year with manual flaps, redesigned landing gear for improved ground handling, and an increased gross weight of . A deluxe version was introduced for the 1958 model year as the Skylane with full exterior paint, wheel fairings, and an improved engine cowling with the exhaust stack moved to the right to improve engine cooling. Certified on 7 December 1956. 1713 total built; 911 (1957) and 802 (1958).

;182N

:Introduced for the 1970 model year with a more streamlined cowling, conical camber wingtips, a revised instrument panel, and gross weight increased to . The 1971 model year introduced shoulder harnesses for the front seats and improved cabin soundproofing. Certified on 17 September 1969. 770 total built; 390 (1970) and 380 (1971), plus 20 built by Argentina in 1972 as the A182N with the improvements of that year's 182P.

Special versions

;

:Introduced for the 1978 model year with retractable landing gear, a Lycoming O-540-J3C5D piston engine and a gross weight of . The 1979 model year increased fuel capacity from to . Certified on 7 July 1977. The TR182 Turbo Skylane RG was powered by turbocharged Lycoming O-540-L3C5D and was certified on 12 September 1978. At least 2,024 total built; 583 (1978), 729 (1979), 314 (1980), 169 (1981), 129 (1982), 44 (1983), 25 (1984), and 31 (1985), with production continuing into 1986. Reims also built a total of 69; 21 (1978), 24 (1979), and 24 (1980) as the FR182 in France. Originally introduced as the Turbo Skylane NXT, Cessna changed the name to avoid confusion with the Remos NXT. Only 16 aircraft (one prototype and 15 production) had been built by 2014. A majority of orders for the Turbo Skylane JT-A had been canceled by 2017, and the aircraft was eventually discontinued.

;Robertson STOL 182

:An aftermarket 182 STOL conversion certified in 1967 that changes the leading edge shape and aileron controls and lowers the stall speed below .

Operators

Civil users

The 182 is used by a multitude of civil operators, cadet organizations, and flight schools worldwide.

Government operators

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  • Argentine Federal Police - one A182L from 2001 is still in service for training as of 2020.

;

  • Federal Police

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  • Transport Canada – one, sold in 2010

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  • Civil Air Patrol – used for inland and coastal search and rescue, homeland security support, and airborne communications repeater service
  • Federal Bureau of Investigation - at least 27 used as surveillance aircraft equipped with optical, infrared and cellphone ELINT equipment

Military operators

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  • Afghan Air Force

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  • Army Aviation

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  • Austrian Air Force - 2x Cessna 182 A/B

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  • Belize Defence Force Air Wing

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  • Canadian Army – 5 × L-182, retired 1970

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  • Dominican Air Force - one example with retractable gear

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  • Ecuadorian Army – 4

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  • Mexican Air Force Received 73 during 1999–2000

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  • United Arab Emirates Air Force
  • Venezuelan Air Force Its high-wing design provides exceptional stability at low speeds and allows for easier exits compared to low-wing aircraft. For skydiving operations, the aircraft is modified by removing passenger seats, replacing the standard door with an upward-opening door, and adding a large external step.

Specifications (Cessna 182T)

See also

References

Bibliography

  • Cessna Skylane manufacturer's website
  • Cessna 182 Skylane at Airliners.net
  • Details of most 182 models at PilotFriend.com
  • 182 Model History – Cessna Pilots Association