Cessna 185 Skywagon

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Cessna 185 Skywagon
N914ST Cessna A185(Floats) PAE 11JUL12 (7553419848).jpg
A Cessna 185 with floats
RoleLight utility aircraft
Manufacturer Cessna Aircraft Company
First flightJuly 1960
Introduction1961
StatusActive
Produced1961–1985
Number builtover 4,400
Developed from Cessna 180
Variants St-Just Super-Cyclone

The Cessna 185 Skywagon is a six-seat, single-engined, general aviation light aircraft manufactured by Cessna. It first flew as a prototype in July 1960, with the first production model completed in March 1961. The Cessna 185 is a high-winged aircraft with non-retractable conventional landing gear and a tailwheel.

Contents

Over 4,400 were built with production ceasing in 1985. When Cessna re-introduced some of its most popular models in the 1990s, the tailwheel equipped Cessna 180 and 185 were not put back into production.

Design and development

The aircraft is basically a Cessna 180 with a strengthened fuselage. The main difference between the two aircraft is the larger vertical fin on the 185 and the 300 hp (224 kW) Continental IO-520-D engine as opposed to the 230 hp (172 kW) Continental O-470-S fitted to the Cessna 180. The exception was that a Continental Motors IO-470-F engine of 260 hp (194 kW) was initially fitted until midway through the 1966 production year. The later model Skywagon II has a factory fitted avionics package.

Cessna 185 Skywagon II at Cambridge Bay Airport, Nunavut, Canada C-FFXO Cessna Skywagon II 185 (C185) 03.JPG
Cessna 185 Skywagon II at Cambridge Bay Airport, Nunavut, Canada

The Skywagon can also be fitted with floats, amphibious floats, or skis. The AgCarryall variant of the 185 adds a 151-gallon belly chemical tank and removable spray booms for aerial application. It is also possible to fit a cargo pod under the fuselage that can carry an extra 300 lb (136 kg).

Operational history

The 180 and 185 are widely used in bush flying, the commercial transport of passengers and freight to rudimentary, remote airstrips, lakes and snowfields, primarily in Canada and Alaska.

Variants

Civil variants

185 Skywagon
Six seat high wing light aircraft powered by a 260 hp (194 kW) Continental IO-470-F, landplane gross weight 3,200 lb (1,451 kg) and first certified on 31 January 1961. [1]
185A Skywagon
Six seat high wing light aircraft powered by a 260 hp (194 kW) Continental IO-470-F, landplane gross weight 3,200 lb (1,451 kg) and first certified on 20 September 1961. [1]
185B Skywagon
Six seat high wing light aircraft powered by a 260 hp (194 kW) Continental IO-470-F, landplane gross weight 3,200 lb (1,451 kg) and first certified on 25 June 1962. [1]
185C Skywagon
Six seat high wing light aircraft powered by a 260 hp (194 kW) Continental IO-470-F, landplane gross weight 3,200 lb (1,451 kg) and first certified on 19 July 1963. [1]
185D Skywagon
Six seat high wing light aircraft powered by a 260 hp (194 kW) Continental IO-470-F, landplane gross weight 3,200 lb (1,451 kg) and first certified on 17 June 1964. [1]
185E Skywagon
Six seat high wing light aircraft powered by a 260 hp (194 kW) Continental IO-470-F, landplane gross weight 3,300 lb (1,497 kg) and first certified on 24 September 1965. [1]
A185E Skywagon and AgCarryall
Six seat high wing light aircraft and agricultural aircraft powered by a 300 hp (224 kW) Continental IO-520-D, landplane gross weight 3,350 lb (1,520 kg) and first certified on 24 September 1965. [1]
A185F Skywagon and AgCarryall
Six seat high wing light aircraft and agricultural aircraft powered by a 300 hp (224 kW) Continental IO-520-D, landplane gross weight 3,350 lb (1,520 kg) and first certified on 16 October 1973. [1]

Military variants

U-17A
Military version of the Cessna 185E, powered by a 260-hp (194-kW) Continental IO-470-F piston engine. Supplied by the USAF to a number of countries under the Military Assistance Programme.
U-17B
Military version of the Cessna A185E, powered by a 300-hp (224-kW) Continental IO-520-D piston engine. Supplied by the USAF to a number of countries under the Military Assistance Programme.
U-17C
Four-seat light utility aircraft, powered by a Continental IO-470-L piston engine.

Operators

Civil operators

The Cessna 185 is popular with air charter companies and is operated by private individuals and companies.

Military operators

A Cessna U-17A of the Republic of Vietnam Air Force (RVNAF) at Nha Trang Air Base. U-17A VNAF NhaTrang.jpg
A Cessna U-17A of the Republic of Vietnam Air Force (RVNAF) at Nha Trang Air Base.

As part of the United States Military Assistance Program, Cessna received a contract to supply the United States Air Force with the Skywagon. These were intended for delivery overseas and were designated U-17A and U-17B.

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Accidents and Incidents

Specifications (1978 Cessna 185 II landplane)

3-view line drawing of the Cessna U-17A Cessna U-17A 3-view line drawing.png
3-view line drawing of the Cessna U-17A

Data from Cessna [27]

General characteristics

Performance

Specification for differing configurations

LandplaneFloatplaneAmphibian
Length27 ft 0 in (8.23 m)27 ft 6 in (8.38 m)
Height12 ft 2 in (3.71 m)12 ft 8 in (3.86 m)
Empty weight1,745 lb (792 kg)1,910 lb (866 kg)2,165 lb (982 kg)
MTOW 3,320 lb (1,506 kg)3,265 lb (1,481 kg) on land
3,100 lb (1,406 kg) on water
Max. speed 136 knots (252 km/h)141 knots (261 km/h)135 knots (251 km/h)
Range 516 nm (957 km)503 nm (933 km)482 nm (893 km)
Service ceiling 16,400 ft (5,000 m)15,300 ft (4,700 m)
Rate of climb 960 ft/min (293 m/min)970 ft/min (296 m/min)
Wing loading 19.1 lb/ft2 (93.3 kg/m2)18.8 lb/ft2 (91.8 kg/m2)

See also

Related development

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Federal Aviation Administration (February 2009). "TYPE CERTIFICATE DATA SHEET NO. 3A24 Revision 39" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on March 7, 2010. Retrieved March 10, 2010.
  2. "Se distinguió al Tcnl aviador de Ejército Pedro Acosta" (in Spanish). Ejército Argentino. December 2, 2015. Archived from the original on April 23, 2016. Retrieved April 16, 2015.
  3. Andrade 1982, Page 27
  4. Andrade 1982, Page 50
  5. Andrade 1982, Page 58
  6. Andrade 1982, Page 94
  7. Hagedorn 1986, p. 67.
  8. "Peace Research Institute". Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. 1965. Retrieved February 11, 2021.
  9. Andrade 1982, Page 107
  10. Andrade 1982, Page 109
  11. Andrade 1982, Page 113
  12. "Cessna 185 Skywagon | Jamaican Defence Force".
  13. Churchill 1997, Page 121
  14. Andrade 1982, Page 166
  15. Andrade 1982, Page 174
  16. Andrade 1982, Page 176
  17. Andrade 1982, Page 177
  18. Andrade 1982, Page 181
  19. Niccoli 1998, p. 38.
  20. Andrade 1982, Page 188
  21. Andrade 1982, Page 195
  22. Andrade 1982, Page 224
  23. World Air Forces – Historical Listings Thailand (THL), archived from the original on January 25, 2012, retrieved August 30, 2012
  24. Andrade 1982, Page 229
  25. Andrade 1982, Page 335
  26. "The Devil in the Details, and the Seat Rails..." Check-Six.com. Archived from the original on August 16, 2013. Retrieved March 21, 2013.
  27. Cessna Aircraft Company: 1978 Cessna Skywagons 180 & 185, page 11. Cessna Aircraft, Wichita, Kansas 1978. SPA 78009-15

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References

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