Cessna 180: Comparison
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The Cessna 180 is a four- or six-seat, fixed conventional gear general aviation airplane which was produced between 1953 and 1981. Though the design is no longer in production, many of these aircraft are still in use as personal aircraft and in utility roles such as bush flying.

  • general aviation
  • cessna
  • utility

1. Development

1960 Cessna 180 Skywagon. https://handwiki.org/wiki/index.php?curid=1830202

Cessna introduced the heavier and more powerful 180 as a complement to the Cessna 170. It eventually came to be known as the Skywagon.[1]

The prototype Cessna 180, N41697, first flew on May 26, 1952. Cessna engineering test pilot William D. Thompson was at the controls.[2]

In all its versions, 6,193 Cessna 180s were manufactured. In 1956, a tricycle gear version of this design was introduced as the Cessna 182, which came to bear the name Skylane. Additionally, in 1960, Cessna introduced a heavier, more powerful sibling to the 180, the conventional gear Cessna 185. For a time, all three versions of the design were in production.[1]

2. Design

The airframe of the 180 is all-metal, constructed of aluminum alloy. The fuselage is a semi-monocoque structure, with exterior skin sheets riveted to formers and longerons. The strut-braced wings, likewise, are constructed of exterior skin sheets riveted to spars and ribs. The landing gear of the 180 is in a conventional arrangement, with main gear legs made of spring steel, and a steerable tailwheel mounted on a hollow tapered steel tube.[1]

Cessna 180s produced between 1953 and 1963 have two side windows, while 1964 to 1981 models feature three side windows, as they use the same fuselage as the Cessna 185. 180s can be equipped with floats and skis.[1]

3. Operational History

3.1. Record fFlight

Jerrie Mock's Cessna 180. https://handwiki.org/wiki/index.php?curid=1783488

The Cessna 180 gained recognition as the aircraft chosen by Geraldine Mock, the first woman pilot to successfully fly around the world. The flight was made in 1964 in her 1953 model, the Spirit of Columbus (N1538C), as chronicled in her book Three-Eight Charlie.[3] The Cessna factory obtained the aircraft and kept it at the Pawnee (Wichita, Kansas) manufacturing plant after the epic flight, suspended from the ceiling over one of the manufacturing lines. It is currently on display at the National Air and Space Museum.

4. Variants

180
Four seat high wing light aircraft powered by a 225 hp (168 kW) Continental O-470-A, O-470-J, or a 230 hp (172 kW) O-470-K engine, landplane gross weight 2,550 lb (1,157 kg) and first certified on 23 December 1952.

180

Four seat high wing light aircraft powered by a 225 hp (168 kW) Continental O-470-A, O-470-J, or a 230 hp (172 kW) O-470-K engine, landplane gross weight 2,550 lb (1,157 kg) and first certified on 23 December 1952.

[4]
 
1957 Cessna 180A on landing. https://handwiki.org/wiki/index.php?curid=1952670https://handwiki.org/wiki/index.php?curid=1952670
180A
180A
Four seat high wing light aircraft powered by a 230 hp (172 kW) Continental O-470-K, landplane gross weight 2,650 lb (1,202 kg) and first certified on 17 December 1956.
Four seat high wing light aircraft powered by a 230 hp (172 kW) Continental O-470-K, landplane gross weight 2,650 lb (1,202 kg) and first certified on 17 December 1956.
[4]
1959 Cessna 180B on floats. https://handwiki.org/wiki/index.php?curid=1579620
1959 Cessna 180B on amphibious floats. https://handwiki.org/wiki/index.php?curid=1919529https://handwiki.org/wiki/index.php?curid=1919529
180B
180B
Four seat high wing light aircraft powered by a 230 hp (172 kW) Continental O-470-K, landplane gross weight 2,650 lb (1,202 kg) and first certified on 22 August 1958.
Four seat high wing light aircraft powered by a 230 hp (172 kW) Continental O-470-K, landplane gross weight 2,650 lb (1,202 kg) and first certified on 22 August 1958.
[4]
180C
Four seat high wing light aircraft powered by a 230 hp (172 kW) Continental O-470-L or O-470-R, landplane gross weight 2,650 lb (1,202 kg) and first certified on 8 July 1959.
180C
Four seat high wing light aircraft powered by a 230 hp (172 kW) Continental O-470-L or O-470-R, landplane gross weight 2,650 lb (1,202 kg) and first certified on 8 July 1959.
[4]
1961 Cessna 180D. https://handwiki.org/wiki/index.php?curid=1353646https://handwiki.org/wiki/index.php?curid=1353646
180D
180D
Four seat high wing light aircraft powered by a 230 hp (172 kW) Continental O-470-L or O-470-R, landplane gross weight 2,650 lb (1,202 kg) and first certified on 14 June 1960.
Four seat high wing light aircraft powered by a 230 hp (172 kW) Continental O-470-L or O-470-R, landplane gross weight 2,650 lb (1,202 kg) and first certified on 14 June 1960.
[4]
180E
Four seat high wing light aircraft powered by a 230 hp (172 kW) Continental O-470-L or O-470-R, landplane gross weight 2,650 lb (1,202 kg) and first certified on 21 September 1961.
180E
Four seat high wing light aircraft powered by a 230 hp (172 kW) Continental O-470-L or O-470-R, landplane gross weight 2,650 lb (1,202 kg) and first certified on 21 September 1961.
[4]
180F
Four seat high wing light aircraft powered by a 230 hp (172 kW) Continental O-470-L or O-470-R, landplane gross weight 2,650 lb (1,202 kg) and first certified on 25 June 1962.
180F
Four seat high wing light aircraft powered by a 230 hp (172 kW) Continental O-470-L or O-470-R, landplane gross weight 2,650 lb (1,202 kg) and first certified on 25 June 1962.
[4]
 
Cessna 180G with belly cargo pod and tundra tires. https://handwiki.org/wiki/index.php?curid=1263483https://handwiki.org/wiki/index.php?curid=1263483
180G
180G
Six seat high wing light aircraft powered by a 230 hp (172 kW) Continental O-470-L or O-470-R, landplane gross weight 2,800 lb (1,270 kg) and first certified on 19 July 1963.
Six seat high wing light aircraft powered by a 230 hp (172 kW) Continental O-470-L or O-470-R, landplane gross weight 2,800 lb (1,270 kg) and first certified on 19 July 1963.
[4]
180H
Six seat high wing light aircraft powered by a 230 hp (172 kW) Continental O-470-L or O-470-R, landplane gross weight 2,800 lb (1,270 kg) and first certified on 17 June 1964.
180H
Six seat high wing light aircraft powered by a 230 hp (172 kW) Continental O-470-L or O-470-R, landplane gross weight 2,800 lb (1,270 kg) and first certified on 17 June 1964.
[4]
180I
There was no "I" model Cessna 180.
180I
There was no "I" model Cessna 180.
180J
Six seat high wing light aircraft powered by a 230 hp (172 kW) Continental O-470-R or O-470-S, landplane gross weight 2,800 lb (1,270 kg) and first certified on 13 October 1972.
[4]
180J
Six seat high wing light aircraft powered by a 230 hp (172 kW) Continental O-470-R or O-470-S, landplane gross weight 2,800 lb (1,270 kg) and first certified on 13 October 1972.
180K
Six seat high wing light aircraft powered by a 230 hp (172 kW) Continental O-470-U for which AVGAS 100 or 100LL is specified; previous engines were designed for AVGAS 80 (formerly called 80/87), landplane gross weight 2,800 lb (1,270 kg) and first certified on 19 August 1976.
[4]
180K
Six seat high wing light aircraft powered by a 230 hp (172 kW) Continental O-470-U for which AVGAS 100 or 100LL is specified; previous engines were designed for AVGAS 80 (formerly called 80/87), landplane gross weight 2,800 lb (1,270 kg) and first certified on 19 August 1976.[4]

5. Operators

5.1. Civil

The Cessna 180 is popular with air charter companies and is operated by private individuals and companies.

5.2. Military

Australia

 

19 Cessna 180s were in service with both the Australian Army and RAAF from 1959 to 1974.

  • Royal Australian Air Force
    • No. 16 Air Observation Post Flight RAAF[5]
  • Australian Army Aviation
    • No. 16 Army Light Aircraft Flight
    • No. 161 (Independent) Reconnaissance Flight – The Australian Army operated a number of Cessna 180s as surveillance aircraft with the 161 Reconnaissance Flight (call sign "Possum") during the Vietnam War.[6]
Burkina Faso

 

  • RUnion oyal Australianf Burma Air Force
    • No. 16 Air Observation Post Flight RAAF[5]
    - 10 Cessna 180s operated in 1982.[7]
  • Australian Army Aviation
    • No. 16 Army Light Aircraft Flight
    • No. 161 (Independent) Reconnaissance Flight – The Australian Army operated a number of Cessna 180s as surveillance aircraft with the 161 Reconnaissance Flight (call sign "Possum") during the Vietnam War.[6]
Burkina Faso

 

  • Union of Burma Air Force - 10 Cessna 180s operated in 1982.[7]
 El SalvadorEl Salvador[8]
 GuatemalaGuatemala[9]
 HondurasHonduras
  •  
  •  
  •  
  • Honduran Air Force [10]
Israel

 

  • HonduIsraneli Air Force [1011]
 IsraelKhmer Republic
  • Israeli Air Force [11]

 

  • Khmer Air Force – operated 2 Cessna 180s.[12]
 Khmer RepublicKingdom of Laos
  • Khmer Air Force – operated 2 Cessna 180s.[12]

 

 Kingdom of Laos
  • Royal Lao Air Force
 NicaraguaNicaragua[13]
 PhilippinesPhilippines
  • Philippine Air Force [14]

 

  • Philippine Air Force [14]
 ThailandThailand
  • Royal Thai Navy

 

  • Royal Thai Navy
 UruguayUruguay
  • Uruguayan Air Force

 

  • Uruguayan Air Force

6. Specifications (1978 Cessna 180 II Landplane)

Data from Cessna[15]

General characteristics

  • Crew: one
  • Capacity: five passengers
  • Length: 25 ft 9 in (7.85 m)
  • Wingspan: 35 ft 10 in (10.92 m)
  • Height: 7 ft 9 in (2.36 m)
  • Wing area: 174 sq ft (16.2 m2)
  • Empty weight: 1,700 lb (771 kg)
  • Gross weight: 2,800 lb (1,270 kg)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Continental O-470-U , 230 hp (170 kW)
  • Propellers: 2-bladed constant speed, 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) diameter

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 148 kn (170 mph, 274 km/h)
  • Cruise speed: 142 kn (163 mph, 263 km/h)
  • Stall speed: 48 kn (55 mph, 89 km/h)
  • Range: 890 nmi (1,020 mi, 1,650 km)
  • Service ceiling: 17,700 ft (5,400 m)
  • Rate of climb: 1,100 ft/min (5.6 m/s)

 

References

  1. Christy, Joe The Complete Guide to the Single-Engine Cessnas 3rd ed, TAB Books, Blue Ridge Summit PA USA, 1979, pp 29–39
  2. Thompson, William D.. "The C-180 Story". International 180–185 Club. Archived from the original on 2009-05-29. https://web.archive.org/web/20090529070822/http://www.skywagons.org/180_story.asp?menuID=7~7. Retrieved 2009-04-15. 
  3. Mock, Jerrie: Three-Eight Charlie, First Edition, 1970. OCLC 97976 https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/97976
  4. Federal Aviation Administration (March 2003). "TYPE CERTIFICATE DATA SHEET NO. 5A6 Revision 66". http://www.airweb.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgMakeModel.nsf/0/417858c7f90969f7862572430064d352/$FILE/5A6.pdf. Retrieved 2010-03-10. 
  5. RAAF Museum website Cessna 180 page retrieved on 9 January 2009. http://www.airforce.gov.au/raafmuseum/research/aircraft/series2/A98.htm
  6. "Unit History". 161 Possums of Vietnam. http://www.161recceflt.org.au/UnitHistory/unit_history.htm. Retrieved 2006-09-18. 
  7. Gaines 1982, p. 1379
  8. Hatch 1996, p. 40
  9. Hatch 1996, p. 47
  10. Hatch 1996, p. 48
  11. Jewish Virtual Library – Israeli Air Force Cessna 180 page retrieved on 9 January 2009. http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Society_&_Culture/cessna.html
  12. Grandolini 1988, p. 39
  13. Gaines 1982, p. 1387
  14. Hatch 1996, p. 67
  15. Cessna Aircraft Company: 1978 Cessna Skywagons 180 & 185, page 10. Cessna Aircraft, Wichita, Kansas 1978. SPA 78009-15
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