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<\/a>1960 Cessna 180 \/ Dan Donner, via Wikipedia<\/p><\/div>\n
With the Continental burning a nominal 11 gallons per hour, the airplane carried enough fuel in standard tanks to go 635 nm with a 45-minute reserve.\u00a0 Later models had 80-gallon long-range tanks, which would allow the airplane to travel more than 1000 miles between fuel stops at lower power settings.<\/p>\n
In the air, the airplane was as solid as a rock.\u00a0 With a typical gross weight of 2650 to 2800 pounds depending on model year, the 180 felt like a real airplane.\u00a0 She possessed the typical stability of almost all the high-wing Cessnas.\u00a0 Put her into a bank, trim her out, and she would stay in that attitude all day long, or until you placed her in another.<\/p>\n
One feature many pilots liked of the airplane was that she was rugged.\u00a0 A taildragger, the 180 could land just about anywhere.\u00a0 With oversized tundra tires, this airplane did not need a runway for normal operations.<\/p>\n
She also functioned well with skis, floats, and normal tires.\u00a0 Indeed, this airplane is one of the most favored by bush pilots around the world.\u00a0 On a set of amphibious floats, the 180 excels in Alaska and Canada as the airplane of choice.<\/p>\n
Like all the modern Cessna airplanes, the company constructed the plane of all metal.\u00a0 The fuselage is semi-monocoque in construction and the wing has a single strut.\u00a0 The empennage consists of generous surface area in both horizontal and vertical stabilizers, as well as in rudder and elevator controls.<\/p>\n
Extensive flap area and 40 degrees of \u201cpara-lift\u201d flaps give the airplane good, low-end flying characteristics.\u00a0 These two attributes make the airplane exceptional in soft, short runway environments, as well as at off-airport sites.<\/p>\n
Like her tri-geared cousin, the 182, the airplane is spacious and roomy inside.\u00a0 The cabin provides a comfortable ride for four large adults, once they are inside the plane.\u00a0 Getting in and out of the airplane, however, can prove an effort for some.<\/p>\n
Because the 182 sits in a level flight attitude on the ground, getting in and out of the airplane is relatively easy.\u00a0 The 180, on the other hand, sits in the traditional nose high manner of all taildraggers.\u00a0 This places the cabin at an uncomfortably high position off the ground.\u00a0 Although the doors are wide, getting up and down from the flight deck is sometimes a challenge.<\/p>\n
One record this airplane holds over others, is that it carried the first solo woman aviator around the world.\u00a0 In 1964, Geraldine \u201cJerri\u201d Mock flew an 11-year-old Cessna 180 around the world.\u00a0 With additional fuel cells loaded into the cabin, the 38-year-old mother of three planned, engineered, and flew the 180 around the world.\u00a0 (See Jerri Mock Returns Home<\/a>.)<\/p>\n The airplane is a workhorse and that is why it is so popular with bush pilots and ranchers around the world.\u00a0 It is Spartan on the inside, with Cessna keeping the creature comforts to a minimum.\u00a0 Those interested in working the airplane however, don\u2019t seem to mind.<\/p>\n They really enjoy the flying characteristics and performance the airplane allows.<\/p>\n -30-<\/p>\n \u00a9 2011 J. Clark<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" One of the best planes Cessna developed was the Cessna 180.\u00a0 Powered by a 230 horsepower Continental engine, the 180 could carry four at speeds of about 135 knots.\u00a0 At the same time, she could carry a load of luggage … Continue reading