Cessna 185 Skywagon

Cessna 185 Skywagon
Cessna 185 Skywagon II at Cambridge Bay Airport, Nunavut, Canada
Role	Light utility aircraft
Manufacturer	Cessna Aircraft Company
First flight	July 1960
Introduction	1961
Produced	1961-1985
Number built	over 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.

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.

Contents

• 
  1 Design and development
  


• 
  2 Operational history
  


• 
  3 Variants
  
  
  
  • 
    3.1 Civil variants
    
  
  
  • 
    3.2 Military variants
    
  
  
  
  


• 
  4 Operators
  
  
  
  • 
    4.1 Civil operators
    
  
  
  • 
    4.2 Military operators
    
  
  
  
  


• 
  5 Accidents and Incidents
  


• 
  6 Specifications (1978 Cessna 185 II landplane)
  
  
  
  • 
    6.1 Specification for differing configurations
    
  
  
  
  


• 
  7 See also
  


• 
  8 Notes
  


• 
  9 References
  


• 
  10 External links
  

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.

1976 Cessna A185F on floats

The Skywagon can also be fitted with floats, amphibious float, 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 remote, austere 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 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 (VNAF) 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.

 Argentina

• 
  Argentine Army Aviation^[2]
  

 Bolivia

• 
  Bolivian Air Force 7 x A185E, 8 x A185F * 5 x U-17A^[3]
  

 Costa Rica

• 
  Guardia Civil 3 x U-17A^[4]
  

 Ecuador

• 
  Ecuadorian Army 2 x 185D^[5]
  

 Greece

• 
  Hellenic Army 9+ x U-17A^[6]
  

 Honduras

• 
  Honduran Air Force received a Cessna 185B in 1962, a U-17A in 1963 and a 185D in 1965.^[7]
  

 Iran

• 
  Islamic Revolutionary Air Force 185A^[8] - no longer in service


• 
  Islamic Revolutionary Army Aviation 185A^[9] - no longer in service

 Israel

• 
  Israel Air Force 185 ^[10]
  

 Jamaica

• 
  Jamaica Defence Force - 4 x 185 from 1963 to 1985^{[citation needed]}
  

 Khmer Republic

• 
  Khmer Air Force – 5 x U-17 from 1972 to 1975.^{[citation needed]}
  

Laos

• 
  Royal Lao Air Force - U-17s used as reconnaissance and observation aircraft for Nokateng Forward Air Controllers during the Laotian Civil War^[11]
  

 Nicaragua

• 
  Nicaraguan Air Force 3 x U-17B^[12]
  

 Panama

• 
  Panamanian Public Forces 3 x U-17A^[13]
  

 Paraguay

• 
  Paraguayan Air Force 5 x U-17A^[14]
  

 Peru

• 
  Peruvian Air Force 9 x 185^[15]
  

 Philippines

• 
  Philippine Air Force 8 x U-17A, 9 x U-17B^[16]
  

 Portugal

• 
  Portuguese Air Force 5 x 185A operated 1968 to 1974.^[17]
  

 Rhodesia

• 
  Rhodesian Air Force - Two civil aircraft impressed into service, about 17 aircraft on loan from the South African Air Force, in service during the 1970s.

 El Salvador

• 
  Air Force of El Salvador 1 x 185^[18]
  

 South Africa

• 
  South African Air Force 24 x 185A, 12 x 185D, 9 x 185E^[19]- No longer in service.^{[citation needed]}
  

 South Vietnam

• 
  Republic of Vietnam Air Force - About 100 U-17As and U-17Bs were used by the VNAF. No longer in service.

 Thailand

• 
  Royal Thai Army Aviation U-17B^[20]
  

 Turkey

• 
  Turkish Army Aviation U-17B^[21]
  

 Uruguay

• 
  Uruguayan Air Force 12 x U-17A^[22]
  

Accidents and Incidents

• On August 19, 1989, a Cessna A185E Skywagon registered N95KW crashed shortly after a balked landing at Coastal Airport, located near Myrtle Grove, Florida. The pilot's seat latch slipped on the railing, causing the pilot to unintentionally stall the aircraft. The pilot and the two passengers on board were all severely injured. The resulting product liability trial, concluding twelve years later, resulted in a $480 million judgement against Cessna. The case was later settled out-of-court for an undisclosed sum.^[23] This accident also brought about a series of airworthiness directives that affected all small Cessnas ever built.

Specifications (1978 Cessna 185 II landplane)

Cessna 185 on straight floats

Data from Cessna^[24]

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: 1,748 lb (793 kg)


• 
  Gross weight: 3,350 lb (1,520 kg)


• 
  Powerplant: 1 × Continental IO-520-D , 300 hp (220 kW)


• 
  Propellers: 2-bladed constant speed, 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) diameter

Performance

• 
  Maximum speed: 155 kn (178 mph; 287 km/h)


• 
  Cruise speed: 145 kn (167 mph; 269 km/h)


• 
  Stall speed: 49 kn (56 mph; 91 km/h)


• 
  Range: 720 nmi (829 mi; 1,333 km)


• 
  Service ceiling: 17,150 ft (5,230 m)


• 
  Rate of climb: 1,010 ft/min (5.1 m/s)

Specification for differing configurations

	Landplane	Floatplane	Amphibian
Length		27 ft 0 in (8.23 m)	27 ft 6 in (8.38 m)
Height		12 ft 2 in (3.71 m)	12 ft 8 in (3.86 m)
Empty weight	1,745 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

• Cessna 180

Notes

1. 
   ^ ^abcdefgh Federal Aviation Administration (February 2009). "TYPE CERTIFICATE DATA SHEET NO. 3A24 Revision 39" (PDF). Retrieved 2010-03-10..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/12px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#33aa33;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}
   


2. 
   ^ "Se distinguió al Tcnl aviador de Ejército Pedro Acosta" (in Spanish). Ejército Argentino. 2 December 2015. 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. 
   ^ Andrade 1982, Page 107
   


9. 
   ^ Andrade 1982, Page 109
   


10. 
    ^ Andrade 1982, Page 113
    


11. 
    ^ Churchill 1997, Page 121
    


12. 
    ^ Andrade 1982, Page 166
    


13. 
    ^ Andrade 1982, Page 174
    


14. 
    ^ Andrade 1982, Page 176
    


15. 
    ^ Andrade 1982, Page 177
    


16. 
    ^ Andrade 1982, Page 181
    


17. 
    ^ Niccoli 1998, p. 38.
    


18. 
    ^ Andrade 1982, Page 188
    


19. 
    ^ Andrade 1982, Page 195
    


20. 
    ^ Andrade 1982, Page 224
    


21. 
    ^ Andrade 1982, Page 229
    


22. 
    ^ Andrade 1982, Page 335
    


23. 
    ^ "The Devil in the Details, and the Seat Rails..." Check-Six.com. Retrieved 21 March 2013.
    


24. 
    ^ Cessna Aircraft Company: 1978 Cessna Skywagons 180 & 185, page 11. Cessna Aircraft, Wichita, Kansas 1978. SPA 78009-15
    

References

• Andrade, John. Militair 1982, Aviation Press Limited, London 1982.
  ISBN 0-907898-01-7.


• Churchill, Jan. Hit My Smoke: Forward Air Controllers in Southeast Asia, Sunflower University Press, Manhattan KS, 1997.
  ISBN 0-89745-215-1
  


• Hagedorn, Daniel P. "From Caudillos to COIN". Air Enthusiast, Thirty-three, July–November 1986. pp. 55–70.


• 
  Niccoli, Riccardo (May–June 1998). "Portuguese Numerology: Serial systems used by the Aeronautica Militar and the Força Aerea Portuguesa". Air Enthusiast. No. 75. pp. 33–45. ISSN 0143-5450.
  

External links

Media related to Cessna 185 at Wikimedia Commons

v t e Cessna aircraft
Single-engine	A AA AC AF AS AW BW CR-1 CR-2 CR-3 CW-6 EC-1 EC-2 DC-6 C-34 C-37 C-38 C-145 C-165 120 140 150 152 160 162 170 172 175 177 180 182 185 187 188 190 195 205 206 207 208 210 240 305 308 309 319 321 325 350 400 1014 1034 Denali NGP XMC
Multi-engine	P-7 T-50 303 310 318 320 327 335 336 337 340 401 402 404 406 407 408 411 414 421 425 435 441 620
Cessna Citation family	Names: I-I/SP II-II/SP-SII III-VI-VII V-Ultra-Encore X-X+ CitationJet/M2 Columbus Excel-XLS-XLS+ Latitude Longitude Mustang Sovereign Hemisphere Models: 500/501 510 525 550/551/552 560 560XL 650/670 680 680A 700 750 850
Helicopters	CH-1/CH-4
Gliders	CG-2
Military	A-37 UC-77 UC-78 UC-94 C-106 LC-126 C-16 C-28 UC-35 L-19 L-27 O-1 O-2 AT-8 AT-17 T-37 T-41 T-47 T-48 T-51 U-3 U-17 U-20 U-26 U-27 JRC YH-41 526 JPATS E530
People	Clyde Cessna Russell W. Meyer Jr. Jack J. Pelton Victor Roos Dwane Wallace

v t e United States tri-service utility aircraft designations post-1962
U-1 U-2 U-3 U-4 U-5 U-6 U-7 U-8 U-9 U-10 U-11 U-121 U-131 U-141 U-151 U-16 U-17 U-18 U-19 U-20 U-21 U-22 U-23 U-24 U-25 U-26 U-27 U-28 U-29 to U-371 U-38
1 Not assigned

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