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.
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.
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.
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.
On August 14, 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 judgment against Cessna. The case was later settled out-of-court for an undisclosed sum.[26] This accident also brought about a series of
airworthiness directives that affected all small Cessnas ever built.
Andrade, John. Militair 1982, Aviation Press Limited, London 1982.
ISBN0-907898-01-7.
Churchill, Jan. Hit My Smoke: Forward Air Controllers in Southeast Asia, Sunflower University Press, Manhattan KS, 1997.
ISBN0-89745-215-1
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.
ISSN0143-5450.