Compare aircraft models
Up to four models side by side. Everything here is true of every aircraft of the type, not of any one aircraft.
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- Cessna 185
- Cessna 210-5(205)
- Cessna U206F
- Piper PA-32-260
Comparison
4 models side by side: scroll sideways to see them all. The attribute names stay on the left.
| Cessna 185 | Cessna 210-5(205) | Cessna U206F | Piper PA-32-260 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | ||||
| Seats | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Landing gear | taildragger | tricycle | tricycle | tricycle |
| Engines | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Engine | Continental IO-470-F | Continental IO-470-S | Continental IO-520-F | Lycoming O-540-E4B5 |
| Horsepower | 260 hp | 260 hp | 300 hp | 260 hp |
| Fuel | 100LL | 100LL | 100LL | 100LL |
| Certification basis | CAR3 | CAR3 | CAR3 | CAR3 |
| Production start | 1961 | 1963 | 1975 | 1965 |
| Production end | 1962 | 1964 | 1976 | 1979 |
| Endorsements required | high-performance;tailwheel | high-performance | high-performance | high-performance |
| Performance | ||||
| Cruise speed | 145 KTAS | 140 KTAS | 143 KTAS | 136 KTAS |
| Range | 600 nm | 700 nm | 600 nm | 750 nm |
| Service ceiling | 17,900 ft | 17,700 ft | 14,800 ft | 14,500 ft |
| Climb rate | 1,010 ft/min | 965 ft/min | 920 ft/min | 850 ft/min |
| Stall speed (Vso) | 49 KCAS | 54 KCAS | 54 KCAS | 54 KCAS |
| Takeoff over 50 ft | 1,365 ft | 1,600 ft | 1,780 ft | 1,300 ft |
| Landing over 50 ft | 1,400 ft | 1,400 ft | 1,395 ft | 1,000 ft |
| Load and fuel | ||||
| Seats | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Useful load | 1,680 lb | 1,560 lb | 1,680 lb | 1,701 lb |
| Full-fuel payload | 1,314 lb | 1,182 lb | 1,314 lb | 1,197 lb |
| Max takeoff weight | 3,200 lb | 3,300 lb | 3,600 lb | 3,400 lb |
| Empty weight | 1,520 lb | 1,740 lb | 1,920 lb | 1,699 lb |
| Usable fuel | 61 gal | 63 gal | 61 gal | 84 gal |
| Fuel burn at cruise | 14.6 gal/h | 14.6 gal/h | 16.8 gal/h | 14.6 gal/h |
| Cost of ownership | ||||
| Price, low | $150,000 | $64,500 | $150,000 | $72,000 |
| Price, high | $265,000 | $120,000 | $310,000 | $200,000 |
| Prices as of | 2026 | 2026 | 2026 | 2026 |
| Engine TBO | 1,500 h | 1,500 h | 1,700 h | 2,000 h |
| Overhaul cost, low | $42,000 | $42,000 | $48,000 | $45,000 |
| Overhaul cost, high | $58,000 | $58,000 | $68,000 | $64,000 |
| The fleet and its record | ||||
| Registered, all time | 227 | 300 | 894 | 1,293 |
| Active fleet | 98 | 143 | 231 | 650 |
| Median year built | 1961.0 | 1963.0 | 1975.0 | 1967.0 |
| NTSB events, last 10 years | 7 | 5 | 18 | 50 |
| Fatal events, last 10 years | 0 | 1 | 4 | 16 |
| Events per 1,000 active, last 10 years1 | 71.43 · thin base (low) | 34.97 | 77.92 | 76.92 |
| Personal-flying events per 1,000 active2 | 61.22 · thin base (low) | 27.97 | 12.99 | 56.92 |
| Ownership transfers, last 24 months | 6 | 39 | 38 | 133 |
| Transfers per 100 active3 | 6.12 · thin base (low) | 27.27 | 16.45 | 20.46 |
| Airworthiness directives | 7 | 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Directives, last 5 years | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rate confidence | low | ok | ok | ok |
| Peer scores | ||||
| Peer class | Fixed wing single-engine, piston, 1 engine, 5-6 seats | Fixed wing single-engine, piston, 1 engine, 5-6 seats | Fixed wing single-engine, piston, 1 engine, 5-6 seats | Fixed wing single-engine, piston, 1 engine, 5-6 seats |
| Accident record4 | 3.4 of 10 · scored on 21 years of events (fewer than 10 in the last 10) | 4.8 of 10 · scored on 21 years of events (fewer than 10 in the last 10) | 9.6 of 10 | 2.2 of 10 |
| Severity5 | 8.8 of 10 · scored on 21 years of events (fewer than 10 in the last 10) | 4.1 of 10 · scored on 21 years of events (fewer than 10 in the last 10) | 3.8 of 10 | 2 of 10 |
| Access6 | 4.8 of 10 | 9.6 of 10 | 2.1 of 10 | 9.7 of 10 |
| Support7 | 5.2 of 10 | 6.2 of 10 | 7.2 of 10 | 9.1 of 10 |
| Liquidity8 | 0.1 of 10 | 8.4 of 10 | 3.8 of 10 | 6.8 of 10 |
| Overall (sum of the categories shown)9 | 22.3 out of 50ranks 4 of 4 here | 33.1 out of 50ranks 1 of 4 here | 26.5 out of 50ranks 3 of 4 here | 29.8 out of 50ranks 2 of 4 here |
- Events per 1,000 active, last 10 years: Cessna 185, per 1,000 active aircraft · base 98 active; Cessna 210-5(205), per 1,000 active aircraft · base 143 active; Cessna U206F, per 1,000 active aircraft · base 231 active; Piper PA-32-260, per 1,000 active aircraft · base 650 active.
- Personal-flying events per 1,000 active: Cessna 185, per 1,000 active aircraft · base 98 active; Cessna 210-5(205), per 1,000 active aircraft · base 143 active; Cessna U206F, per 1,000 active aircraft · base 231 active; Piper PA-32-260, per 1,000 active aircraft · base 650 active.
- Transfers per 100 active: Cessna 185, per 100 active aircraft · base 98 active; Cessna 210-5(205), per 100 active aircraft · base 143 active; Cessna U206F, per 100 active aircraft · base 231 active; Piper PA-32-260, per 100 active aircraft · base 650 active.
- Accident record: Cessna 185, class median 38.8 · 75 models in class; Cessna 210-5(205), class median 38.8 · 75 models in class; Cessna U206F, class median 38.8 · 75 models in class; Piper PA-32-260, class median 38.8 · 75 models in class.
- Severity: Cessna 185, class median 16.67; Cessna 210-5(205), class median 16.67; Cessna U206F, class median 16.67; Piper PA-32-260, class median 16.67.
- Access: Cessna 185, class median 1,826.5; Cessna 210-5(205), class median 1,826.5; Cessna U206F, class median 1,826.5; Piper PA-32-260, class median 1,826.5.
- Support: Cessna 185, class median 87; Cessna 210-5(205), class median 87; Cessna U206F, class median 87; Piper PA-32-260, class median 87.
- Liquidity: Cessna 185, class median 17.96; Cessna 210-5(205), class median 17.96; Cessna U206F, class median 17.96; Piper PA-32-260, class median 17.96.
- Each of the five categories places the model within its peer class, from 0 (the worst of the class) to 10 (the best): a position among comparable models, not a grade. The overall score is the sum of the categories shown that are scored, out of 10 for each (50 when all five are); it is given only when at least 4 of the five are scored, and it can be set against another model's only when both are in the same peer class and scored on the same categories. When accident record and severity cannot be scored because the model has too few records, the other three give a partial score out of 30, labelled as such; it is never set against a full score.