Aircraft model
CESSNA 182B
Everything here is true of every aircraft of the type, not of any one aircraft.
The 1959 Skylane. By this point Cessna had raised the gross weight to 2,650 lb and the aeroplane had settled into the shape it would keep for thirty years: a high-wing four-seater with enough power to carry a real load out of a short field at about 140 knots. It is a touring aeroplane, and it is also widely used for glider towing, parachute dropping and backcountry flying.
Straight-tail 182s sell at a discount to the swept-tail ones for reasons that are mostly cosmetic, which makes them good value if you do not care how it looks. The substance is unchanged: a robust airframe, a well-supported engine, and 13 gallons an hour. The specific things to check are the firewall and nose gear for damage from nose-first landings, the fuel bladders for leaks, and the seat rails, which are subject to an airworthiness directive common to older Cessnas. Expect to spend real money on avionics; a 1959 panel is not usable today without substantial work.
What it is
| Seats | 4 |
|---|---|
| Landing gear | tricycle |
| Engines | 1 |
| Engine | Continental O-470-L |
| Horsepower | 230 hp |
| Fuel | 100LL |
| Certification basis | CAR3 |
| Production start | 1959 |
| Production end | 1959 |
| Endorsements required | high-performance |
Performance
| Cruise speed | 139 KTAS |
|---|---|
| Range | 580 nm |
| Service ceiling | 18,900 ft |
| Climb rate | 1,010 ft/min |
| Stall speed (Vso) | 49 KCAS |
| Takeoff over 50 ft | 1,350 ft |
| Landing over 50 ft | 1,350 ft |
Load and fuel
| Seats | 4 |
|---|---|
| Useful load | 1,090 lb |
| Full-fuel payload | 760 lb |
| Max takeoff weight | 2,650 lb |
| Empty weight | 1,560 lb |
| Usable fuel | 55 gal |
| Fuel burn at cruise | 12.9 gal/h |
Cost of ownership
| Price, low | $65,000 |
|---|---|
| Price, high | $150,000 |
| Prices as of | 2026 |
| Engine TBO | 1,500 h |
| Overhaul cost, low | $40,000 |
| Overhaul cost, high | $55,000 |
The fleet and its record
| Registered, all time | 773 |
|---|---|
| Active fleet | 406 |
| Median year built | 1959.0 |
| NTSB events, last 10 years | 14 |
| Fatal events, last 10 years | 0 |
| Events per 1,000 active, last 10 years | 34.48 per 1,000 active · base 406 active |
| Personal-flying events per 1,000 active | 24.63 per 1,000 active · base 406 active |
| Ownership transfers, last 24 months | 75 |
| Transfers per 100 active | 18.47 per 100 active · base 406 active |
| Airworthiness directives | 6 |
| Directives, last 5 years | 0 |
| Rate confidence | ok |
Peer scores
A score runs from 0 to 10 within the model's peer class: a position, not a grade, and the six are never added together.
| Peer class | Fixed wing single-engine, piston, 1 engine, 3-4 seats |
|---|---|
| Accident record | 6.2 of 10 · class median 28.36 · 202 models in class |
| Severity | 8.4 of 10 · class median 11.65 |
| Access | 2.4 of 10 · class median 767.75 |
| Support | 7.2 of 10 · class median 141.5 |
| Liquidity | 3.6 of 10 · class median 19.57 |