Aircraft overview
The Cessna 182 Skylane is a four-seat light aircraft used for personal travel and carrying useful loads. Its high wing and fixed tricycle landing gear resemble the Skyhawk’s, but it has a more powerful engine and a constant-speed propeller.
The 182S has a 230 hp Lycoming IO-540-AB1A5 engine. Its propeller changes blade angle automatically to maintain the selected rotational speed within its governing range. The turbocharged T182T is a separate model.
Photograph: James · 11 June 2016 · Photo source: G-BAFL Cessna 182 (27573314536) · CC BY-SA 2.0
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At a glance
Cessna 182S · normally aspirated engine; specification dated October 2024, normal-category limits
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-AB1A5 · 230 hp at 2,400 rpm182S installation.
- Propeller
- Constant speed · two or three bladesTwo approved McCauley installations; not every S has three blades.
- Seating / minimum flight crew
- Four people / one pilotUp to three passengers.
- Wingspan / length / height
- 10.97 m / 8.84 m / 2.83 mCertificate dimensions, rounded to the nearest centimetre.
- Maximum take-off / landing weight
- 3,100 lb / 2,950 lbNormal-category limits; landing limit is lower.
- Fuel · total / usable
- 92 / 88 US gal182S; the 182T has a different usable figure.
- Baggage · combined limit
- 200 lbIndividual area limits also apply.
In Air Defender
Role guidance · v0.8.16.0
The v0.8.16.0 catalogue lists the general Cessna 182 Skylane as General Aviation. Its game-data fields describe that catalogue entry, separately from the real 182S specifications.
Compare the Skyhawk and use the specification guide to distinguish reference limits from a selected flight’s current state. Aircraft Data and flight plans provide the relevant game context.
Game catalogue values · v0.8.16.0
In-game specifications
These figures come from the game’s general aircraft reference. A matching civilian register entry can supply different fields in Aircraft Data. How to read the two layouts →
- Role
- General Aviation
- Category
- Light Aircraft
- Service ceiling
- 18,100 ftA reference upper height. Read Flight Info for the contact’s present height.
- Maximum speed
- 145 knotsA reference maximum, not the speed the aircraft is flying now.
- Cruise speed
- 140 knotsA typical speed for the main part of a flight, not a guaranteed commanded speed.
- Stall speed
- 50 knotsA reference for specified conditions. Stalling means the wing loses lift, not that an engine stops.
- Typical crew
- 1
- Powerplant
- Single piston engine (Lycoming O-540, 230 HP) Compare engine types →
- Manufacturer
- Cessna Aircraft Company (USA)
Use the right procedure
In depth
Airframe and accommodation
The 182S uses an all-metal airframe with fixed tricycle landing gear and a four-place cabin. Its minimum flight crew is one pilot, with seating for up to three passengers.
The forward baggage area is limited to 120 lb and the rear area to 80 lb, with a combined 200 lb maximum. Weight and balance restrictions still apply to the complete load.
Engine and propeller installations
The IO-540-AB1A5 installation produces 230 hp at 2,400 rpm. Approved propellers include the two-bladed McCauley B2D34C235/90DKB-8 and the three-bladed B3D36C431/80VSA-1.
A constant-speed governor changes blade angle to keep the selected rpm as the load changes. This regulation works within the propeller’s pitch range; reaching a pitch stop can allow rpm to vary.
Fuel and permitted weight
The 182S has two 46-US-gallon wing tanks, giving 92 gallons in total and 88 usable. The 182T has a different usable capacity of 87 gallons.
The 3,100 lb maximum take-off weight is higher than the 2,950 lb landing limit. Both include the aircraft, occupants, fuel and baggage; neither is a payload allowance.
Equipment and operating context
The Skylane’s cabin, power and constant-speed propeller suit personal touring and useful-load work. Its actual equipment remains installation-specific. Avionics vary by aircraft; later glass-cockpit options were not fitted to every older Skylane.
Variants
182S
Normally aspirated 230 hp model with 88 usable US gallons.
182T
Related normally aspirated version with 87 usable US gallons.
T182T
Turbocharged model with its own engine installation and operating limits.
After 1998
2008 · later avionics approval
EASA certification for the Garmin G1000 Nav III option dates to March 2008. This later cockpit differs from the 182S configuration described above.