Cessna 180 Skywagon

Cessna introduced the heavier and more powerful 180 as a complement to the Cessna 170. It eventually came to be known as the Skywagon, with the name appearing in promotional material by 1973. The prototype Cessna 180, N41697, first flew on May 26, 1952. Cessna engineering test pilot William D. Thompson was at the controls. In all its versions, 6,193 Cessna 180s were manufactured. In 1956, a tricycle gear version of this design was introduced as the Cessna 182, which came to bear the name Skylane. Additionally, in 1960, Cessna introduced a heavier, more powerful sibling to the 180, the conventional gear Cessna 185. For a time, all three versions of the design were in production. ==Design==

The airframe of the 180 is all-metal, constructed of aluminum alloy. The fuselage is a semi-monocoque structure, with exterior skin sheets riveted to formers and longerons. The strut-braced wings, likewise, are constructed of exterior skin sheets riveted to spars and ribs. The landing gear of the 180 is in a conventional arrangement, with main gear legs made of spring steel, and a steerable tailwheel mounted on a hollow tapered steel tube. Cessna 180s produced between 1953 and 1963 have two side windows, while 1964 to 1981 models feature three side windows, as they use the same fuselage as the Cessna 185. 180s can be equipped with floats and skis. ==Operational history==

Record flight 's Cessna 180, the Spirit of Columbus The Cessna 180 gained recognition as the aircraft chosen by Geraldine Mock, the first woman pilot to successfully fly around the world. The flight was made in 1964 in her 1953 model, the Spirit of Columbus (N1538C), as chronicled in her 1970 book Three-Eight Charlie. The Cessna factory obtained the aircraft and kept it at the Pawnee (Wichita, Kansas) manufacturing plant after the epic flight, suspended from the ceiling over one of the manufacturing lines. It is currently on display at the National Air and Space Museum. ==Variants==

Cessna has historically used model years similar to U.S. auto manufacturers, with sales of new models typically starting a few months prior to the actual calendar year. ;180 :Introduced for the 1953 model year with four seats, all-metal construction, a Continental O-470-A engine driving a constant-speed propeller, a squared vertical tail (as opposed to previous types' rounded tails), "Para-Lift" flaps, spring steel landing gear with a steerable tail wheel, and a gross weight of . The 1954 model year introduced a O-470-J engine and interior refinements. 1956 introduced a O-470-K engine with a new air intake duct. Certified on 23 December 1952. 641 (1953), 620 (1954), 891 (1955), and 512 (1956) built. , England. ;180A :Introduced for the 1957 model year with revised instrument panel, improved tailwheel steering, a new parking brake, and an increased gross weight of . Certified on 17 December 1956. 694 total built; 444 (1957) and 250 (1958). ; :Introduced for the 1973 model year with a new "Camber-Lift" wing with a redesigned leading edge, a revised instrument panel, and nose-mounted landing/taxi lights. The 1974 model year introduced optional cabin door bubble windows for improved downward visibility. 1975 introduced a Continental O-470-S engine. Certified on 13 October 1972. 100 (1973), 116 (1974), 120 (1975), and 150 (1976). The 1978 model year introduced the Skywagon II with a preferred options package. All subsequent model years featured only minor changes. Certified on 19 August 1976. 433 total built; 135 (1977), 95 (1978), 115 (1979), 52 (1980), and 36 (1981). Military variants ;U-17C :Eight 180E and nine 180H aircraft acquired by the United States military for export. ==Operators==

Civil The Cessna 180 is popular with air charter companies and is operated by private individuals and companies. Military ; ground crew load 2.75 inch white phosphorus rockets onto a Cessna 180 at Vung Tau Air Base in 1966 • Royal Australian Air Force • Australian Army Aviation ; • Union of Burma Air Force ; • Public Force of Costa Rica ; • Salvadoran Air Force ; Guatemalan Air Force ; • Honduran Air Force ; • Indonesian Air Force ; • Israeli Air Force ; • Khmer Air Force ; • Nicaraguan Air Force ; • Philippine Air Force ==Specifications (1978 Cessna 180 II landplane)==