I'm looking at a couple 1956/57 182's to buy. One of them is very nice, restored, new engine, prop, interior, paint avionics, panel, wiring etc but in its stock configuration. The other is pretty worn inside and out with a dated hodge podge panel but it has a low time P. Ponk engine, sportsman STOL, 8:50 tires, and Selkirk extended baggage.

How does a stock 56' 182 perform? Bush wheels and extended baggage seem like affordable upgrades, hard to pass on a P.Ponk though... A nice panel is important to
me. Both are the same cost.

What to do, what to do,

If your goal is to "make" a bush plane, than I would not go with an aircraft that was "restored." Chances are the items the previous owner installed are not the items you will want for STOL. You will find yourself not moving in the bush direction because of the perceived sunk costs.

Id go for the one that had the Sportsman and ext baggage. If you like the look of the deconstructed interior that many of us have done, why pay for a new interior? You'd also never pull it out. Pretty easy to justify a deconstruction to a ratty old bird, but difficult to junk new shiny stuff... Also no substitute for power....

PPonk for me.

I'd go for the lowest time, cleanest airframe and best overall mechanical condition. Think "what would be the best investment", history, Major Damage, etc. Interiors and paint are temporary. A stock 182 will do most of anything that you wouldn't need a super cub for IMO. If that plane happens to be the PPonk bird then you are money ahead.

Does a p.ponk engine or sportsman stol increase the useful load? Legally?

I notice a 56 only has a 2550 gross weight, is that an understatement?

Hoeschen wrote:Does a p.ponk engine or sportsman stol increase the useful load?

Of course there is the old adage if you can fit it in... It will fly, but no, neither will increase the GW. If you want more GW, you will have to go with a later air frame... but then you start getting into less "desirable" ascetics. Swept tail, omni window etc...

Or go big and go with the WingX extensions. I think they're STC'd on a '56.

Chris

If a good panel is important to you, presumably because you fly IFR, it's a lot less expensive to buy an airplane that already has it. Avionics are pricey!

There is no doubt that more power is nice, but whether you "need" the PPonk is debatable. Where do you intend to fly? Elevations, length of strips, etc., all play a part. Good pilot technique will make up for a lot of ordinary aircraft performance. FWIW, I've always thought 182s have pretty darned good short field, high altitude performance in totally stock condition.

What are your typical missions? If 90% of your flying is from paved airport to paved airport with Momma and the kids, will the stripped version be pleasant to fly--not just for you, but for them?

I'm probably being obvious, but I'd go for the restored one. But my needs/wants may be 180 degrees from yours. You need to ask yourself the right questions and be satisfied with the answers for each airplane.

Cary

Any after 1956 went up 100 pounds gross weight. The p-ponk one seems a little high price for the times. There are a lot of early 182's 57/60 for around 45K and see some selling for 30K. I would just look around and not jump on just one of those, There are deals out there.

How does the heat work in these late 50s Cessnas? I could fly my RV in a T Shirt the heater worked so well. Most my flying will be in North Dakota / Minnesota...

mountainwagon wrote:Any after 1956 went up 100 pounds gross weight. The p-ponk one seems a little high price for the times. There are a lot of early 182's 57/60 for around 45K and see some selling for 30K. I would just look around and not jump on just one of those, There are deals out there.

+1

Hoeschen wrote:How does the heat work in these late 50s Cessnas? I could fly my RV in a T Shirt the heater worked so well. Most my flying will be in North Dakota / Minnesota...

Pretty well. I had a 55 model 180 that was plenty warm, but didn't fly much more than teens and 20's. Definitely t shirt if not hoodie flying.

My 185 blows really hot, even in Idaho its "fleece weather" inside and cold outside. No gloves needed. Defrost works well. I've worked in North Dakota, nothing much is going to be T-shirt up there. Certainly long sleeve/light jacket though. Pretty civilized. Remember though, dress to egress.

This bcp has been taken over by 182 enthusiast lately. Rumor has it bigrenna is going to even convert his 180 to a 182. True fact.
182 exhaust and heat system is essentially the same as a 185 so your going to get the same amount of heat.
A new panel can be way more spendy then a pponk depending how crazy your get.
Only thing a stock 182 needs is larger tires and especially nose tire. For off airport work.

Do the bigger nose wheel upgrades (like Airglas) reinforce the gear structure at all, or just the fork? I can see how a bigger tire will provide more flotation but eventually your only as good as the weakest link. I suppose you still need to protect the nose gear and put er down in the mains, which coming off a tricycle gear RV is nothing new to me...

Airglass is a new steel fork that will slow up to a 8.50x6
No beefing up needed just land nose up it takes a big hit to bend the firewall .

Hoeschen wrote:Do the bigger nose wheel upgrades (like Airglas) reinforce the gear structure at all, or just the fork?

No. The STC does not increase the strength of the nose wheel and only allows for a slightly larger tire. This of course is the inherent weakness of the 182 for "off airport" ops, and the allure of the tail wheel. It takes a lot less force than you think to knacker that attach point...

That said, if you are landing in stuff that is going to wonk your firewall in a 182, perhaps you chose the wrong bird... A 180/185, or better yet cub is where you should be.

Well, I don't plan to head for Supercub territory. Probably just grass strips, gravel roads, maybe some bean / wheat fields.... Places I couldn't take the RV. In fact the stock gear may be adequate and the bigger tires just a novelty.

By the way, I'm new here but I already appreciate the input. Good site, thanks!

Hoeschen wrote:By the way, I'm new here but I already appreciate the input. Good site, thanks!

No worries. Glad to have you here! Lots of smart folks here with good experience. You will love an early 182. Keep us posted.

Gonna miss the avionics and fuel burn in my RV though!

So when you switch to larger main wheels, be it ABWs or 8:50s, is ther any mods needed to the axles, or is that basically just new wheels and tires?