Yesterday the Seaplane Pilots Association, which continues to work on opening Colorado waters to seaplanes, had a get-together at a home in the Erie Airpark. The regional Cessna rep was there with a new 206, equipped with most of the bells and whistles that are available from the factory, including the float kit. Gorgeous airplane, with G1000 avionics, air-conditioning, and lots and lots of "stuff". "Only" $760,000.

Cary

Cary wrote:Yesterday the Seaplane Pilots Association, which continues to work on opening Colorado waters to seaplanes, had a get-together at a home in the Erie Airpark. The regional Cessna rep was there with a new 206, equipped with most of the bells and whistles that are available from the factory, including the float kit. Gorgeous airplane, with G1000 avionics, air-conditioning, and lots and lots of "stuff". "Only" $760,000.

Cary

And after you buy it, and get ready to put it on floats, you'll have to buy a used seaplane rudder....last I checked about $20 K. You see, when Cessna restarted the 206 line, rather than offering two rudders, they chose to offer only the land plane rudder, even on the seaplane kit equipped airplane. That's as of a couple years ago, so maybe they've changed by now......

MTV

I have a '73 TU206F model with float kit (RSTOL, Big rudder/stinger, '86 inch three blade mcCaulley) I will let go for $350K! On wheels, buyer supplies whatever it takes to make it float......Make my day!!

I didn't ask about nor look at the rudder, so I don't know the answer to that one. We (the Cessna rep and I) talked about the difference in the cowl flaps (the seaplane kit's cowl flaps at "fully closed" are actually 1" open), and the structural additions in preparation for the floats, but not the tail/rudder.

The fuel burn he described was pretty humongous. It's some version of a turbo'd Lycoming 540, and at full power in a climb burns close to 34 gph! About half that in cruise. Wow!

Cary

Unbelievable how costs for aircraft have have gone up In1975 bought 2 Cessna 206 new from factory with my paint scheme and on new EDO 3430 floats for $ 58,000 each. Flew the hell out of them for 20 years and sold them for $130,000 each. Don't know how anyone can afford them anymore

The year that Cessna put the 206 back in production with the 206H I attended the AOPA Conference in Palm Springs. While there I ran into an old friend from Kodiak who flys air taxi with a 206.

His 206 was getting long in the tooth, and said he was there to look at the new H model. So, we walked to the display area and looked at the 206 there. First thing that came to my mind was "Heavy", which I mentioned. So we asked the Cessna rep there what the empty weight of that plane was. He dug out a brochure and read the advertised empty weight from that. "No, we meant the empty weight of THIS airplane." Dunno. Well, do you have a weight certificate in the plane? Nope. How'd you get it from Kansas to here? Uh, it's experimental, doesn't need a w/b. Really? Where's the Exp placard?

That was when he decided he was late for lunch.

Then my friend noticed this plane had a float kit, but had a land plane rudder and stinger. Asked the other Cessna guy and he said for economy they decided to build only one rudder, and since more land planes are ordered.....

Of course a land plane can fly with a seaplane tail, but a seaplane can't fly on floats with a landplane tail.

My friend started looking for a good used 206 G.

MTV

mtv wrote:The year that Cessna put the 206 back in production with the 206H I attended the AOPA Conference in Palm Springs. While there I ran into an old friend from Kodiak who flys air taxi with a 206.

His 206 was getting long in the tooth, and said he was there to look at the new H model. So, we walked to the display area and looked at the 206 there. First thing that came to my mind was "Heavy", which I mentioned. So we asked the Cessna rep there what the empty weight of that plane was. He dug out a brochure and read the advertised empty weight from that. "No, we meant the empty weight of THIS airplane." Dunno. Well, do you have a weight certificate in the plane? Nope. How'd you get it from Kansas to here? Uh, it's experimental, doesn't need a w/b. Really? Where's the Exp placard?

That was when he decided he was late for lunch.

Then my friend noticed this plane had a float kit, but had a land plane rudder and stinger. Asked the other Cessna guy and he said for economy they decided to build only one rudder, and since more land planes are ordered.....

Of course a land plane can fly with a seaplane tail, but a seaplane can't fly on floats with a landplane tail.

My friend started looking for a good used 206 G.

MTV

I wonder if the newer 206 tails are somewhat different from the older ones, and actually do work for seaplanes? Just musing--I have no idea.

Cary

Cary wrote:

mtv wrote:The year that Cessna put the 206 back in production with the 206H I attended the AOPA Conference in Palm Springs. While there I ran into an old friend from Kodiak who flys air taxi with a 206.

His 206 was getting long in the tooth, and said he was there to look at the new H model. So, we walked to the display area and looked at the 206 there. First thing that came to my mind was "Heavy", which I mentioned. So we asked the Cessna rep there what the empty weight of that plane was. He dug out a brochure and read the advertised empty weight from that. "No, we meant the empty weight of THIS airplane." Dunno. Well, do you have a weight certificate in the plane? Nope. How'd you get it from Kansas to here? Uh, it's experimental, doesn't need a w/b. Really? Where's the Exp placard?

That was when he decided he was late for lunch.

Then my friend noticed this plane had a float kit, but had a land plane rudder and stinger. Asked the other Cessna guy and he said for economy they decided to build only one rudder, and since more land planes are ordered.....

Of course a land plane can fly with a seaplane tail, but a seaplane can't fly on floats with a landplane tail.

My friend started looking for a good used 206 G.

MTV

I wonder if the newer 206 tails are somewhat different from the older ones, and actually do work for seaplanes? Just musing--I have no idea.

Cary

Nope. The Wipaire web site shows about an $18000 difference between the price of 3450 floats on a U206 H and the older 206s through the G. Here's the listing of the difference, as listed for the H model:

Rigging Kit for a 206H and T206H and non float-kitted U206 and TU206 through Model G include extensive airframe and firewall modifications including seaplane rudder, tail stinger, ventral fin, steering bungee, and numerous brackets and steering
control parts. Hartzell landplane/seaplane propeller is required but not included in above pricing for 206H and T206H.

So, you buy a brand new airplane with a "seaplane kit", but to put it on floats, you need to buy another rudder.....and have it painted to match....to the tune of around $18 K

MTV

mtv wrote:So, you buy a brand new airplane with a "seaplane kit", but to put it on floats, you need to buy another rudder.....and have it painted to match....to the tune of around $18 K

MTV

I feel really bad for somebody who can afford $760,000 for an airplane, and then needs to spend a whopping $18K for a rudder to put the thing on floats...

How much $$$ is a set of floats for that thing anyways?!?!

I know, I know...it's the principle of the matter

Seems like a huge oversight by the Cessna guys to not make it "float ready." Especially at that price point. They may not have much competition out there in the new market as far as float ready planes (in that class)...but they have competition from their legacy product line. $250K still buys a pretty nice used 206.

bart wrote:

mtv wrote:So, you buy a brand new airplane with a "seaplane kit", but to put it on floats, you need to buy another rudder.....and have it painted to match....to the tune of around $18 K

MTV

I feel really bad for somebody who can afford $760,000 for an airplane, and then needs to spend a whopping $18K for a rudder to put the thing on floats...

How much $$$ is a set of floats for that thing anyways?!?!

I know, I know...it's the principle of the matter

Wipline 3450 Pricing
Aircraft Floats & Rigging Installation Total

Amphibious Seaplane Amphibious Seaplane Amphibious Seaplane

Cessna 206H, T206H $148,300
Cessna T/U206 (through G model $118,300

When I worked for the govt, I needed a "new" seaplane 206. Our aircraft folks said they'd order a new H model. After a bit of research, I said no thanks....no useful load and huge $$$. Woo found and refurbished an F model, with IO-550, gross weight increase, new paint and interior for 1/3 the cost of a new H.

Cessna could care less about floats, or in fact about commercial ops when it comes to 206. Recreational flyers are that market, and they bring $$.

MTV

Ok,

I have flown serial #33 206. Nice stripped out no seats, decent motor(not hotrodded), 2 blade prop. Awesome climber wicked good useful. Tough old bird, just wanted a big tail and and up-gross with Flints. That would be the 206 to have.

Couple of mid seventy/eighty year. Hotrodded motor, Big Mac prop, Robertson or Flint Tanked, 135 planes. Okay I guess for what they are.

A 1999 206 loaded out, leather, Flint tanked, Full King/Honeywell avionics. AND WICKED WARM HEATER at 30 below Fairbanks winter. Awesome family plane. Good range, awesome smooth running, full autopilot. Be hard to work though with the thick interior panel taking up cabin space, Cessna seats, and small useful load. Did I say awesome warm plane, like a caravan all heat diverted up front warm. Gosh that was nice and warm.

I flew that F model, with IO-550, big prop, very basic interior, and 3800 gross with RSTOL (engine got the up gross) quite a few hours, and it was a real workhorse. Only downside was it had Monarch tanks, so light on fuel, but I ran it LOP most of the time anyway. A great airplane with a great useful load. And it made heat, even at 30 or 40 below...it'd even keep the windows clear, sorta.

The new H models are legal at 3800 pounds. Gotta get some useful some way. Maybe Cessna will someday make a "utility" version again.

MTV

That new one I saw on Saturday was certainly anything but "utility" inside. Lots of room, but really pretty upholstery and side panels, much like the latest Skylanes and Skyhawks have--very "automotive".

Cary

niente qui

Dog, you are a better man than me.

I can't imagine the hassles involved in buying, crating, shipping and importing an aircraft from India. Gorgeous plane though.

Good luck! Don't drink the water;-)

niente qui

Call me a necromancer, but I was searching through the forum and ran across this thread which has a lot of discussion on a question I have. How does one identify a sea plane tail on a 206G?

Ever got the appeal in buying a new 206

Even avionics wise a aftermarket glass panel is multitudes better than a G1000 from a function and later upgrade stand point

Seaplane rudder is much taller and longer