Summary

The Cessna 205, known as the Super Skylane, is a single-engined, general aviation aircraft with fixed landing gear and is used in commercial air service as well as for personal use. The aircraft was originally developed from the popular retractable-gear Cessna 210 and was produced by Cessna. It is the predecessor to the Cessna 206 and 207 aircraft. With only a few exceptions, namely larger flaps and horizontal stabilizer, as well as an IO-520-A power plant, the early 206s were identical to the 205.

The line's combination of a powerful engine, rugged construction and a large cabin has made these aircraft popular bush planes. Cessna describes the 206 as "the sport-utility vehicle of the air." These airplanes are also used for aerial photography, skydiving and other utility purposes.

The Cessna 205 was introduced late in 1962 as a 1963 model year. The six-seat aircraft was essentially a Cessna 210 with fixed landing gear and with changes to the crew and passenger door arrangement, being officially designated by Cessna as a C210-5 or C210-5A, depending on which year it was produced. The 205 retained the early 210’s engine cowling bulge, originally where the 210 stowed its nosewheel on retraction. This distinctive cowling was used through the 1969 Cessna 206 model. The front four seats are mounted on individual rails, giving great flexibility in positions as well as configurations. The aft two seats are in fixed positions, but can easily be removed.

The 205 is powered by a Continental IO-470-S engine producing 260 hp. Field approvals for an IO-520-A producing 285 hp have been granted, making it equivalent to the early 206s. A STC for an IO-550 is also available.

Model distinctions

The 205 was produced in only two model years, 1963 and 1964, before being replaced in production by the Cessna 206. A total of 576 Cessna 205s were produced.

205 (Model C210-5)

Original 205 model, six seats, powered by a Continental IO-470-S of 260 hp, with a gross weight of 3,300 lb, landplane and certified on 14 June 1962 as a variant of the Cessna 210.

205A (Model C210-5A)

Six seats, powered by a Continental IO-470-S of 260 hp, with a gross weight of 3,300 lb, landplane and certified on 19 July 1963 as a variant of the Cessna 210.

Our 205 parked next to an early 206. Notice the chin bump. His 206 has the three blade prop and a belly pod.

Why the 205?

By owner Cory Wolf

Like any prospective aircraft buyer, I first had to define my mission. I needed a plane that could carry my growing family as well as our camping gear, have room to grow into, have backcountry capability, and the performance to operate in the backcountry with a load. That really narrowed my search to either a Cherokee 6, a C205, or a C206. I knew I didn't want a low wing for operating in the backcountry or off airport, so that narrowed the field to two aircraft.

C206s carry a premium. Even a well worn 206 will be close to, if not over, six figures. The 205, on the other hand, typically run from $45,000 on the well worn and high time engine end, to $85,000 for low time to new engines and nice avionics and interiors. While there were only 500+ made, and only ~250 currently registered in the US, they do trickle on the market every Spring and Fall and good aircraft can be found with a little patience. Because most people don't know what a C205 is, it is undervalued on the market and is kind of a sleeper. It's 206 performance at a fraction of the cost.

Anyone that has been around aviation much knows that not all aircraft can do what it appears they were made to do. For example, a C172 may have 4 seats, but on a warm day, you won't be putting 4 adults, full fuel, and luggage in it. A C205, however, is a heavy lifter with roughly a ~1,500 lb useful load. With standard tanks filled (63 gallons useable), you are left with ~1,200 lbs for people and gear. With long range tanks (82 gallons useable), you are left with ~1,000 lbs for people and gear. And it will haul every inch of it. Typical performance under heavy loads has been 1,000-1,500’ takeoff rolls and 500 fpm for climbs at 100-110 mph. I've seen these numbers up to 8,000’ DA. Landings are of course shorter and can comfortably be done in the same length needed for takeoff. My personal best when very light is landing and taking off on a 600’ strip. A friend with the Sportsman STOL and an IO-550 has seen 300’ takeoffs and landings. As always, your mileage may vary.

A cargo pod is an option and with the front four seats on individual rails, the interior can quickly be changed to meet your space requirements. The rear two seats, while stationary, do remove quickly and are large enough for an adult to sit in.

As for cruise performance and fuel burn, you can expect to burn around 12.5 gph ROP and as lean as 10.5 LOP with Gami injectors. Again, this will vary by altitude, which engine you're running, and what kind of Gami spread you can obtain. I typically see about 150 mph TAS running 100-120 degrees ROP and 130 mph TAS runnng LOP.

Most parts for the 205 aren't hard to come by. With its linage as a 210 and offspring as the 206/207 line, many of the same part numbers were used on all of them. It also has part commonality with 310s and other Cessna aircraft.

Owner assisted annuals have been running me around $600-800. Insurance has been between $900-1,000 per year. Of course that will vary greatly based on your experience and whether you have any 200 series time. Be aware that insurance companies will likely require you to have a checkout in the plane…possible from someone with 205 time…and the checkout could range from 1 hour to 5 hours to 10 hours, all based on you're total flight time and previous experience.

After getting to fly a friend’s 205 and see the capability of the plane, I knew it fit not only my mission, but also my budget. In my (albeit biased) honest opinion, the C205 is one of the best kept backcountry aircraft secrets out there and is definitely the best bang for the buck if you need a very capable backcountry airplane to haul a lot of people, gear or whatever.

Specifications

Notable issues

I can only think of three possible downsides to the 205 vs the 206.

First, with all 6 seats in, there isn't much room for baggage. The extended baggage mod from Selkirk for the 206 unfortunately can't be used with the 205 because of the control cables and pulleys that sit just aft of the rear cabin bulkhead. However, in the Spring of 2017, a field approval was granted for my aircraft for an extended baggage compartment with a 120# load limit. Since then it has been installed in other 205s and is a great option to extend the hauling capacity. Wing and a Prayer, just south of Boise, Idaho designed the mod and will work with the Boise FSDO to get it approved. Approval seems to be taking 2-3 months in 2017 and install takes about 6 hours. As of Fall of 2017, the mod will run about $1,000. A cargo pod is also an option.

Second, the 205 has a shorter horizontal stabilizer and is prone to be nose heavy. Without 70-100#s of ballast in the rear, it has a tendency to land flat and you can run out of elevator in the flare. Vortex generators go a long way to mitigate the problem, as well as the extended baggage mod noted above. It's not unmanageable, but does warrant being aware of it and to learn how to land it with a forward CG.

Third, the 205 was overlooked on a lot of the STCs that were approved for 206s and other similar aircraft. As such, as an owner wanting to make a change, you'll likely need to go through the field approval process. With the right mechanic and FSDO though, it's doable.