Cessna 182 / 182A / 182B (1956-1959)

The 1956-1959 Cessna 182 covers the first four model years of what became the workhorse of 230 hp general aviation: the original 182 (1956, straight vertical tail), the 182A (1957-1958, which brought the swept tail and the "Skylane" name), and the 182B (1959).

The 182 was Cessna's tricycle-gear development of the Cessna 180, sharing airframe DNA with the Cessna 172 but with substantially more power, a constant-speed propeller where the early 172 had a fixed-pitch one, and a much higher gross weight. The result was a genuine four-seat touring airplane in 1956 and remains a capable one.

All three are fastback airplanes — small rear windows, no wraparound glass. The Omni-Vision rear window arrives with the 182C in 1960.

Certified figures below are FAA TCDS 3A13 Rev. 75, Sections I, II and III. The serial counts are counts of eligible serials on the certificate, not deliveries.

What actually changed year to year:

• 182 to 182A (1957) — swept-back vertical tail, the single most visible change in the type's history; the "Skylane" name introduced as a deluxe trim option; gross weight up 100 lb; total fuel up 5 gallons in the same two wing tanks (32.5 gal a side rather than 30), with usable unchanged at 55.
• 182A to 182B (1959) — the certificate records no change at all. Every Section III figure equals Section II's. The differences are cabin trim and cowling detail, which a type certificate does not reach and which this page therefore does not claim.

The "Skylane" name

The 1957 182A introduced "Skylane" as a deluxe trim option, the same year Cessna did the same thing with "Skyhawk" on the 172. Skylane trim meant full exterior paint rather than bare aluminum, an upgraded interior, and a radio package. Today "Skylane" is the universal name for a 182 regardless of trim, and the original distinction has no effect on resale.

None of the performance figures on this page have been re-sourced. Cruise 135 KTAS, 12.5 gph, 980 fpm, 18,900 ft, ~615 nm range, and both takeoff and landing distances are all April 2026 generated values, carried forward unchanged and unverified. A type certificate contains no performance data of any kind.

Two of them are now visibly suspect and should be treated as such until the Owner's Manual is read:

• The range figure was written against a 65-gallon airplane. The airplane has 55 usable, so ~615 nm is at best 15% optimistic before reserves.
• The empty weight (1,620 lb) and the useful load derived from it (1,030 lb) are unsourced. The certificate gives C.G. envelopes, not weights.

Settling this needs the period Cessna Owner's Manual for each model. These airplanes predate the GAMA-standard POH by two decades, so there is no part number on the certificate to chase.

The O-470-L is a 230 hp six-cylinder, horizontally opposed, air-cooled engine with a 1,500-hour TBO. It is smooth, durable, and the certificate rates it at 2,600 rpm for all operations — there is no separate takeoff rating to track.

The wider O-470 family stayed in Cessna production through the 182R in 1986, so parts support for the L is carried by a much larger installed base than the 1956-1959 airplanes alone would justify. Field overhaul runs $42,000-$54,000; engine_overhaul_cost_usd here is the national specialty-shop figure from reference/engine-overhaul-pricing.md.

These are April 2026 generated bands and have not been re-sourced against a price guide. Original 1956 straight-tail 182s command a modest collector premium when restored; 182A and 182B trade at similar money in equivalent condition. Float-equipped examples can exceed $130,000, but that is float value rather than airframe value.

Universal Cessna pre-buy concerns apply. Specific to these airframes:

1. Wing strut attach fittings — AD 99-12-15 inspection. Corrosion here can be unrepairable.
2. Seat rail wear — AD 2011-10-09 applies across the Cessna single line.
3. Tail cone and lower fuselage corrosion — near-universal on outside-stored airframes of this age. Inspect with the tail cone off.
4. Nose gear strut — AD 2007-23-04 inspection; repairs are expensive.
5. Constant-speed propeller hub — these hubs are 65+ years old. The certificate lists five eligible installations between Hartzell and McCauley, including one that only applies to airframes reworked per Cessna Service Kit SK182-121. Verify which one is fitted and that the logs support it — a mismatch between the airplane and its data plate is a common finding at this age.
6. Gross weight paperwork — a 182 is 2,550 lb and a 182A/182B is 2,650 lb. Check the weight and balance against the model, not against what the seller says.