Cessna 182M Skylane (1971-1972)

The 1969 Cessna 182M sits between the 182L (1966-1968) and the 182N (1970-1971) with the same Continental O-470-R at 230 hp, 2,800 lb gross, 60 usable gallons and Omni-Vision cabin the line had carried since the 182H. Roughly 750 were built in the single model year, making it one of the lower-volume classic 182s.

What changed on the airframe this year is less certain than this catalogue previously claimed, and that uncertainty is recorded rather than papered over. The page used to say the 182M introduced tubular main gear. A production-history cross-check (Wikipedia's Cessna 182 article) instead attributes tubular gear to the 182P (1972) and the Camber-Lift drooped wing to the far earlier 182E (1962) -- both dates disagreeing with what this page and its neighbours had said. Neither the type certificate (which describes legal limits, not airframe generations) nor a POH (none was found for this model year -- see below) can settle which claim is right, so no specific gear or wing generation is asserted for the 182M here. A buyer who needs this answered should check the airframe directly (flat-spring vs. tubular main gear is visually obvious) rather than trust a model-year rule of thumb from any source, including this one.

These figures are still the April 2026 generated values and are NOT sourced to any document. A targeted search for a 1969 Model 182M Pilot's Operating Handbook or period Owner's Manual (Bing: four queries; archive.org advancedsearch: three queries; Essco/Univair reprint search) found only a Cessna SERVICE manual (P/N D2006-4-13, "Model 182 and Skylane Series 1969 thru 1976") -- maintenance procedures, not a performance chart, and not opened for figures. This is the pre-GAMA-POH exception runbook rule 25 names explicitly: airplanes from this era have thinner, rarer period manuals, and "not found" here is a documented search result, not a shortcut.

140 KTAS cruise, 980 FPM climb, 12.5 GPH, ~1,100 lb useful load are carried forward from the catalogue's original 2026 generation pass and should be treated as estimates pending a handbook.

Identical O-470-R ecosystem to the 182J/K/L and 182N. See Cessna 182 Skylane (1966-1968) for engine notes.

These bands are unsourced generated figures, not a Vref/Bluebook pull, and the page's own synced market listings below (two 1969/1973 asking prices, $175,000-$194,500) sit well above this table -- a real disagreement worth flagging for a dedicated pricing pass rather than resolving here. Note also that the "1973 CESSNA 182M" listing is itself evidence of a labelling problem somewhere upstream: 1973 is a 182N/182P model year on this certificate, not a 182M year, so that listing is either mistitled by its source or describes a different airframe than its title claims.

Universal Cessna 182 pre-buy concerns apply to the 182M: verify main gear leg straightness and attach-point condition regardless of gear type, check for corrosion in the wing spar and carry-through structure (this airframe is now 55+ years old), and confirm any AD compliance history is complete. A type-specific parts and squawk history is best obtained from the Cessna Pilots Association or a 182-familiar shop.