Cessna T182T Turbo Skylane

The 2001-present Cessna T182T is the current-production turbocharged Skylane. The Lycoming TIO-540-AK1A produces 235 HP and holds cruise power up to its 20,000 ft maximum operating altitude -- the reason to pay for the turbo over the plain 182T. Approximately 700+ examples have been delivered through 2026.

Two cruise numbers, and why the page states both

The POH's own Section 1 summary publishes two different 75%-power cruise rows, and both are worth knowing before you shop this airplane:

This page's single cruise_speed_ktas field stores the 20,000 ft figure, because that is the airplane you are paying the turbo premium for. A normally aspirated 182T cruises at 145 KTAS too -- its power falls off above roughly 10,000-12,000 ft as manifold pressure drops with altitude, while the T182T holds 75% power all the way to its 20,000 ft ceiling. Storing the lower row would make the two airplanes look identical on speed while the turbo costs more to buy, overhaul and maintain.

Read the fuel flows across, though, because that is the real story: 13 extra knots for essentially the same 14.4 gph. The turbo does not burn more fuel to go faster; it goes faster on the same fuel by flying where the air is thinner.

The practical catch is oxygen. FAR 91.211 requires supplemental oxygen for the required flight crew above 12,500 ft on flights longer than 30 minutes, and for everyone aboard above 15,000 ft. Reaching the 158-knot number means either bottled oxygen or a built-in system, plus the discipline to use it. On a short trip that never gets high enough to matter, plan on the 145-knot row -- which is why both are printed above rather than just the headline.

Where the turbo pays off

Three real scenarios, from the POH's own performance tables:

1. Hot-and-high departures. At 8,000-10,000 ft density altitude, a normally-aspirated engine has already lost roughly 25-30% of its rated power; the turbo holds rated manifold pressure through that range.
2. High-altitude cruise. Above 12,000-13,000 ft the non-turbo 182T's power (and therefore speed) keeps falling; the T182T is still making 75% power at 20,000 ft.
3. Terrain/weather clearance. Climbing to 17,000-18,000 ft for over-the-top cloud or terrain clearance is routine in the T182T and a struggle in the non-turbo airplane.

For flying that mostly stays below 10,000 ft, the turbo's advantage narrows considerably and the price premium buys less.

Sourced from the T182T NAV III (GFC 700 AFCS) POH, P/N T182TPHBUS-01, confirmed against the type certificate on maximum takeoff weight (3,100 lb) and usable fuel (87 gal) before any figure was transcribed.

Cruise: 145 KTAS at 75% power, 10,000 ft, 14.5 GPH, 721 NM range (Section 1 Performance Specifications; the 14.5 GPH figure is also the Cruise Performance table's exact matching row -- 2,400 RPM/24 in.Hg/75% BHP/145 KTAS at that altitude, standard day). The airplane's OTHER published 75% row -- 158 KTAS at 20,000 ft, 753 NM, 4.9 hr -- is the number that actually justifies the turbo; see Overview above. No economy (~65%) row is stored: the cruise table gives an exact 65% figure at nearly every altitude, but the matching range would have to come from a graphical Range Profile chart (curves, not a data table), and reading a number off a curve position is an estimate, not a citation.

Climb: 1,020 FPM at sea level, standard day, 3,100 lb (nearest published column to ISA standard temperature in a table given by four absolute-OAT columns rather than an ISA-relative one). Service ceiling: 20,000 ft (the POH's own "Maximum Operating Altitude", already correct on this page).

Runway: 775 ft ground roll / 1,385 ft over a 50-ft obstacle for takeoff; 590 ft / 1,350 ft for landing (standard day, short-field technique). Takeoff distance was previously overstated by roughly 10% against an unsourced 850/1430 ft figure.

Stall speeds: Vs1 (flaps up) 50 KIAS, Vs0 (flaps full) 40 KIAS, most rearward CG, matching the POH's own Section 1 headline exactly. The previous 49/56 KIAS values were CAS figures (54/49 KCAS most-forward-CG) sitting in KIAS fields.

The full cruise and climb grids (six of the POH's eleven cruise-altitude sheets) are saved as data/vault/performance/cessna-t182t.cruise.json and .climb.json.

The TIO-540-AK1A is a 540 cubic inch, six-cylinder, horizontally-opposed, fuel-injected, turbocharged Lycoming producing 235 HP. TBO 2,000 hours. Single Garrett turbocharger with an automatic wastegate.

Operating considerations:

• Cylinder management: lean-of-peak operation is preferred to keep CHTs in check on a turbo engine.
• Cool-down time: 3-5 minutes at low power after high-power flight, to prevent oil coking in the turbo bearing.
• Top overhaul timing: 800-1,200 hours is common on turbo engines, vs. 1,500+ on the normally-aspirated equivalent.

Field overhaul: $42,000-$55,000 (includes turbocharger overhaul). Factory reman: $55,000-$70,000.

These bands are unsourced generated figures, not a Vref/Bluebook pull. The page's own synced market listings below show asking prices from $265,000 to $875,000 across 18 priced listings, broadly consistent with this table's shape but not independently verified against a price guide this pass -- flagged as a finding for a dedicated pricing pass (runbook rule 27), consistent with the same gap found on the 182M, 182N and 182R pages in this run.

182T pre-buy concerns apply (see Cessna 182T Skylane). T182T-specific:

1. Turbocharger condition: shaft play, oil seepage, blade damage. Turbo replacement: $5,000-$10,000.
2. Cylinder CHT history: review engine-monitor data for CHT excursions above 400F. Turbo engines run hotter and reward careful lean-of-peak operation.
3. Cool-down discipline: required cool-down after high-power flight to prevent oil coking in the turbo bearing; poor logs are a red flag.
4. Wastegate operation: verify smooth operation through the full power range; a stuck wastegate is a $2,000-$5,000 repair.
5. Hot/high operating history: common on Western US-based airplanes; verify operation stayed within turbo limits.