The Cessna 182 is the next step up in size and performance from the Cessna 172. The 182 is a Cessna 180 with tricycle gear. Owners who wanted a lot more room and a little more speed from their Cessna 172 would naturally look at the 182 next. As with the Cessna 172, the Cessna 182 is excellent at being ordinary and, with over 22,000 built, this was key to its success. The 182 first flew in 1955, stopped production in 1986, and re-entered production in 1997. The 182s was in production until 2000 when it was replaced by the 182T.
A 230 hp Lycoming powers the 182S. Continentals powered the earlier 182s, while the retractable-gear 182s were Lycoming powered. The new 182 replaced the earlier 182's fuel bladders with sealed wings. The 182 and 182T also have an upgraded interior and instrument panel.
Cessna went for comfort over speed with the 182 and, given the popularity of the model, they were not too far off the mark. It offers good room and payload capability. It is also stable and flies much like “a heavy 172.”
From 2005, a Garmin G1000 avionics package with two large LCD displays became available as an option on the 182T.
