Light · ICAO C180

Cessna 180

The Cessna 180 is a rugged, tailwheel-equipped piston single built for hauling heavy loads into short, rough backcountry airstrips, a role that made it a favourite among bush pilots in Alaska, Canada, and Africa. Its taildragger undercarriage and powerful engine give it noticeably better short-field and rough-field performance than the more common tricycle-gear Cessna 172 and 182. Float and ski conversions extended its usefulness to lakes and snow-covered terrain with no runway at all. Well-maintained examples remain highly sought after today, often commanding prices well above their original cost.

Cessna 180, example photo from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Alan Wilson from Peterborough, Cambs, UK · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Did you know?

The tailwheel-equipped Cessna 180 gives noticeably better short-field and rough-field performance than the tricycle-gear 172 and 182.

Specifications

Length7.9 m (26 ft)
Wingspan11 m (36 ft)
Height2.3 m (8 ft)
Maximum passengers3
Persons on board5
Maximum take-off weight1.2 t
Range630 NM (1,167 km)
Maximum speed148 kt (274 km/h)
Stall speed48 kt (89 km/h)
Service ceiling19,600 ft (5,974 m)
Optimum ceiling15,000 ft (4,572 m)
Rate of climb1,100 ft/min (5.6 m/s)
Take-off distance370 m (1,214 ft)
Landing distance420 m (1,378 ft)
Fuel capacity300 l
Engines1x Continental O-470
Units built6,193

Curated by CatchFlights from manufacturer documents, ICAO Doc 8643 and reference works; values are left out where no source could confirm them. Sources are listed on our credits page.

In CatchFlights

In CatchFlights the Cessna 180 starts as a Uncommon catch. The tier is an editorial judgement of how special a sighting of this type is. The more often you catch it, the closer it moves to Common for you.

A catch counts for the manufacturer Cessna, the 180 family and the model in your collection, and the daily Type Rating quiz asks about the types of each family.

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