This cache is part of the St. Charles Plane Geoart series.
Cessna 180
The Cessna 180 Skywagon is a four- or six-seat, fixed conventional gear general aviation airplane which was produced between 1953 and 1981. Though the design is no longer in production, many of these aircraft are still in use as personal aircraft and in utility roles such as bush flying.
Cessna introduced the heavier and more powerful 180 as a complement to the Cessna 170. It eventually came to be known as the Skywagon, with the name appearing in promotional material by 1973.
The prototype Cessna 180, first flew on May 26, 1952. Cessna engineering test pilot William D. Thompson was at the controls.
In all its versions, 6,193 Cessna 180s were manufactured. In 1956, a tricycle gear version of this design was introduced as the Cessna 182, which came to bear the name Skylane. Additionally, in 1960, Cessna introduced a heavier, more powerful sibling to the 180, the conventional gear Cessna 185. For a time, all three versions of the design were in production.
The airframe of the 180 is all-metal, constructed of aluminum alloy. The fuselage is a semi-monocoque structure, with exterior skin sheets riveted to formers and longerons. The strut-braced wings, likewise, are constructed of exterior skin sheets riveted to spars and ribs. The landing gear of the 180 is in a conventional arrangement, with main gear legs made of spring steel, and a steerable tailwheel mounted on a hollow tapered steel tube.
Cessna 180s produced between 1953 and 1963 have two side windows, while 1964 to 1981 models feature three side windows, as they use the same fuselage as the Cessna 185. 180s can be equipped with floats and skis.
Beechcraft 33 Debonair
Beechcraft’s Bonanza series, the “Mercedes” of general aviation airplanes, was introduced in 1947 and has been in continuous production longer than any other airplane in history. The Debonair, introduced in 1959 with a 225 hp engine, provided a convenient alternative to the original V-tail Bonanza and set the standard for the stylish and well-equipped aircraft for the private pilot.
In 1966, Beech introduced the improved 285 hp Debonair. 179 of these C33A models were produced through 1967, for a total of almost 1300 Debonairs, when the model evolved to the F33 and the name converged officially as the Bonanza.