TURBO SKYLANE RG

wing to check the fuel tanks and caps, but it's the only troublesome aspect of preflight. Fuel samples are taken from three points: each wing has a probe drain near the trailing edge (lazy folk can reach them from the front seats), and the fuel strainer drain control is reached through an access door on the right upper cowl. The dipstick for the sump is there, too. Both of the retractable Skylanes feature an induction system which takes ram air through a recessed, NASA-type scoop on the left rear side of the cowl. Both also are carbureted (which is unusual for a modern turbo engine). Alternate air for carburetor heat and in the event of icing of the carburetor induction air inlet is taken from a shroud around the exhaust manifold. Priming for cold starts employs a manual primer, which is the same type as those used for other carbureted Cessna singles. The electric fuel pump ~ is for emergency use in the event the engine-driven pump fails. Cold and hot starts are very easy, with the en- gine catching in just a few rotations. An EGT gauge is standard equip- ment. We strongly recommend that the aircraft be ordered with the op- FEBRUARY 1979 I THE AOPA PILOT 85 TURBO SKYLANE RG continued tional ($160) carburetor air tempera- ture gauge, too. In addition to being carbureted, there are other characteristics unique to this installation. Cessna buys the engines from Lycoming and the tur- bosuperchargers from Garrett AiRe- search and mates them at the factory. The system features a variable waste gate, which is operated by the throttle control. The first half of throttle con- trols the butterfly in the carburetor as with a normally aspirated engine; the second half of the throttle travel con- trols the turbo's variable waste gate. Maximum manifold pressure is 31 inches, and it is easy to overboost this engine. The turbo system contains a pressure relief valve just upstream of the carburetor, which is designed to open if pressure reaches 34 inches. Momentary overboost is not con- sidered serious, but we prefer to act as though the whole thing will explode if 31 inches is exceeded and not trust the relief valve to protect the engine. An overboost annunciator at the top of the glare shield would be a useful addition, since throttle setting changes require careful monitoring of the manifold pressure gauge, which is mounted too far to the right for quick reference. The times one must use it are the busiest. The recommended procedure for takeoff is to stabilize power before brake release. The few times we had to accept a rolling takeoff we kept the manifold pressure below 30 inches to avoid overboosting. With a ground run of 1,000 feet at gross weight on a 86 THE AOPA PILOT I FEBRUARY 1979 40°C day, or 1,935 feet to a 50-foot barrier, using 20 degrees of flaps, there aren't many-if any-airports where slightly less than optimum power will present a problem. As we've said before, throttle jockey- ing should be avoided with any power- plant, but it is particularly critical with a turbosupercharged one. The aircraft we flew, 4475R, seemed very sensitive right at the maximum cruise power setting of 25 inches, particu- larly when first establishing cruise. Small throttle changes produce large manifold pressure changes. Another characteristic of this turbo system is that it will not hold a mani- fold pressure setting throughout a climb or descent. As with a normally aspirated engine, manifold pressure must be monitored and adjustments made with altitude changes. Power management is one of the prices of increased performance and flexibility. In this installation one can't set the power and forget it. Manifold pressure, EGT, cylinder head and oil temperatures must be watched closely. Increased rpm will increase manifold pressure. Mixture, altitude and airspeed changes will also affect it. Temperatures were well within tolerances during our flights at alti- tudes ranging from 3,000 feet to FL 190. The higher the density altitude, however, the more closely tempera- tures need to be watched. Our air- plane, 4475R, was still in its break-in period, so we used the recommended maximum cruise power settings at all times to help seat the rings. In addi- tion, although the engine is approved for operation at peak EGT, we used the recommended lean setting (50 de- grees rich) at all times. We may be nervous nellies, but running any en- gine at peak EGT is not appealing. Had the engine had sufficient time on it to sample various power and mix- ture settings, we are willing to bet that flight at the upper altitudes would have required use of cowl flaps to maintain normal operating tempera- tures with peak EGT. We prefer to use avgas. Another piece of equipment that must be monitored closely and kept in good working order is the oxygen sys- tem. While quite a few operators of turbo aircraft say they rarely, if ever, go above 12,000 feet, we think it pays to do so whenever it means getting above tough weather or when the winds are at your back. We don't mind wearing an oxygen mask, which is the penalty one accepts to operate at turbo levels without pressurization. The Turbo Skylane's optional 48- cubic-foot system includes a high- capacity mask with built-in micro- phone for the pilot and retails for $1,325. The installation is good, with a console in the overhead which con- tains a selector, two ports for the front seats and a gauge. The rear-seat out- lets are above the side windows. A full tank will sustain four people for 3.25 hours or the pilot alone for 8 hours. Filling the tank to capacity requires warm temperature, however; in the. cold Wichita air, 4475R took 1,600 psi-' as opposed to the maximum 1,800 psi. This should have been sufficient for 6.25 hours. Fortunately, we included the 02 gauge in our periodic checks and noticed it seemed to be emptying faster than anticipated. When it ran out after a bit over three hours, we had an opportunity to test the emer- gency descent procedures (which aren't covered in the operating man- ual). Reducing power to 20 inches and dumping the nose to hold 165 knots (just into the caution range) re- sulted in an initial rate of 2,000 fpm in still air. With a time of useful con- sciousness of ] 5 minutes at ] 8,000 feet, a quick descent to ]2,500 feet or lower should be no concern in the event of problems with the system. \Ve maintained 20 inches all the way down, kept the mixture leaned, and were able to maintain good cylinder- head and oil temperatures. 1t took less than four minutes to descend below 12,500 feet. Rough air would have called for a different technique. Indicated airspeed was 137 knots. With gear and first (10 degrees) flap-setting speed of 140, it would have been easy to drop both and hold that airspeed. Moderate or worse turbulence would require a sub- stantial power reduction, however, as the maneuvering speed is a relatively low 112 knots IAS. The aircraft handles well in all flight regimes. As is characteristic with all the Cessna singles, elevator forces are quite high and one learns to fly with generous applications of elevator trim. Rudder trim is used a good bit in the Turbo Skylane, also. Healthy right rudder is needed during takeoff and climb. The relative trim change from climb to cruise is signif- icant. Lateral and pitch control and stabil- ity are good, making for good close-in maneuvering and low work load at cruise. Slow flight is solid and stalls are clean with quick recovery, even when horsing the airplane into a full break. Rudder is sufficient to pick up a dropping wing throughout the stall. Pitch trim changes when selecting gear down or first flaps can be bal- anced out by selecting flaps immedi- atel y after gear. The nose really points at the ground during final, and it takes a good bit of elevator to flare-which means high efI'ort if lots of elevator trim isn't used during the approach. Final at 75 knots, reducing to 65 over the fence, produces a chance for a gentle touch- down while providing enough elevator for the roundout. The Turbo retains the good short-field performance of the Skylane, needing only 650 feet with little braking on a hot (40°C) day. or a total of 1,400 feet to clear a 50- foot barrier. All in all, it is relatively easy to transition to the TR] 82, particularly if one has flown other Cessna singles. There are no surprises in handling and there will be no surprises in using its full capabilities if one takes the time to understand the systems and operates them properly. Visibility is greatly improved in the RG series. The cowl, instrument panel and glareshield are lower than on most other aircraft in the Cessna single-engine line. With articulating seats, one can select a position that provides good forward visibility and requires less ducking to see out the side windows than in the rest of the line. Skylight windows are an avail- able option that should further im- prove visibility, particularly in the traffic pattern. Our only major com- plaint was windshield distortion in the lower corners. Cabin comfort is good. Standard seats feature three-position backs for the back-seat passengers as well as the front. We think the additional $260 each for articulating front seats is worth it, if for no other reason than the improvement in visibility men- tioned above. Rear-seat shoulder harnesses are a $100 option. Inertia reel harnesses for the front seats, which we consider much more comfortable, cost an ad- ditional $195. We had some concern about staying warm during flight at high altitude, but the system was up to the task. We even had to turn it down a bit in the - 20°C outside temperatures. Noise level is typically high, al- though wind noise was better than some other Cessnas we've flown. The only wind noise came from the wing root ventilators (which can also col- lect water). Main and baggage door sealing seem to have been improved. There is a generous mix of lighting available for night flying, all con- trolled by rheostat. A combination of post and flood lights made most of the instruments quite visible with rela- tively low light settings. Separate map and overhead lights provide all but the most myopic with plenty of bright light for checking charts and plates. There have been a lot of detail im- provements in the Cessna singles we have flown in the recent past, which reflect more care in systems and op- erational design. The Turbo Skylane has a separate panel containing avionics circuit breakers and an avionics master switch. A welcome small touch we noticed when using the hand-held microphone in 4475R is FEBRUARY 1979 I THE AOPA PILOT 87 It looks like any Cessna single instrument panel. but Skylane pilots will be impressed by the improved visibility over the nose and to the sides which has been made possible by reducing the height of the Turbo RG's panel and glare shield. 672 Ib 820lb 820 ft 1,570 ft 600 ft 1,320 ft 1,9121b 1,348 lb 1,200 Ib 7 ft 9 in 42 in 48.5 in 1,7641b 1,040 fpm Basic price: $58,89;; Price as tested $i8,065 Basic price (TR 182 II with Nav/Pac): $68,55;; Specifica tions Engine Avco Lycoming 0-540-L3C5D 235 hp @2,400 rpm, TBO 1,800 hI' Propeller McCauley constant speed, 82-in diameter, 2 blades Wing span 36 ft Length 28 ft 7,5 in Height 9 ft 3 in Wing area 174 sq ft Wing loading 17.8 lb/sq ft Power loading 13.2 lb/hp Passengers and crew 4 (Optional seating for 2 children) Cabin length (including baggage area) Cabin width Cabin height Standard empty weight Equipped empty weight (as tested) Useful load (basic aircraft) Useful load (as tested) Payload with full fuel (basic aircraft) Payload with full fuel (as tested) Gross weight (takeoff & landing) 3,1001b (ramp) 3,1l21b Fuel capacity (std) 92 gal (88 usable) Oil capacity 9 qt Baggage capacity 200 lb CESSN A TR 182 TURBO SKYLANE RG Performance Takeoff distance ( gron 11 droll ) Takeoff over 50 ft Rate of climb (gross weigh t) (sea level) Maximum level speed (20,000 ft) 187 kt (216 mph) Cruise speed (75% power, 10,000 ft) 158 kt (182 mph) (75% power, 20,000 ft) 173 kt (199 mph) Cruise speed (66% power, 10,000 ft) 149 kt (172 mph) (66% power, 20,000 ft) 155kt(178mph) Cruise speed (56% power, 10,000 ft) 138 kt (159 mph) (56% power, 20,000 ft) 149kt(172mph) Range at 75% cruise (with 45-min reserve) (10,000 ft) 845 nm (975 sm) (20,000 ft) 875 nm (1,010 sm) Range at 65% cruise (with 45-min reserve) (10,000 ft) 910 nm (1,045 sm) (20,000 ft) 937 nm (1,075 sm) Certificated maximum operating altitude 20,000 ft Stall speed (clean) 54 kt (62 mph) SIall speed (gear and flaps down) 50 kt (58 mph) Landing distance (ground roll) Landing over 50 ft age brings this up to light IFR and includes a basic avionics package of Cessna avionics including a single- axis autopilot with couplers, one nav / com, ADF, transponder, ELT and all the necessary plumbing for a price of $6,400 in the Skylanes. Their Nav-Pac adds a second nav / com, glideslope and marker-beacon receivers for an additional $3,250. If one prefers a different brand of avionics or a dif- ferent arrangement, it's necessary to go back to the lengthy option list to equip the airplane. The final tag for 4475R is $78,065 excluding gas and oil. So, depending on your needs and wants, there's more to go after the factory package options, which raise 4475R nearly $10,000 above the II with N av /Pac list. This includes the oxygen system we con- sider a must, the instrument-panel lighting system we like so much ($685) and strobes (another must and another $475). Serious IFR additions such as an anti-precipitation kit, ADF anti-precip antenna, DME and heavy- duty battery are included as well. There are two other options not in- cluded in the price list which are needed for the Turbo Skylane and any other aircraft capable of flying above FL 180: an instrument rating and a set of high altitude en route charts. In balance, the Turbo Skylane is a useful package for the businessman pilot and represents a competitive choice in the performance race among both singles and twins. It shouldn't really be compared to a Skylane or similar, normally aspi- rated, fixed-gear singles. In fact, Cessna may find it to be competition for the Centurion since pilots can buy near-Centurion performance (460 pounds less useful load, 23 knots slower cruise, 7,000-foot lower maxi- mum operating altitude) for about $20,000 lower cost at list. D .C>.",·C", " The Bottom Line A few years ago Cessna developed a package pricing philosophy which we think represents a definite improve- ment. Base price now includes prac- tically all the instrumentation and lighting one needs for basic day-and- night VFR flight, although, sur- prisingly, such basics as dual controls are still "optional." The II series pack- the addition of Velcro® to the control wheels. Instead of bending over to snatch (or replace) the mike in the central control pedestal, you ean stick it to the yoke without looking, keeping it handy for busy times. The TR182 can carry a good load, but it should not be treated as a fill-it- and-go machine. Standard empty weight is 1,815 pounds; gross for take- off and landing is 3,100. The aircraft is certificated with a maximum ramp weight of 3,112, as well, which pro- vides an extra bit of fuel to handle start, taxi and runup. Cessna 4475R has 97 pounds of optional equipment, which brings the useful load down to 1,188 in flight. Full fuel weighs 528 pounds, so the payload with full fuel is 672 pounds. That's almost four FAA standard souls with no allowance for baggage, charts, coffee and the other usual cockpit clutter. So it should be considered three plus baggage, or a less-than-full- fuel airplane. Filling each tank to the bottom edge of the filler neck will provide a reduced fuel load of 32.5 gallons of usable fuel per side ... pro- vided refueling is done with the air- craft on a level surface. The reduced fuel load will mean approximately 1.5 hours less endur- ance. TURBO SKYLANE RG continued 88 THE AOPA PILOT I FEBRUARY 1979