Cessna 185 Skywagon
_PAE_11JUL12_(7553419848).jpg) Cessna 185 Skywagon. Photo: Ken Fielding, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
| |
| Make | Cessna |
|---|---|
| Model | Cessna 185 Skywagon |
| Type | Light utility aircraft |
| Country |  United States
|
| Built | 1961–1985 |
| Status | Active |
| Number built | 3,916 |
| Registered in the US | 1,578 (FAA register, October 30, 2026) |
| Seats | one, five passengers |
| Engine | Continental IO-520-D, 300 hp |
| Cruise speed | 145 kn (1978 Cessna 185 II landplane) |
| Range | 720 nmi (1978 Cessna 185 II landplane) |
| Service ceiling | 17,150 ft (1978 Cessna 185 II landplane) |
| Max weight | 3,350 lb (1978 Cessna 185 II landplane) |
| Developed from | Cessna 180 |
| More aircraft · For sale | |
The Cessna 185 Skywagon is a six-seat, single-engine, high-wing airplane with fixed tailwheel landing gear. The prototype flew in July 1960 and the first production airplane was finished in March 1961. More than 4,400 were built before production ended in 1985; when Cessna brought back some of its popular models in the 1990s, the tailwheel 180 and 185 were not among them.[1] In the U.S. there are 1,578 with a valid registration, most of them the A185F.[2]
History
The 185 is essentially a Cessna 180 with a strengthened fuselage. The main differences are a larger tail fin and a 300 hp Continental IO-520-D engine instead of the 180's 230 hp O-470-S; early 185s used a 260 hp IO-470-F until partway through the 1966 model year.[1] The first 185 of 1961 seated six, weighed up to 3,200 lb as a landplane, was certified on January 31, 1961, and 238 were built that year.[1]
It can fly on floats, amphibious floats or skis, and the AgCarryall version added a 151-gallon belly tank and spray booms for crop work.[1]
Bush flying
The 180 and 185 are widely used for bush flying, carrying people and freight to rough airstrips, lakes and snowfields, mostly in Canada and Alaska.[1]
Registered in the United States
The FAA register lists 1,578 of these airplanes with a valid U.S. registration. Here they are by the model name the FAA uses.[2]
| FAA model name | Registered |
|---|---|
| A185F | 1,105 |
| A185E | 247 |
| 185 | 98 |
| 185A | 48 |
| 185D | 29 |
| 185C | 22 |
| 185E | 14 |
| 185B | 14 |
| 185F | 1 |
Specifications (1978 Cessna 185 II landplane)
| Item | 1978 Cessna 185 II landplane |
|---|---|
| Crew | one |
| Passengers / capacity | five passengers |
| Length | 25 ft 9 in |
| Wingspan | 35 ft 10 in |
| Height | 7 ft 9 in |
| Wing area | 174 sq ft |
| Empty weight | 1,748 lb |
| Maximum takeoff weight | 3,350 lb |
| Engine | Continental IO-520-D, 300 hp |
| Propeller | constant speed |
| Maximum speed | 155 kn |
| Cruise speed | 145 kn |
| Stall speed | 49 kn |
| Range | 720 nmi |
| Service ceiling | 17,150 ft |
| Rate of climb | 1,010 ft/min |
Figures as given in the Wikipedia article and its sources.[1]
Photos
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C-FFXO Cessna Skywagon II A185E (C185). Photo: User:CambridgeBayWeather, Public domain -
A Cessna U-17A (USAF s/n 63-13021) of the South Vietnamese Air Force (VNAF) at Nha Trang Air Base. Photo: The original uploader was Bwmoll3 at English Wikipedia., Public domain
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All photos are from Wikimedia Commons; click a photo for its full credit and license.
Buying a Cessna 185 Skywagon
Sources
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Wikipedia, "Cessna 185 Skywagon", read November 1, 2026. Airplane Wiki's text is written in its own words; facts are checked against this article and its sources.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Federal Aviation Administration, Releasable Aircraft Database, file dated October 30, 2026. Valid registrations of fixed-wing airplanes whose FAA maker and model names belong to this family. Airplane Wiki uses only counts from this file, never owner names or addresses.