The Cessna 205, 206 and 207, known primarily as the Stationair (and marketed variously as the Super Skywagon, Skywagon and Super Skylane), are a family of single-engined, general aviation aircraft with fixed landing gear, used in commercial air service as well as for personal use. The family was originally developed from the popular retractable-gear Cessna 210 and produced by the Cessna Aircraft Company.
The line's combination of a powerful engine, rugged construction and a large cabin has made these aircraft popular bush planes. Cessna describes the 206 as "the sport-utility vehicle of the air." These airplanes are also used for aerial photography, skydiving and other utility purposes. They can also be equipped with floats, amphibious floats and skis. Alternatively, they can be fitted with luxury appointments for use as a personal air transport.
From 1962 to 2006 Cessna produced 8,509 aircraft in the 205, 206 and 207 variants. The aircraft remains in production.
Development
Cessna 205
The Cessna 205 was introduced late in 1962 as a 1963 model year. The six-seat aircraft was essentially a Cessna 210 with fixed landing gear and with changes to the crew and passenger door arrangement, being officially designated by Cessna as a "Model 210-5". The 205 retained the early 210's engine cowling bulge, originally where the 210 stowed its nosewheel on retraction. This distinctive cowling was made more streamlined on the later Cessna 206.
The 205 is powered by a Continental IO-470-S engine producing .Aircraft Bluebook Spring 2006 Edition Penton Media, Overland Park, KS USA The 205 was produced in only two model years, 1963 and 1964, before being replaced in production by the Cessna 206. A total of 576 Cessna 205s were produced.
Cessna 206
The six-seat Model 206 was introduced as a 1964 model and was built until 1986, when Cessna halted production of its single-engined product line. It was then re-introduced in 1998 and remains in production.
There were many sub-variants, including the U206, P206 all certified to CAR3 standards and later 206H certified to FAR Part 23. The total Model 206 production between 1964 and 2004 was 6,581 aircraft.
Cessna U206
The original 1964 model was the U206, powered by a Continental IO-520-A. The “U” designation indicated “utility” and this model was equipped with a pilot side door and large clamshell rear door serving the back two rows of seats, allowing easy loading of oversized cargo.
There was a TU206 turbocharged version powered by the Continental TSIO-520-C engine producing . After 1967, the turbo TU206 was powered by a TSIO-520-F of . The extra was obtained by turning the engine at a higher rpm, and was allowed for only five minutes. Due to the large propeller diameter, the additional engine speed meant that the propeller tips were pushed to transonic speeds, which required much more power.
From 1964 to 1969, the U206 was known as the “Super Skywagon”. From 1970, it was named the “Stationair”, a contraction of “Station Wagon of the Air”, which is a good description of the aircraft's intended role. Sub-variants were designated U206 to U206G.
In 1977, the U206 had its engine upgraded to a Continental IO-520-F of (continuous rating, obtained at a lower speed than the previous TSIO-520-F) and the TU206 powerplant was changed to the TSIO-520-M producing .
Production of all versions of the U206 was halted in 1986 when Cessna stopped manufacturing all piston-engined aircraft. A total of 5,208 U206s had been produced.
Cessna P206
The P206 was added to the line in 1965. In this case the "P" stood for "passenger", as the P206 had passenger doors similar to the Cessna 210 from which it was derived, on both sides.
The P206 was produced from 1965 to 1970 and was powered by a Continental IO-520-A of . There was a turbocharged model designated TP206 which was powered by a Continental TSIO-520-A also of .
Production of the P206 amounted to 647. The name “Super Skylane” made it sound like a version of the Cessna 182, which it was not. Sub-variants were designated P206 to P206E.
Cessna 206H
After a production hiatus of twelve years, Cessna started manufacturing a new version of the venerable 206 in 1998, with the introduction of the newly certified 206H. The “H” model is generally similar to the previous U206 configuration, with a pilot entry door and a rear double clamshell door for access to the middle and back seats. The "H" is marketed under the name "Stationair".
The 206H is powered by a Lycoming IO-540-AC1A powerplant producing . The turbocharged T206H is powered by a Lycoming TIO-540-AJ1A engine of .
Even though the Cessna 206H is certified as a six-seat aircraft in its country of origin, the Canadian aviation regulator, Transport Canada has certified it to carry only five people in Canada. This is due to concerns about passenger egress through the rear clamshell door with the flaps extended. Cessna addressed one part of this problem early on, after a flight-test aircraft was damaged when the pilot extended the flaps while taxiing, and his passenger had the clamshell door open (for ventilation; it was a hot summer day). A switch was added to the flap actuation circuit which disabled the flaps when the doors were open. The other part of the problem is that if the flaps are already down, the passenger must perform the complicated procedure of opening the front part as far as possible (about ) then open the rear door and release the spring-loaded rear door handle so it retracts out of the way. This then gives enough clearance to open the rear part of the door fully for egress.Hunt, Adam: Flying the Cessna T206H Stationair - Certified for how many seats?, page B-1. COPA Flight, November 2005
Both the 206H and the T206H remain in production in 2013. By the end of 2004, Cessna had produced 221 206Hs and 505 T206Hs, for a total production of 726 "H" models. Cessna has indicated that they do not intend to produce a P206-configuration aircraft in the future, due to lack of market demand.
Cessna 207
The Model 207 was a seven- and later eight-seat development of the 206, achieved by stretching the design further by to allow space for more seats. The nose section was extended by adding a constant-section nose baggage compartment between the passenger compartment and the engine firewall; the aft section was extended by by inserting a constant-area section in the fuselage area just aft of the aft wing attach point. Thus the propeller's ground clearance was unaffected by the change (the nosewheel had moved forward the same distance as the propeller), but the tail moved aft relative to the mainwheel position, which made landing (without striking the tailskid on the runway) a greater challenge. The move gave the 207 a larger turning radius, since the distance between mainwheels and nosewheel increased by but the nosewheel's maximum allowed deflection was not increased.
The 207 was introduced as a 1969 model featuring a Continental IO-520-F engine of . A turbocharged version was equipped with a TSIO-520-G of the same output.
At the beginning of production the model was called a Cessna 207 "Skywagon", but in 1977 the name was changed to "Stationair 7". 1977 also saw a change of engine on the turbocharged version to a Continental TSIO-520-M producing – the same engine used in the TU206 of the same vintage.
The 207 added a seat in 1980 and was then known as the "Stationair 8". Production of the 207 was completed in 1984, just two years before U206 production halted. A total of 626 Cessna 207s were manufactured.
The Cessna Model 207 has been popular with air taxi companies, particularly on short runs where its full seating capacity could be used. Very few of these aircraft have seen private use.
Modifications
In April 2007, Thielert announced that the European Aviation Safety Agency had granted a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for conversion of Cessna 206s to the Thielert V-8 diesel powerplant. The STC allows conversion of the following models: U206F and TU206F with the powerplant, and the U206G, TU206G, 206H and T206H with the version. This modification does not require any changes to the engine cowling. In May 2008, Thielert entered insolvency proceedings, so the future availability of this diesel conversion is uncertain.
Soloy Aviation Solutions offers a turboprop conversion for some 206/207 models with the Rolls-Royce/Allison M250 engine/gearbox package. However, extensive engine cowl modifications are required.
Atlantic Aero offers an FAA STC conversion to the Continental IO-550 powerplant. No cowl modifications are required.
Both Kenmore Air (Edo floats) and Wipaire (Wipline floats) offer seaplane conversions.
Variants Cessna has historically used model years similar to U.S. auto manufacturers, with sales of new models typically starting a few months prior to the actual calendar year.
Cessna 205 205 (Model 210-5) The 205 was introduced for the 1963 model year as a variant of the Cessna 210 with fixed landing gear. It had six seats, three doors (two on the left and one on the right), was powered by a Continental IO-470-S engine, and had a gross weight of . Certified on June 14, 1962. 480 built. 205A (Model 210-5A) 1964 model year with minor detail changes. Certified on July 19, 1963. 97 built.
Cessna 206 206 Super Skywagon Introduced for the 1964 model year, the 206 differed from the 205 primarily in that it was powered by a Continental IO-520-A. Other changes included a strengthened fuselage, all entry doors removed except the pilot's door on the left side, new removable double cargo doors on the right side, and heavy-duty brakes. The interior was also redesigned with durable and easy cleaning materials. Only the pilot's seat came as standard, though three optional seating arrangements were offered with up to six seats. Other optional equipment included heavy-duty main tires, floats, skis, a fuselage cargo pod, tank and spray boom for agricultural use, and an air ambulance configuration. The aircraft had a gross weight of as a landplane or as a seaplane. Certified on July 19, 1963. For the 1965 model year, Cessna rebranded the 206 as a utility aircraft as the U206 Super Skywagon. The U206 was otherwise similar to the previous year's 206, having only minor detail changes. Certified on October 8, 1964. One prototype of a turbocharged version was also built as the TU206. 1965 also introduced a passenger version of the 206 as the P206 Super Skylane. Unlike the 206/U206, the P206 retained the three-door/six-seat standard layout of the 205 and did not have a cargo door. The aircraft also had a deluxe interior, revised nose contours, and other minor changes. Certified on October 8, 1964. A total of 597 aircraft were built; 275 (206), 162 (U206), and 160 (production P206). U206A Super Skywagon 1966 model year with a three-bladed propeller and a 60A alternator replacing the 50A generator of previous variants. A mortuary option was also introduced with room for one casket. In addition to the passenger P206A, turbocharged versions powered by a Continental TSIO-520-C were also offered as the TU206A Turbo Super Skywagon and TP206A Turbo Super Skylane. Certified on September 24 (U206A/P206A) and December 20 (TU206A/TP206A), 1965. 365 total built; 219 (U206A/TU206A), 146 (P206A/TP206A). U206B Super Skywagon 1967 model year with minor detail changes and powered by a Continental IO-520-F engine. Also built in a passenger P206B and turbocharged TU206B and TP206B variants, all retaining their previous IO-520-A and TSIO-520-C engines. Certified on August 3, 1966. 371 total built; 258 (U206B/TU206B) and 113 (P206B/TP206B). U206C Super Skywagon 1968 model year with minor detail changes and an increased gross weight of . Also built in passengerP206C and turbocharged TU206C and TP206C variants. Certified on July 20, 1967. 420 total built; 320 (U206C/TU206C) and 100 (P206C/TP206C). U206D Skywagon 206