Summary Cessna Aircraft Company is a notable company that produces a variety of successful aircraft since late 1920s. The Cessna 206 Stationair, part of Cessna 205 series, has been popular for its design and versatility. The Cessna 206 series has been used by various operators worldwide for a wide range of operations.
Cessna Aircraft Company is potentially the most notable general aviation company in the world. The company was first founded in the late 1920s by Clyde Cessna and Victor Roos. Cessna has developed a wide range of aircraft, including light aircraft, powerful turboprop aircraft, and even a successful line of business jets called the Citation series.
The company began by making single-engine aircraft that were powered by piston engines during World War II. After the war ended, Cessna transitioned to producing civil aviation aircraft. During this era, general aviation overall was booming.
During this post-war boom, Cessna produced several successful lines of civil aircraft. This led to Cessna being included in the Big Three of General Aviation , which also includes Piper Aircraft and Beechcraft , which is owned by the same parent company as Cessna, Textron Aviation. Cessna was founded in 1927.
Some of the aircraft developed in the post-war civil aviation boom include the Cessna 172 Skyhawk , which is the most-produced aircraft of all time, and the Cessna 180 series, and the Cessna 205 series. All three of these lines of aircraft are still produced today. Let's take a closer look at the largest of the three successful single-engine aircraft, the Cessna 206 Stationair, which is part of the Cessna 205 series.
Let's also take a closer look at what makes this aircraft so special. History of the Cessna 206 The Cessna 205 was the introduction of this series of aircraft. Cessna developed the 205 in the early 1960s as a new variant to the popular Cessna 210 .
However, the Cessna 205 utilized fixed landing gear, which kept the cost and weight of the aircraft down, and also reconfigured the door layout for passengers. Although the fuselage no longer needed space to store its retractable nose landing gear, the Cessna 205 kept the same cowling with a large bump. The Cessna 205 was officially introduced in 1962.
However, Cessna only produced this aircraft for two years before upgrading it to a new variant. Even so, the company sold nearly 600 Cessna 205s. The upgraded variant of the 205 was the Cessna 206.
This aircraft would go on to be the most popular aircraft in the series. Cessna officially introduced the 206 Stationair in 1964. Since then, the Wichita, Kansas-based company has revealed several different variants of the aircraft, each of which is used for different operations or has slightly different upgrades.
This includes: The Cessna U206 The Cessna P206 The Cessna 206H The Cessna 207 The Cessna 206 series was produced continuously from 1964 through 1986. Cessna halted production of all of its single-engine lines in 1986, which lasted for over ten years. However, in the late 1990s, Cessna opened up a new production facility in Independence, Kansas, and restarted its production of single-engine aircraft, which included the Cessna 172, 182, and the T206, a turbocharge variant of the 206.
Nearly 10,000 Cessna 206s have been produced since it was introduced. Design features of the Cessna 206 The largest of the single-engines saw success in the general aviation industry. This single-engine aircraft includes several different variants.
However, the initial 206 was designated as the Super Skywagon. It utilized a stronger fuselage, only one passenger door on the left-hand side of the aircraft, and a large cargo door on the right-hand side of the aircraft. The Super Skywagon was a full utility aircraft, as many operators installed heavy-duty tires, skies, or even floats.
All future variants of this series found a similar fate, and were used for a wide variety of operations. The modern version of the Cessna 206 is designated as the Cessna 206 Stationair. Currently, Cessna produces a turbocharged variant of the aircraft, which is called the Cessna T206 Turbo Stationair.
This aircraft has been produced since 1999. The Turbo Stationair uses a Lycoming TIO-540 engine, which provides over 300 horsepower to the aircraft. This allows the aircraft to reach the following performance specifications: Maximum capacity Six passengers Length 28 feet three inches Height Nine feet four inches Wingspan 36 feet Maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) 3,790 pounds Maximum cruise speed 161 knots (185 miles per hour) Maximum range 703 nautical miles (810 miles) Service ceiling 26,000 feet Types of operators of the Cessna 206 As previously mentioned, the Cessna 206 Stationair is used for a wide range of operations.
Many air charter companies utilize the aircraft for short-haul transportation in remote areas. Many Stationairs are used in Alaska and Northern Canada, as the rugged aircraft can land on rough surfaces to drop off passengers. Other operators may install floats on the aircraft to allow the Stationair to land on lakes or water surfaces in remote regions.
Other charter companies use the Stationair for cargo operations. Due to the large cargo door on the right-hand side of the aircraft and the high MTOW that the Stationair has, many companies use the aircraft for delivering cargo in remote areas. Additionally, several governments have purchased Cessna 206 Stationairs for use.
This includes the National Police of Colombia, the Ottawa Police Service in Canada, the Argentine Federal Police, and the United States Marshals. Many of these governments utilize the aircraft for surveillance missions..
