Cessna 182 (oz8903)

About this Plan

Cessna 182. Scale model for radio control, with .45 - .61 power. Wing area 700 sq in. Scale is 1/6.

Plan includes text build notes.

Quote: "Here is the old Royal Cessna 182 plan. The plans were wider than 36in so I had them done in two passes. Steve seems to have no problem stitching them back together."

Direct submission to Outerzone.

Update 21/03/2020: Added review from RCM January 1980, thanks to RFJ.

Quote: "RCM Product Test: Royal Products Cessna 182 Skylane.

This Cessna 182 Skylane kit is distributed in the United States by Royal Products, 790 West Tennessee Avenue, Denver, Colorado 80223. It is basically designed for Scale or Stand-Off Scale using a .45 to .61 cubic inch displacement engine.

The Cessna is a well engineered model that could very well be used as a multi-trainer. It is extremely stable and has a very flat glide, yet it will do most all of the maneuvers. Take-offs and landings are really smooth.

The kit is packaged neatly and compactly in a two piece cardboard box that is 44 in long, 10 in wide, and 5 in deep. The contents are nested tightly so they will not shift and damage each other or the plastic windshield or wheel pants. The small parts, made of balsa, hardwood, and plywood, and the hardware are packaged in two plastic bags. All of the wood parts are clearly lettered and numbered designating their location on the plan. The hardware is the usual: control horns, bellcranks, bent wire landing gear, nuts, bolts, screws, etc.

Construction: Two 31.5 x 62 in sheets of plans are full of cutaway drawings and scale details. All of the parts are numbered on the plans in every view and cutaway drawing in which they can be seen. This makes it very easy to locate the corresponding numbered parts.

The quality of all the balsa and plywood is above average. The die-cutting is very good, especially in the plywood. Most of the die-cut plywood parts fall out with a light push. The machined and pre-fabricated parts are extremely accurate and require little or no trimming.

The wing and tail are conventional built-up construction with balsa ribs, spars, leading edges, etc, and completely sheeted with 3/32 balsa. The fuselage is built up with 1/8 plywood bulkheads, balsa stringers, and 1/8 balsa sheeting. The cowl and nose are formed with a series of well positioned balsa blocks, carved and sanded to the proper shape. We used Ambroid cement, Devcon 5-Minute epoxy, and Elmer's Professional Carpenters glue to hold all these bits and pieces together. No special tools or equipment are required to build the 182.

Covering: For covering our model, we used World Engines silk. Randolph's clear nitrate thinned 50-50 with acrylic lacquer thinner was used to seal all the surfaces; it took four coats. We applied the silk with nitrate dope and used four coats of nitrate to seal the silk. Two coats of Randolph's Clear butyrate dope were added to give the finish more flexibility. We then painted the entire aircraft with white acrylic lacquer and trimmed with red and blue acrylic lacquer. The lettering is hand cut from Sig's solid color decal sheets. Doors and cowl louvers are painted.

Engine: We chose an Enya .60 III BBTV for its power and dependability through all speed ranges. We used no muffler on the 182, but we did install a metal baffle plate between the exhaust port and the cowl to keep the heat off the wood cowl. The engine is mounted on hardwood rails built into the nose of the plane. The 12 ounce RST Sullivan tank mounted just behind the firewall will fly the 182 for twelve to fifteen minutes.

Radio: A Kraft KP-7C radio with four KPS-15 II servos does a good job horsing the 182 all over the wild blue yonder. There is enough room in the cabin area to stash half a dozen such flight packs. We used only one flight pack and put all of it in front of the main landing gear for balancing. Keep the CG as shown, or slightly forward.

Flying: For the first flight, we trimmed the elevator with about three degrees down. This proved to be too much and we had to set it back to neutral. With all control surfaces in neutral, the 182 is right in the groove. The Cessna is a stable flyer, but don't be afraid to stunt it. It is highly maneuverable and can really take it.

Conclusion: Building the Cessna is not for the beginner or near beginner, but the near beginner could have a ball flying it. To sum up the Cessna 182 Skylane, if you want a good Sunday flyer, a good week day flyer, a good fun flyer, or a good competition scale or sport scale flyer all in one, you can't go wrong with Royal Products' Cessna 182 Sr kit."

Supplementary file notes

Review.

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