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Aviation History
1960
1960 - 0412.PDF
FLIGHT, 25 March 1960 Cessna Model ISO Cessna Skylark Sport and Business «u«tn««« Flying in. the USA . . . in 1959. A de luxe version of the 175A, called the Skylark, is pricedat $13,050. Cessna claim that the swept tails improve aerodynamic and mass balance, but one suspects that the change was incor-porated primarily for sales appeal Next in price comes the Model 180C, which with the 150 is the only Cessna model which does notoffer a swept vertical tail. Since the 180 was first introduced in 1953 approximately 3,600 have been eagerly accepted by the avia-tion world. The 180C will sell for $14,675, the specification includ- ing the 230 h.p. engine giving 160 m.p.h. The 180C is the soleCessna aircraft to retain a tailwheel. At $14,890 is the Model 182, its 230 h.p. engine yielding 160 m.p.h. and giving a range of about600 miles. The Skylane, de luxe version of the 182, is priced at $17,345. Total sales last year for the 180 series were reported as 258Model 180s and 774 Model 172s and Skylanes. New this year, and completing the Cessna single-engine line, is the Model 210, on salefor $22,450. Powered by a Continental 1O-470-E engine, it is un- usual in that it is the only production high-wing aeroplane toincorporate retractable landing gear. Cessna are hoping thereby to raise speed to 190 m.p.h. and thus place the 210 in competitionwith the low-wing single-engine types which have retractable gear (Bonanza, Comanche, etc.). Somehow, retractable gear doesnot seem quite appropriate to a high-wing configuration and it will be interesting to see what customer reaction will be over a periodof time. Cessna, however, must have firm reasons for offering the 210; and they seldom have guessed wrong in the past. Other thanthe Model 150, which is a two-place aircraft, the Cessna single- engine line are all four-place aircraft. In the near future the company may offer the Model 407, a four-place turbojet-powered aircraft, for executive use. More than 350 of the jet-powered Cessna T-37s had been procured by the AirForce as trainers, and it was logical for Cessna to consider a civil version, which is precisely what the Model 407 is said to be. Cruisespeeds of 465 m.pJi. should be possible with Continental's model 365-9 (civil J-69) engine. An s.f.c. of 1.04 is claimed. Selling pricewill be about £250,000, and the 407 will be ordered into produc- tion only if a military version can be first sold. Beech, however,were not too successful with the French Morane-Saulnier MS-760, and a small jet may not sell too well. Last of the big three—in alphabetical order only—is Piper.Available in two versions is the Piper Comanche. The pleasingly configured Comanche 180 retails for $15,800, while the Comanche250 sells at $19,800. Both are four-place aircraft which in turn are offered in four separate versions—Standard, Custom, SuperCustom and AutoFhte—to denote various electronic capabilities. The 180 is capable of 160 m.p.h. cruising, a value some 21 m.p.h.slower than the figure quoted for the Comanche 250. Responsible for this difference is the higher power produced by the 25O'sengine. The 180 has a Lycoming O-360 (at 180 h.p.) while the 250 has a 250 h.p. Lycoming O-540. The Comanche is a particularlyattractive aeroplane, and hundreds have been accepted by satisfied customers. In the first six months of 1959 546 were delivered.The Comanche again looks a sure-fire seller for this year. Piper seem to have die ability to make a success out of any aeroplaneproject they pursue. Perhaps there is much to be said for building the most-inexpensive—but perfectly adequate—product. It isrumoured, by the way, that Piper will soon produce a low-wing four-place aircraft. Other Piper lightplanes for 1960 are the Tri-pacer, pricedbetween $9,340 ("Standard") and $11,970 ("AutoFlite"), and the Caribbean, an economy version of the former aircraft. Offered inStandard and de luxe versions, the Caribbean will sell for between ?8,795 and $9,750 respectively. Piper expect that over 90 par centof all buyers will specify the higher-priced models this year. Also on sale again is the well-known Super Cub. Other small lightplanes will be available from Champion Air-craft, Helio and Mooney, but aside from the four-seat Mooney Mark 20 (Flight, January 29) these will not make a significant im-pression on the market. To Mooney's credit, 182 Mark 20 aircraft were sold last year. Helicopters Still the helicopter does not seem able to make asignificant penetration into the business market. Republic Aviation did not have much luck with the Alouette and Djinn. High firstcosts and appreciable maintenance charges dim the enthusiasm of most users of executive aviation. The helicopter's place in thebusiness world appears confined to applications where the heli- copter is simply the only vehicle capable of performing a desiredmission. Few operators will choose a helicopter if a fixed-wing aircraft will fulfil their requirements. Most interesting among the new helicopters is Hughes' two-place Model 269A. If, as projected, the aircraft can be marketed for $22,500, this helicopter may find application in a one-passengertaxi service to and from large metropolitan airports. Summary A popular US television newscaster generally beginshis broadcast with the question, "What kind of day has it been?" At the risk of alienating the reader, one might appropriately begina summary of this article by querying, "What kind of year was 1959 for America's business aviation?" Sales of aircraft were, asstated earlier, extraordinarily good, but the main news was the great resurgence of private aviation. The introduction of jetsstimulated a lot of the interest and convinced a significant number of non-flyers to "go by jet." But an interesting paradox has beenbrought about by the airlines' public-relations campaigns. The airlines have indeed convinced a new segment of the public totravel by air, and many of these newcomers are businessmen. So convincing have been the airlines' pronouncements that a numberof executives have purchased their own aircraft. Hence the air- lines have won converts but then quickly lost diem. Will more and more businessmen desert the airlines to becomeaeroplane owners and as a result reduce load-factors? The answer to this question lies largely with the airlines. If they continue tocause the businessman to suffer lengthy enplaning and deplaning delays, mote and more executives will purchase their own aircraftto save what is certainly wasted time. Another US commentator often writes a "Nobody asked me—but" column. Taking a cue from him, and adding a postscript to this article on business aviation, one might offer a suggestion. Fiveyears ago the American automobile industry attained all-time highs in sales of their products. Only a few would have suggestedat the time that there was the slightest chance that European-made cars would be capable of realizing substantial sales in America.Yet within three years hundreds of thousands of English, German, French and Italian cars were marketed in direct competition withthe US "big three." These cars were purchased because they were relatively inexpensive and of a quality most creditable to theestablished firms whose names they bore. It is interesting to noa- that the manufacturers did not compete with America in the fieldof plushy, chrome-plated products. Today US lightplane sales are at all-time highs, and die American small aeroplane field isdominated by a "big three." An interesting parallel might be drawn. Can history repeat itself? Nobody asked me—but . . • Cessna Model 210
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