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Aviation History
1971
1971 - 0813.PDF
718 FLIGHT International, 20 May 1971 By Ted Wilding-White: Number 254 in the series Cessna 177 Cardinal RG Dimensions: Span: 35ft 6in, 10-82m. Length: 27ft 3in, 8-31m Height: 8ft 7in, 2-62m. Wheelbase: 7ft lOin, 2 -39m. Weight: Gross: 2,8001b, 1,270kg. Std empty: 1,6301b, 739kg; Baggage: 1201b, 54kg. Powerplant: Four-cylinder Lycoming fuel-injection IO-360-A1B6, 200-rated h.p. at 2,700 r.p.m. Fuel (useable): 42 Imp gal, 191 lit. * Range: 75 per cent power at 7,000ft, 2,134m; 765 miles, 1,231km at 165 m.p.h., 217km/hr taking 4- 6hr. Performance (brochure figures): take-off to 50ft, 15m: 1,585ft 483m. Ground run: 890ft, 271m. Landing from 50ft: 1,350ft 411m. Ground roll: 750ft, 225m. Service ceiling: 16,900ft, 5,150m! Price: UK basic: about £13,000 ($39,200) inch tax. K ECCLESIASTIC CESSNA'S offering to the four-seat, single-engine market—the family tourer—has long been the venerable 172. In 1967 a new model appeared intended to appeal to the more prosperous end of the same market and was designated the 177. Radical new styling and design included the use of a cantilevered wing which eliminated the need for wing struts. An extension of this became the 177 Cardinal, with a 180 h.p. engine and constant speed prop replacing the fixed-pitch, 150 hp powerplant of the 177. Last December, Cessna unveiled a retractable-undercarriage model, powered by a 200 h p fuel-injection engine and called the 177 Cardinal RG (retractable gear). The first RG to reach the UK spent a fortnight recently with Brymon Aviation of Fairoaks, the Cessna single- engined dealership managed by Bill Bryce. The Cardinal has not been marketed in Britain before and this provided the first opportunity for me to see and experience the effects of this unprecedented design. Even on the ground, the Cardinal is a remarkably good- looking aeroplane. The rakish lines carried through the unusual configuration add up to a very eye-catching result, in spite of a rather spindly looking undercarriage. Only the nosewheel has a door, the main wheels turning as they retract and lying flush with the fuselage, but exposed. The wheel-well protrudes into the extensive baggage compart ment forming a carpeted box which separates the compart ment into one large and one small section and which therefore occupies perhaps two-fifths of the entire area. Little difficulty would be found in loading this area through the mam doors and over the seats, but nevertheless a wide side-door is provided, offering direct access to both sections of the compartment. One other feature distinguished the aircraft during the external check, that of the all-flying tailplane, Cessna's first departure from the traditional elevator. Inverted slots m. liiMvijl, l\ sis mm m on the inboard leading edge counteract the effect of down- wash from the high wing at high angles of attack. Stepping into the Cardinal is a new experience in light- aircraft ergonomics. One does just that—step in. It is a sadly long time since I entered a Rolls-Royce, but I would be surprised to find comparable accessability in even that illustrious quarter. Low-geared crank handles below both front seats enable a reclining angle and seat elevation to be selected almost too precisely. Forward and back sliding is smooth and light. Liberal carpeting, ample space and a good colour scheme contributed to the aura of luxury. Positioning of all instruments and most of the controls is excellent. I am glad to see that manufacturers are now bringing engine instruments away from their traditional neck-stretching position in front of the passenger and the Cardinal is no exception, with its gauges gratifyingly arranged around the control column. Full depression of the cowl-flap knob is a slight stretch, as is operation of the electric flap lever. My rather old-fashioned attitude to electric flaps was somewhat allayed by the "pre-selector" operation—stops hold the knob at each of the three posi tions (10°, 20°, 30°) and the response is rapid. The aircraft bristles with "extras." A split master switch enables the alternator to be turned off in flight if required. Although 69-Golf had no wing-tip strobes fitted, half the beacon switch offered their independent operation. An alternative-source valve for static pressure served to reassure pilots who never practised their "attitude" land ings. The map light was rheostat-controlled and courtesy lights proliferated both inside and out. Surprise of the day was the presence of quarter-light windows with little handles to wind them open for about 30°—but only at speeds below 120 m.p.h., 193km/hr. I was accompanied on the flight by Jose Balcells-Matas, Cessna's district sales manager for the Brussels zone, and we took two passengers in order to obtain a full comple- \
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