AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 55

deep, throaty, authoritative sound, unlike
any other Cessna. Taxiing the 180 is conventional for a taildragger with the usual
caveats: sit high enough to see over the
nose (or make S-turns along the taxiways)
and be prepared to apply downwind rudder when the wind is abeam. A crosswind
striking the large vertical tail causes the
airplane to yaw into the wind, just like any
other weathervane.
There is nothing noteworthy about the
takeoff except that it doesn't last very long.
Lazy feet are a liability when departing in
a taildragger. (The Cessna 185 is equipped
with a manual tailwheel lock to assist the
pilot in maintaining directional control
during takeoff and landing.) As airspeed
gathers, maintain a slightly tail-low attitude until the airplane leaves the ground.
Rotation is unnecessary and the Cessna 180
simply levitates when ready. The airplane
climbs so steeply at its best-rate-of-climb
airspeed (81 knots) that you can't see
where you're going. Unless high rates of
climb are needed, a 100-knot climb speed
is much more comfortable. Rudder trim is
available for those who prefer using it.
Nelson selected an excellent airplane
in which to train for an instrument rating,
because the Cessna 180 is so stable. Pitch
forces can be heavy. Steep turns require
more muscle than you might expect,
unless elevator trim is called to the rescue-not a recommended technique. But

such nose-heaviness can be regarded as a
safety factor. It is almost impossible to stall
during a steep turn at maneuvering speed
because of the high stick force required to
induce the necessary G-load.
The Cessna 180 and 185 have trimmable (moveable) horizontal stabilizers that
reduce the trim drag associated with conventional elevator trim systems. The trim
wheel is on the floor between the seats
and reaching it requires leaning forward. It
makes a ratcheting sound when used and
requires some effort to move, the result of
trim friction that Cessna said was needed
to prevent slippage of the horizontal stabilizer during high-speed flight.

Although seating is reasonably comfortable for the pilots, the rear seats are
barely adequate for long trips. The airplane
can carry six, but the strictly utilitarian
bench seat in the far rear of the cabin is
barely suitable for small children. Nor is
the Cessna 180 particularly quiet. As a
utility airplane, some soundproofing was
sacrificed in favor of increasing useful load.
The manual flaps are operated with a
long Johnson bar that rests horizontally on
the floor between the two front seats when
the flaps are retracted. Extending the flaps
requires pulling up on the forward end of
the handle, one notch for each 10 degrees,
an arrangement that pleases floatplane
pilots because it allows instantaneous and
precise flap modulation during heavyweight takeoffs from glassy water.
Raising the handle from the third to the
fourth notch (to extend wing flaps from 30
to 40 degrees) when airspeed is greater than
60 knots requires a strong arm, the use of
two hands, or assistance from someone in

www.aopa.org/pilot AOPA PILOT | 55


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AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014

AOPA Turbine Pilot Magazine - February 2014
Contents
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - AOPA Turbine Pilot Magazine - February 2014
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - Cover2
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - Contents
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 2
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 3
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 4
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 5
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 6
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 7
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 8
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 9
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AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 11
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AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 13
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 14
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 15
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 16
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AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 18
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AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 20
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 21
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AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 24
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 25
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 26
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 27
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 28
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 29
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 30
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 31
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AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 33
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 34
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 35
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 36
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 37
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AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 39
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 40
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 41
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 42
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 43
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 44
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 45
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 46
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 47
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 48
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 49
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 50
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 51
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 52
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 53
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 54
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 55
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 56
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 57
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 58
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AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 62
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 63
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 64
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 65
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 66
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 67
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AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 70
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 71
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 72
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 73
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 74
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 75
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 76
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 77
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 78
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 79
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 80
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 81
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 82
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 83
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 84
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 85
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 86
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 87
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 88
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 89
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 90
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 91
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 92
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 93
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 94
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 95
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 96
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 97
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 98
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 99
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 100
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 101
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 102
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 103
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 104
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 105
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 106
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 107
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 108
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 109
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 110
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 111
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - 112
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - Cover3
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2014 - Cover4
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