Cessna P210

Fly_Unity

Fly_Unity

Well-Known Member
Any P210 pilots on here? How strong is their retractable landing gear? How would it handle dirt or gravel landings?

Would a 206 be a better bush plane because of the fixed landing gear?

Someone told me that the 210 has two different types of landing gear, one is better than the other?? Anyone have any info on that?
 
I've flown both, fairly extensively. The 210 has two different types of gear, and the newer ones have tube gear legs. They are very springy and are more comfortable on bumpy ground. Once extended the gear is very strong, although I hardly tested it's limits! I landed in gravel a few times, but never anywhere really soft.

The 206 has bigger wheels, and just looks stronger. I was comfortable landing it off-airport. I would say the 206 was better for the bush, if only for the huge back door!

Real bush planes have wheels on the back.
 
Fly_Unity said:
Any P210 pilots on here? How strong is their retractable landing gear? How would it handle dirt or gravel landings?

Would a 206 be a better bush plane because of the fixed landing gear?

Someone told me that the 210 has two different types of landing gear, one is better than the other?? Anyone have any info on that?
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206/207 are outstanding bush machines. I wouldn't want to take anything with retracts out onto the gravel bars, etc. Unfortunately, there's not really a tailwheel airplane that has as much room inside, or can carry as much as the 206 or the 207 that's reasonable. The bushhawk might be good enough.

Also, if you're looking to buy one, don't buy the new model cessna for off airport or remote ops. The seats are a PITA to change and the useful load is lower. Go with the oldest one you can find.
 
ppragman said:
206/207 are outstanding bush machines. I wouldn't want to take anything with retracts out onto the gravel bars, etc. Unfortunately, there's not really a tailwheel airplane that has as much room inside, or can carry as much as the 206 or the 207 that's reasonable. The bushhawk might be good enough.

Also, if you're looking to buy one, don't buy the new model cessna for off airport or remote ops. The seats are a PITA to change and the useful load is lower. Go with the oldest one you can find.
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What about a 185? Some claim the useful load as big as 1600lbs. But in reality, when you put gas and a pilot in 'em, it's probably more like 1000-1100 lbs.
 
mshunter said:
What about a 185? Some claim the useful load as big as 1600lbs. But in reality, when you put gas and a pilot in 'em, it's probably more like 1000-1100 lbs.
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I think the 185 with extensions will increase that about 200-300lbs. Great airplane!
 
mshunter said:
What about a 185? Some claim the useful load as big as 1600lbs. But in reality, when you put gas and a pilot in 'em, it's probably more like 1000-1100 lbs.
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It can do the trick. I dunno, with insurance, parts availability, ease of operation, and other factors, I'd still recommend the 206/207 any day. The 185 is a good machine, but it can't hold as much (though it does cruise a little faster if I remember correctly). That said, I've got like a whopping 1hr in 185s, from my private days, whereas I've got 1200-1400hrs in 206/207 series machines, so I'm also probably a bit biased.
 
ppragman said:
It can do the trick. I dunno, with insurance, parts availability, ease of operation, and other factors, I'd still recommend the 206/207 any day. The 185 is a good machine, but it can't hold as much (though it does cruise a little faster if I remember correctly). That said, I've got like a whopping 1hr in 185s, from my private days, whereas I've got 1200-1400hrs in 206/207 series machines, so I'm also probably a bit biased.
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You're not biased. You're a RACIST! :crazy:
 
Pépé le Pilot said:
Wait, by P210 you mean Pressurized 210 ?
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Yeah thats what he's asking about.

The 206 would be much better if for nothing else the tire size. The 210 is limited to that small tire due to the retractable landing gear. Also the pressurization adds a lot of weight to the P210 vs the straight 210. So the useful will be lower... as I'm sure you already know.
 
i wouldnt really trust the 210 for off field ops. If its feasible, i think your best option would be a 185. It wont carry as much as a 206, but itll haul anything you can fit in there.
 
The do use regular 210's quite a bit in Namibia. Dirt(mud)/gravel/grass. 206/207/208 are by far the most popular.
 
I P210 is a poor choice for what you want to do in my opinion. I have about 250 hours in one, while not much it is enough to say they are a pain to keep cool. The turbo is a waste of useful load as is the fact that is is pressurized. You are stuck to using the skinny tires. Insurance is expensive. The seals get caught in the doors, pinch and break. It isn't really that much faster unless you fly up high for long distances.

I think (most likely wrong) that all P210's only have the one pilot door. The one I flew only had the one door and a small emergency opening on the passenger side. How much would that suck for loading and unloading cargo.

Fill it full of gear and it climbs at 500 fpm, fly it empty and it climbs at 500 fpm.

The older 210's with the gear cover doors are known for getting stuck. Not much of a issue anymore.

A P210 is a fantastic cross country machine moving people from one paved airport to another.

A 185, 206-207 is a far better choice for short hops on dirt with cargo and passengers.
 
"A P210 is a fantastic cross country machine moving people from one paved airport to another."

Yes P210 is a traveller. I own a T210 and have several hundred in the P210. It is in my opinion one of the best mixes of flexibility to get high when you have a tail wind and stay low when you have a headwind and burn 20 GPH or less at twin engine aircraft speeds.

I wouldn't use it for what you are thinking.
 
Like all airframes that were not initially designed to be pressurized (P-Baron), they are maintenance hogs, and very heavy. A regular T210 would fit the mission, and if high cruising altitudes are necessary, either put on oxygen or see if a TBM700 would fit the budget, it does 300kts at FL280... And there is a cargo version.
 
Fly_Unity said:
Any P210 pilots on here? How strong is their retractable landing gear? How would it handle dirt or gravel landings?
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A pressurized 210 was never intended to be a bush plane. It is strictly an airport to flight levels to airport machine. A regular 210 (trubo or not) is a possiblity, but you don't really gain that much cruise speed over a 206 to justify the added cost and Mx of the retractable gear. I wouldn't worry much about the main gear, but the nose gear would really concern me.

You would probably be safe useing a grass runway provided it was nice and smooth (think golf course, not cow pasture).
 
No time in the P210 but a couple thousand in the straight 210. It'll handle grass no problem, but I don't think I'd want to try it on gravel, or not very often at least. Certainly the 206/7 would be a better bet for what you're talking about. Great airplane, and much more capable on bad ground than, say, a Mooney or Cirrus, but a bushplane it ain't.

As an aside, the later gear (M and N models, I think?) is much, much better, or at least less maintenance intensive. On the older models, it's not just the functioning of the retraction you have to worry about, but also the saddles are prone to cracking.
 
This is not going to be a cow pasture. It will be a rolled dirt/gravel runway. Also we need a Turbo as we frequently fly to Aspen, Telluride, Jackson Hole, Etc and passenger likes to fly IFR ALL the time, so we need to fly 16,000 daily. Useful Load is not a problem as its usually just me and one passenger, sometimes his wife comes along.

Thats why I was thinking a P210 silver Silver Eagle. Plane has to be under 1 million. And a new airplane (passenger's quirks). Yea I know the Silver Eagle is not new but after the Turbine conversion its practically new.

Taildraggers are not really an option because of the wind here. Its pretty common to have a 25 knot crosswind or 40 knot steady wind. In fact it seems to blow all winter long.

He owns a 2008 Cirrus SR22 Turbo now which does the job description perfectly except that Insurance does not allow it to be used on a non paved runway. I dont think The Cirrus would work to well on gravel or dirt anyways because of the wheel pants, composite airframe. We also have trouble with the Cirrus anytime were landing/taxing in snow that is 4 inches or deeper.
 
Fly_Unity said:
This is not going to be a cow pasture. It will be a rolled dirt/gravel runway.
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You should be fine then.

[/QUOTE]He owns a 2008 Cirrus SR22 Turbo now which does the job description perfectly except that Insurance does not allow it to be used on a non paved runway. I dont think the Cirrus would work to well on gravel or dirt anyways because of the wheel pants, composite airframe. We also have trouble with the Cirrus anytime were landing/taxing in snow that is 4 inches or deeper.[/QUOTE]

I think you are on the right track

I'm willing to bet that the insurance company will have a "paved runways only" clause on all their policies (I've seen a Cub that wasn't allowed on grass). You would have to pay a little bit more if you want get that removed.
 
you'll definitely lose the speed if you move to a 206/7, from a cirrus. Like someone said the skinny tires on a 210 won't do too well in mud (granted it rained at the dirt runway).
 
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