A long-standing axiom is that speed sells. Thats true, but only half way: The other side of the coin is load carrying, a trait that for some is more important than getting there fast.
Periodically, the public decides that big, heavy load-haulers are desirable (usually when fuel is relatively cheap). That accounts for the current popularity of enormous truck-like vehicles on the roads, and the skyrocketing prices of airplanes like the Cessna 206.
This aerial sport/ute is not fast, but its stable, rugged, reliable, has six real seats and is remarkable for being able to carry a half-ton or so after the tanks are topped off.
So popular is the combination of simplicity and load-carrying that Cessna has fired up the 206 line once again, and its possible to go out today and order a brand-spanking-new 206 for about $290,000, or about $325,000 for a turbo model.
History
Cessnas biggest fixed-gear piston single is really three models, though all are essentially the same airframe. It was originally introduced in 1963 as the 205, with two doors up front and a relatively small rear door. The engine was a 260-HP Continental IO-470. This airplane was a fixed-gear version of the recently revamped 210; it was produced for two years, with 577 delivered.
In 1964 Cessna responded to demand for more utility and created the U206 (U for Utility) Super Skywagon, with a 285-HP Continental IO-520A, redesigned wing and bigger flaps. Intended as a flying pickup truck, even the seats were optional. There was one door for the pilot and a big double door aft on the right side.
1965 saw the 205 become the P206 Super Skylane, P representing (according to a reader who owns one) Personal. The P206 had the same door arrangement as the 205, but with the bigger engine from the 206. The U206 was by far the more popular of the two.
In 1967 the U model got a takeoff weight boost and new engine, a 300-HP Continental IO-520-F, while the P model kept the 285-HP IO-520-A. Turbocharging became available on both variants in 1966, with a 285-HP Continental TIO-520C. The P206 was discontinued in 1970, with a total production run of 647. The remaining U206 and TU206 were offered with either a utility or passenger interior, and renamed Stationair.
A stretch of the fuselage brought the 207 Skywagon into being in 1969. One more seat was added, bringing the number available to seven. Useful load went up by about 30 pounds. An additional bonus was the inclusion of a nose baggage compartment, easing the task of getting the CG in the proper place during loading. The turbo model of the 207 had a variant of the TIO-520, with 300 HP.
Camber-lift wings, which feature a slightly cuffed leading edge, were added in 1972. These improved low-speed handling at almost no cost to cruise speeds. At the same time, the baggage compartment got a seven-inch stretch (more on this later). An aerodynamic cleanup in 1975 boosted cruise speed by about six mph. The cleanup included more-streamlined wheel pants and improved cowl flaps.
In 1977 the horsepower of the turbo engine was upped to 310 (for takeoff only) on both the TU206 and the T207. A wet-wing fuel system was introduced in 1979.
In 1980 the seventh seat of the 207 was widened to hold up to eight passengers. This created the Stationair 8, but the designator remained 207. The world would have to wait for the Caravan to see the 208 and the ultimate evolution of the high-wing, strut-braced single.
The 207 was discontinued in 1984, and the 206 two years later.
Marketplace
Enormous fixed-gear singles arent all that common in the marketplace. In terms of mainstream aircraft, the choices are pretty much limited to the Cessnas and Piper PA-32 Cherokee Six/Saratoga. Prices are comparable, and which makes the better choice depends in part on your needs. The Pipers have the wing spar running through the cabin right behind the front seats, disrupting the loading area somewhat, and the Cessna is definitely the airplane of choice for floats. Both companies products have proven to be reasonably reliable over the years.
The Pipers do have an edge in TBO. While the best one can hope for from any Stationair model is a 1,700-hour TBO, the -540-series Lycomings bolted on the Pipers have a TBO of 1,800 hours (for the TIO-540-S1AD), and as much as 2,000 hours in the case of the IO-540-K1G5 on the Saratoga and Cherokee Six.
Loading
This is the name of the game for Stationair pilots. While no airplane can handle anything you can fit in it, the Stationair comes closer than most. Full-fuel payloads of 1000 pounds or better are not at all uncommon.