Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004: A Century of Flight

When Cessna saw how well their Model 180 was selling, they looked for a way to make it an even bigger success; the answer was the Model 182. The 182 first flew in 1956, and its big advancement was the patented Land-O-Matic tricycle-landing gear (weren't the fifties grand?), which make landing and ground handling easier, attracting would-be pilots who didn't want to fly taildraggers. During the model's lifespan, it has been beefed up, modified, and released in retractable-gear (RG) and turbo-charged (T) versions. Like all the Cessna piston aircraft, production of the 182 was halted in 1986 due to market forces and the high price of product liability insurance premiums. Now the 182 is back in a new incarnation.

Over the years, the empty weight of the Skylane has increased, while the useful load has decreased in successive models. Since it has retained the same powerplant output, it has slightly higher maximum and cruise speeds. Range has been extended in all models with larger fuel capacity. It's easy to see why Microsoft has offered the versatile and time-tested 182 in every version of Flight Simulator since its introduction. It's an aviation legend, both in the world of flight simulation and in the real world.