Cessna 180 Skywagon: Legendary popularity  Durability and
reliability are more important than eye appeal  January 23, 2014
Photography by Mike Fizer  During the decade following World War
II, the Cessna 170 was the world’s most popular four-place
airplane.  The 145-horsepower taildragger, however, could not
compete well against the speedier Beech Bonanza and North
American Navion. This is when Cessna decided to take advantage
of Continental Motor’s then-new, 225-horsepower O-470-A engine
and develop the robust Cessna 180, which first flew in May 1952.
(Beginning in 1957, horsepower was modestly increased to 230.)
The Cessna 180 Skywagon is not a beautiful airplane, but it is a
classic-looking taildragger that became an instant success. It
became especially popular with those needing a lightweight,
utilitarian airplane that could endure seaplane operations and
feel at home using unimproved strips carved from the wilderness.
The Cessna 180 went where tricycle-gear airplanes feared to
tread.  In 1964, Geraldine