Textron Aviation has announced that the turbocharged Cessna Turbo Skylane, or T182T, will re-enter production early next year, ending a decade-long absence from the marketplace. The full 235-horsepower will be available to 20,000 feet and the base price will be $653,000, or about $53,000 more than the normally aspirated model. This brings the number of Cessna piston singles to four, including the Skyhawk, Skylane and Turbo Stationair.
“The Turbo Skylane represents our commitment to offering new and innovative solutions to our piston owners and operators,” said Ron Draper, president & CEO, Textron Aviation. “We’re pleased to bring expanded capabilities to this segment of the market. And with all of the latest attributes, the Turbo Skylane truly is better than ever.”
While “new” and “innovative” might not be the first words most would use to describe any Skylane variant, it’s hard to argue with the reintroduction of the force-fed model as a good move. Boasting a 998-lb. useful load and 971 nm range, the Lycoming TIO-540-powered Turbo Skylane can operate from 2,000-foot runways and climb at up to 1,040 feet per minute. Naturally, the Garmin G1000 NXi, a big update from the G1000 suite that last graced the 182T’s panel, is the featured avionics suite.
