The New Cessna 162 SkyCatcher >>> A Great Value for Beginners

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T H E W O R L D ’ S M O S T W I D E LY R E A D AV I AT I O N M A G A Z I N E / D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 9
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The New Cessna 162 SkyCatcher
>>> A Great Value for Beginners
THE NEW
CLASSROOM
IN THE SKY
Cessna’s 162 SkyCatcher is a totally modern
flight trainer at a very reasonable price.
BY J. MAC McCLELLAN / PHOTOS COURTESY OF CESSNA
I
believe all of us would declare
Cessna’s new 162 SkyCatcher light
sport airplane (LSA) to be a success if it flew about as well as the
legendary 150/152 series of two-seat
trainers. I’m happy to say the 162 flies as
well as, and in some respects better than,
the 150/152 and also has a number of
advantages that make it a better trainer,
FLYINGMAG.COM / DECEMBER 2009
not the least of which is that, with its big
gull-wing doors, aft strut and extra-wide
cabin, I sit in it instead of wear it.
The big challenge for any company
making an LSA is to stay under the
1,320 maximum gross weight limit.
That weight cap is part of the LSA
concept of reducing complexity and
risk in exchange for simplifying the
certification process. To make an
airplane that light that is still sturdy
enough to stand up to the rigors of
student pilot landings is a tall order.
To put the challenge in perspective,
consider that the Cessna 150 twoseat trainer has a maximum takeoff
weight of 1,600 pounds. The more
sophisticated 152 weighs in at 1,675
DECEMBER 2009 / FLYINGMAG.COM
maximum. Even the 140 taildragger
that in late 1945 launched Cessna’s
dominance of flight training weighs
1,450 pounds.
Another LSA restriction intended to
reduce risk in the event of a forced landing is a maximum stall speed, flaps up, of
45 knots. The 150/152 series stops flying at 48 knots with the flaps up, but the
SkyCatcher doesn’t stall clean until 44
knots. Flaps down, the 162 lets go at 39
knots compared with 42 and 43 knots
respectively for the 150/152.
The easiest way to meet the stall
restrictions is to use a relatively large
wing so that each square foot of wing
area is lifting only a few pounds. But
lightly loaded wings can be hard to
handle in gusty conditions because
each puff tosses the airplane back into
the air. A successful trainer needs to
fly as much as possible, not sit around
waiting for calm conditions, so Cessna
did not go down the big-wing-area
path with the 162.
The SkyCatcher has only 120 square
feet of wing area compared with 160
for the 150/152. That means the wing
loading — gross weight divided by
wing area — puts 11 pounds on each
square foot of wing in the 162 while
the 150’s loading is 10 and the 152’s is
10.5. With its higher wing loading, the
162 has a demonstrated crosswind of
12 knots. But higher wing loading, in
general, increases stall speed. So Cessna
engineers had to make a smaller wing
for the SkyCatcher that would stall at a
lower airspeed despite a higher loading.
It seems like magic was required, but in
reality what it took was gobs of experience to solve the problem.
You may recall that the original proof
of concept SkyCatcher had an unusual
wing that tapered gull fashion at the roots.
That design appeared to both reduce
stall speed and be easy to build. But testing showed it didn’t deliver. So Cessna
aeronautical engineers went back to the
computer and came up with a totally new
and custom airfoil that did the job.
The original SkyCatcher had a Rotax
engine, but Cessna flight school operators shot that idea down. The Rotax has
been in service for years, but successful
flight schools demand the utmost in
predictability of cost of maintenance
in a trainer. Everybody was comfortable with the four-cylinder Continental
engine, which is among the most produced aircraft powerplants in history, so
the O-200D replaced the Rotax.
>>> The swept-back wing strut moves the strut and main landing gear leg of the 162
aft so there is room for a gull wing door that lifts up for easy entry. The ventral fin under
the tail was added after the original design to improve recovery from aggravated stalls.
FLYINGMAG.COM / DECEMBER 2009
Light Sport Aircraft Rules
The primary limitations
in the LSA rules are:
>Single engine only
>Maximum takeoff weight
1,320 pounds (1,420 pounds
for a floatplane)
>Maximum stall speed (flaps up)
45 knots
>Maximum cruise speed 120 knots at
sea level and standard temperature
>Minimum useful load 380 pounds
plus half the horsepower (430 pounds
for the 162)
There was never serious consideration of any basic design other than
a high strut-braced wing. After all,
Cessna has built more than 100,000
high wing piston singles, so the design
clearly works. But subtle changes in
the layout make the SkyCatcher a superior airplane in many ways.
A key factor is the sweep of the
wing struts that places them aft of the
cabin doors, instead of ahead of the
door frame as in other Cessna singles.
The aft strut location frees up the
fuselage space to use big top-hinged
gull wing doors instead of the standard
forward hinged doors. With the gull
Cessna 162
SkyCatcher
The airplane flown for this report
was the first production-conforming
airplane. It was equipped with the
optional second Garmin G300 display, wheel pants and trim stripe. All
information here is from the airplane
manual and reflects a standardconfiguration airplane operating
under standard day conditions at
sea level unless noted. cessna.com
Standard price (2009): $111,500
Seats:
2
Engine:Continental O-200D, 100 hp
TBO: 2,000 hrs
Cabin width:
44.25 in
Overall height:
8.3 ft
Overall length:
22.8 ft
Wingspan:
30 ft
Wing area:
120 sq ft
Wing aspect ratio:
7.5
Max takeoff weight:
1,320 lbs
Empty weight:
wing door raised, it’s easy to slide into
the seat without interference from the
strut or the main landing gear leg.
Cessna made the 162 cabin 44.25
inches wide compared with 39.75 for
the 150/152. That 4.5 inches of added
width might not sound like much, but
believe me, it makes all the difference
in the world. My first airplane was a
Cessna 140 with a cabin width essentially the same as the 150/152. Forty
years ago that was tight, but OK. And
it may still be OK for 20-year-olds, but
I’m not going to get in a cabin of that
size with any of my peers and get the
doors closed. In the 162 Cessna, test
pilot Dale Bleakney and I had plenty of
room to move elbows, knees and shoulders without the slightest restriction.
To further improve the ergonomics of the 162 cabin, Cessna has fixed
the seats in position and added fore
and aft adjustment of the rudder pedals. Adjustable pedals are the norm in
larger airplanes but the first I know of
in a light two-seater. The fixed seats are
lighter, and they are larger than possible
if they had to move fore and aft. Shorter pilots might need to sit on a cushion
to get the view they want over the
panel, but the pedal adjustment range
seemed sufficient to suit all heights of
pilots. I’m 6 feet 2 inches and was very
pleased with the seat position because
it is low enough that I can look out the
side without ducking my head down.
In most other Cessna singles my head is
up between the wing roots and I need
to lower it to see directly to the side.
The SkyCatcher instrument panel
is as modern as any new airplane with
flat-glass display standard. There are
no conventional gauges or instruments,
and all flight and engine information
is presented on the Garmin G300
display. A single display is standard
with flight, navigation and engine
instruments combined. I think most
162 owners will opt for the second
display, which places primary flight
instruments in front of the pilot and
engine, navigation and other system
information on an identical display
in the center of the cockpit. If either
display were to fail, the remaining one
combines all essential data much like
the single display format.
In contrast to the advanced avionics,
830 lbs
Useful load:
Max usable fuel:
490 lbs
138 lbs (23 gal)
Payload max fuel:
352 lbs
Wing loading:
11 lbs/sq ft
Power loading:
13.2 lbs/hp
Max climb rate:
890 fpm
Service ceiling:
15,500 ft
Max speed:
118 kts
Max cruise at 6,000 ft:
112 kts
Takeoff over 50 ft obstacle: 1,250 ft
Landing over 50 ft obstacle: 1,040 ft
Stall speed flaps up:
44 kts
Stall speed flaps down:
Flap extension limits:
Vne/Vno:
39 kts
100, 85
and 70 kts
148/124 kts
Cessna kept the SkyCatcher systems
very simple and basic. For example,
there is no fuel tank selector, only a
knob to pull to turn all fuel off. In
operation, fuel is continuously fed by
gravity from both tanks. And the fuel
gauges are as foolproof as I can imagine. A transparent tube mounted in
the wing root shows the avgas level in
each tank. A ball floats in the fluid to
DECEMBER 2009 / FLYINGMAG.COM
clearly show the level. And because the
SkyCatcher sits nose-up on its landing
gear, there are two marks to show fuel
level, one to use while on the ground
and another when the airplane is in level flight. If you refuse to believe these
direct reading gauges, well, don’t fly the
162 because it is gravity that fills the
gauges and the same gravity is the only
source to move the fuel to the engine.
Gravity has a pretty good track record.
The Continental engine started easily
without a manual primer system, which
might be available as an option. A few
pumps of the throttle did the priming
job. The nosewheel is the castering type,
and you use differential brakes for taxi.
I found it easy to control direction with
very little braking. A small blast of power
over the rudder is often enough to make
all but the sharpest taxi turns.
One of the biggest cockpit differences in the 162 is the flight control stick.
I guess we call it a stick, but it is unlike
any other. In fact, a patent is pending.
The mechanism for the stick system is
mounted under the instrument panel,
and a single grip falls naturally to hand
directly in front of you. You move the
stick left and right for aileron, and fore
and aft for elevator control. But the
stick remains level instead of tilting as
it would if the fulcrum were on the
floor as with a normal stick.
The SkyCatcher stick has the advantage of remaining clear above your
knees no matter how you position it,
which is really important when getting
in or out of the cabin. Its position also
frees up panel space and provides an
unobstructed view of the Garmin dis-
play without being a “side stick.” The
only unusual sensation is the tendency
to try to rock the stick grip to mimic
the motion of a conventional floormounted stick. But after a very few
moments the unique SkyCatcher stick
feels perfectly natural.
It’s been quite a long time since I
flew a light trainer, and I asked Dale
for a Vr (rotation) speed. He told me
to forget about takeoff speed and just
hold some back pressure on the stick
and the airplane would fly when it’s
ready. And he was right. With just a
slight back pressure on the stick the
SkyCatcher flew itself off the runway
and into an impressive climb with no
perceptible control input from me. We
were near maximum takeoff weight
and it was a warm day, but the 162
climbed at 800 fpm, which I sure don’t
remember from other two-seat trainers.
The air was a little choppy and I
needed to use all of the controls to
nail the target altitude and heading.
Garmin uses an electronic display of
the traditional “ball” to show slips
or skids instead of the little split
“doghouse” that is common on most
electronic flight displays in larger
airplanes. I like the ball presentation
because, as in any light airplane, you
need to use your feet to counteract adverse yaw and the effects of turbulence.
With the slip-skid ball right under the
attitude indicator, you can instantly see
what you need to do with the rudder
pedals. Step on the ball, remember?
The control feel of the SkyCatcher
is very much like that of a 152. Stick
force is light but not touchy. Through
Garmin G300 Flat Glass
Garmin designed the G300 system to
meet the requirements of the SkyCatcher.
The goals were obviously light weight
and compact size, but also a price that
reduced the cost of flying.
The G300 is a full primary flight display
(PFD) with electronic gyros and air data
computer. It also contains a VFR-only GPS
navigator and a database of airports and
the airspace system. All engine and system
information is also displayed on the G300.
The G300 is controlled with various
FLYINGMAG.COM / DECEMBER 2009
careful design of control surfaces, hinge
moments and gearing of the control
system, Cessna achieved a good harmony of forces with roll being lighter
than pitch and rudder requiring more
force than elevator. And the stick force
gradients are very positive even at low
airspeeds. A positive stick force gradient
means you must pull or push harder
the more the airspeed deviates from the
trimmed condition. In a very steeply
banked turn it takes a very solid pull to
hold altitude, and that’s exactly what
you want for good flying qualities.
The 162 has electric trim only, an un-
knobs and buttons located on the unit
itself. The operating system is very much
like Garmin’s hugely successful handheld
396/496 GPS units. The moving map
display is also very much like the view on
the handhelds. The complete PFD display
allows you to fly the 162 under the hood,
but the avionics and airplane itself are not
approved for IFR.
Also standard in the 162 is a Garmin
SL40 com radio that allows you to monitor
a second frequency, a Mode-C transponder
and an ELT. A TruTrak autopilot is optional.
>>> The unique flight control stick system in the 162 places the grip directly ahead of
each pilot, but the entire mechanism is mounted under the instrument panel so nothing
extends to the floor. The prototype has the optional second Garmin flat-glass MFD.
usual feature in a light airplane. I am so
accustomed to flying with electric trim
that having a switch under my thumb
to change trim is perfectly natural, but
it will be a small change for many. The
control forces are light enough that there
is no need for a dual channel or monitored trim system because a fully out-oftrim condition easily meets maximum
stick force requirements.
The sound and vibration levels in the
162 are very good. Dale and I used noise
canceling headsets, and the intercom
worked well, but I did listen with an
ear uncovered and the noise level is low.
Maximum engine rpm is 2800, but even
near that power setting the vibration
seemed better than what I remember
from a 152, and one heck of a lot better
than in the old 140 taildragger.
We climbed up to 6,500 feet to try
what every student pilot is going to
spend a lot of time on — stalls and slow
flight. I can tell you that Cessna has
done a terrific job with low-speed flying
qualities. For power-off stalls you can
recover at the pre-stall buffet, or at the
break by simply releasing a little back
pressure on the stick. But if you don’t
recover, nothing happens. The 162 bobs
up and down stalling and recovering on
its own with the stick held full aft. It was
easy to make standard rate turns in either
direction with the stick full aft and the
airplane flying in and out of a stall.
Power-on stalls are nearly as tame,
but you do need to use your feet a little to pick up a wing because the angle
of attack and deck angle are much
higher. Still, it is totally controllable
without releasing back pressure. There
is a little buffet, and then a break to
identify the stall, but nothing is going
to happen if a student reacts incorrectly. There is the “reed” type of stall
warning horn that other light Cessnas
use, but every pilot will want to explore beyond the audible warning.
Dale had to show me this one, but
with power on, full aft stick and stalling, it was easy to fly straight and level
with full aileron in either direction.
I could also turn using the rudder
with aileron opposite the turn. Crosscontrolled stalls can lead to some very
unusual attitudes in most airplanes, so
I would not have tried it without his
demonstration and coaching. But he’s
right. There is nothing to worry about.
Of course, an extremely important
measure for any airplane is how easy
it is to land, particularly for a basic
trainer. The SkyCatcher passes that
test with ease. My first touchdown was
darn near perfect, and I give all credit
to the airplane. The sight picture over
the glareshield is natural, and it’s easy to
gauge your attitude as the runway comes
up. On another approach, I purposely
carried 25 knots of extra speed and
then wracked the 162 into a fully crosscontrolled slip on short final to lose the
speed and altitude. Because the flaps are
the simple hinged type, not the slotted
style of other Cessnas, there is no possible
DECEMBER 2009 / FLYINGMAG.COM
interaction between the flaps and tail, so
the slip is easily controllable. The flaps in
the 162 are smaller and less effective than
on other Cessnas but they do add a little
drag. I tried a power-off approach from
abeam the runway on downwind and
pulled on full flaps on final, and then
dumped them all, to make the spot. The
flaps-up landing was probably my best
of the day.
LSAs are “certified” under rules set
by ASTM, an international standards
authority. Instead of the FAA examining
test documentation and flying the airplane as with a normal category airplane,
the LSA manufacturer affirms that its
testing has met the ASTM standard. But
the ASTM standards are less detailed
than for FAA Part 23 normal category
airplanes, so Cessna went far and above
The airplane I flew is the third 162
built and is the one that conforms to
production standards. The airplane is
being built in China and will be disassembled and shipped to the United
States, where it will be put back
together and test-flown. Yingling Aviation in Wichita, Kansas, will be the
first reassembly center and expects to
have 162s arriving by the end of the
year. Options, including wheel pants,
second Garmin display, BRS wholeairplane parachute and basic autopilot,
will be installed at Cessna dealers.
Cessna has more than 1,000 deposited orders in hand for the 162. The
current base price is $111,500. That
compares with the Skyhawk’s base price
of around $265,000 and fully equipped
price of nearly $300,000. Of course, the
some other LSA manufacturers by doing
a full fatigue test regime on the airframe
and complete low-speed and stall behavior tests when something less would
have met the LSA rule. Certainly Cessna
wants to make sure it is building the safest possible airplane, but it also knows
that it takes extensive testing to determine how well an airplane will hold up
in its primary training mission. Meeting
a set of rules is one thing, but meeting
the demands of the flight training market can be a very different issue, and it
looks like the SkyCatcher will do both.
Skyhawk is a more capable airplane, but
you can see how the SkyCatcher can
dramatically reduce the cost of flight
training. There is the obvious savings in
capital investment, insurance and maintenance. And the training fuel burn in
the 162 is around six gallons per hour
compared with 10 in the 172.
You can learn to fly in an old, fully
depreciated airplane that may come close
to the operating costs of a SkyCatcher,
but that isn’t the same as learning in a
new airplane with a modern glass cockpit. And reduced cost is only one of the
appealing features of the 162. I think it
just plain looks good and sturdy but still
modern. And the big cabin will be welcome by all. The SkyCatcher can’t do it
alone, but it has help from an integrated
Cessna Pilot Center training program.
And the airplane demonstrates beyond
a doubt that Cessna is here to stay as a
full-line airplane maker that taught the
world to fly and then had a whole line
of more capable airplanes to carry the
new pilot wherever he wants to go. The
SkyCatcher is the new starting line, and
it’s a good one.
The Spin Question
LSA rules require that an airplane
be spun one turn and then recover
before completing another 360-degree
turn. Despite that simple rule, Cessna
elected to use the FAA Part 23 normal
category spin testing, which requires a
complete matrix of 300-plus spin entry
techniques and CG locations.
The 162 behaved well until the last
few entries that required full power
loaded to full aft CG with the ailerons
fully cross-controlled against the rotation. Normally the 162 stalls at about
an 18- to 20-degree angle of attack
(alpha). However, with full power driving
the alpha higher, and the sort of falling
maneuver the airplane makes entering the cross-controlled spin, test pilot
Dale Bleakney told me they measured
momentary alpha as high as 40 degrees.
After one of those full power cross-controlled spin entries, the nose dropped
only a little and the rotation rate accelerated to more than 270 degrees per
second. After several turns, the chase
pilot called for Dale to pull the BRS
whole-airplane parachute, and he did.
The airplane was repaired, a ventral
fin was added under the tail and the
rudder was extended down to match
the ventral. Cessna also changed the
gearing of the ailerons to reduce adverse yaw generated in the fully crosscontrolled spin entry. Dale repeated the
spin tests and the SkyCatcher recovered
perfectly. In all, Cessna test pilots performed 531 spins in the 162 with 352 of
the spins counting as compliance with
the normal category rules. The flight
test program included 1,366 stalls.
Copyright © 2009 Bonnier Corp. All Rights Reserved
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