American light agricultural aircraft
| Cessna 188 AG series
|
|
| Cessna A188B-300 AGtruck
|
| Role
|
Light agricultural airplane Type of aircraft
|
| Manufacturer
|
Cessna Aircraft Company
|
| First flight
|
February 19, 1965
|
| Introduction
|
1966
|
| Produced
|
1966–1983
|
| Number built
|
3,976
|
The Cessna 188 is a family of light agricultural aircraft produced between 1966 and 1983 by the Cessna Aircraft Company.[1][2]
The various versions of the 188 included the AGwagon, AGpickup, AGtruck and AGhusky, along with the AGcarryall variant of the Cessna 185 Skywagon, and constituted Cessna's line of agricultural aircraft.[1][2]
Development
In the early 1960s, Cessna decided to expand their already wide line of light aircraft by entering the agricultural aircraft market. They surveyed pilots and operators of other brands of agricultural aircraft to see what features and capabilities these operators were looking for. The resulting aircraft was a conventional single-seat, piston-engined, strut-braced low-wing agricultural airplane.[1]
The Cessna 188 borrowed heavily from the Cessna 180, the initial version using the same tail cone and fin structure as well as the same Continental O-470-R 230 hp (170 kW) powerplant. The 188's airframe is predominantly built from 2024-T3 aluminum, with the chemical hopper constructed from fiberglass. The fuselage is of semi-monocoque construction and is lightly pressurized on later models (using the dynamic pressure resulting from the aircraft's forward speed) to reduce induction of chemicals into the airframe.
The Cessna 188 was first flown on 19 February 1965. The aircraft was certified and entered production in February 1966, with 241 aircraft delivered the first year.[2]
The initial design of the Cessna 188 was so successful that over its 17-year production run the basic airframe remained unchanged. Only the engines and the agricultural products dispensing systems were upgraded, other than some minor changes to the ventilation systems.[1]
The main use for the Cessna 188 series was for agricultural purposes, but many examples were later acquired for use as glider and sailplane tugs.
A total of 3976 Cessna 188s of all four variants were built during its production run, made up of 53 AGpickups, 1589 AGwagons, 1949 AGtrucks and 385 AGhuskies.[2]
Specifications (1976 AGtruck)
Data from Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1976–77[6]
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Capacity: Hopper: 280 US gal (230 imp gal; 1,100 L)
- Length: 26 ft 3 in (8.00 m)
- Wingspan: 41 ft 8 in (12.70 m)
- Height: 7 ft 8+1⁄2 in (2.350 m)
- Wing area: 205 sq ft (19.0 m2)
- Airfoil: NACA 2412 modified
- Empty weight: 2,059 lb (934 kg) (with no dispersal equipment installed)
- Equipped weight: 2,214 lb (1,004 kg) (empty, but equipped with liquid dispersal system)
- Gross weight: 3,300 lb (1,497 kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 4,200 lb (1,905 kg)
- Fuel capacity: 56 US gal (47 imp gal; 210 L)
- Powerplant: 1 × Continental IO-520-D air-cooled flat-six, 300 hp (220 kW)
- Propellers: 2-bladed McCauley metal constant-speed propeller
Performance
- Maximum speed: 121 mph (195 km/h, 105 kn)
- Cruise speed: 113 mph (182 km/h, 98 kn) (75% power)
- Stall speed: 57 mph (92 km/h, 50 kn) (with full flaps) (CAS)
- Range: 295 mi (475 km, 256 nmi)
- Service ceiling: 11,100 ft (3,400 m)
- Rate of climb: 690 ft/min (3.5 m/s)
- Takeoff distance to 50 ft (15m): 1,090 ft (330 m)
- Landing distance from 50 ft (15 m): 1,265 ft (386 m)
