Relay-Version: B 2.11 6/12/87; site scolex Path: uunet!crdgw1!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!sdd.hp.com!hplabs!hpcc05!hpcc01!cousins From: cousins@hpcc01.HP.COM (Mark Cousins) Newsgroups: rec.aviation Subject: A review of the Cessna T210 Message-ID: <3400067@hpcc01.HP.COM> Date: Tue, 30 Apr 91 16:28:40 PDT Organization: HP Commercial Systems Division Lines: 196 A review of the Cessna T-210 by Mark Cousins Entire contents copyright (C) 1991 by Mark Cousins. All rights reserved. A while back I wrote an informal review of the Cessna 182. In that same spirit I submit this review of the Cessna 210, a plane in which I was recently checked out. The subject airplane is N6525Y, a 1981 Cessna T210N based at Business Aircraft Center on San Jose (Calif.) International Airport (SJC). I decided to check out in this plane becuase I find that I need 5 and sometimes 6 seats occaisionally. I chose BAC because they are relatively close by, had lower minimum requirements than others, and were running a special in April whereby they'd waive the membership fee ($120) if you checked out in the 210. (Thanks to Geoff Peck for the pointer to BAC.) The T210 is a turbocharged, full cantilever high wing retractable-gear monoplane. It has seats for 6 in three rows of 2, plus a baggage compartment. The outside dimensions are fairly close to those for a 182: spinner-to-tail is about the same, and wingspan and tail height are slightly greater. The 210 does have a much larger horizontal tail. The wings use flush riveting from the leading edge to about 50% chord. The slotted-type flaps are similar to those in the smaller Cessnas, although they do extend to about 2/3 of the span. The Frise-type ailerons extend from the end of the flaps to the wingtips, and are equipped with ground-adjustable trim tabs at the inboard edge. The elevator and rudder appear conventional, with a trim tab on the right elevator surface. The engine is a Continental TSIO-520-R, directly turning an 80-inch diameter three-bladed propeller. The engine produces 310 HP (five minute maximum) and 285 HP continuous. This engine is fuel-injected and turbocharged, using an automatic waste gate controller. Maximum power is available at 36.5"/2700 RPM, and continuous maximum is 35"/2600. Maximum speed is 204 KTAS at 17,000 feet. Service ceiling is 27,000 feet. So last week I bought the information manual and spent some time over the weekend reading it. This is no small task as the book is easily twice the size of the 172RG manual, although roughly half of it is devoted to supplements for optional systems. I did read everything which turned out to be fortunate as the sample I flew has most of the optional equipment installed. You can tell that we're in different territory here, not only from the descriptions of systems such as wing de-ice and weather radar, but from the TWELVE PAGES of cruise performace data (reaching up to FL240) and the fact that fuel data is presented in pounds per hour (!). This is also the first airplane I've flown whose maximum takeoff weight (4000 lbs) is greater than its maximum landing weight (3800 lbs). Plus, there are several cautions in the Weight and Balance section reminding the pilot that under certain CGs the plane will be OK for takeoff but out of range for landing, so check by recomputing minus the fuel burned during the trip. More to think about! A few notes about the fuel system. Fuel -- 89 gallons (534 lbs) usable -- is carried in integral wing tanks with separate caps and vents for each. Unlike other Cessnas, the T210 doesn't have a "both" position on the fuel selector. Fuel feeds from the wing tanks to reservoir tanks, thence to the fuel selector. From there it goes through the auxiliary pump, the engine-driven pump, and on into the intake manifold. Vapor and excess fuel are returned through the selector valve to the tank from which they came. Vaporization can be a problem on hot days and / or at high altitudes, and is detected through variations in fuel flow or power surges. The situation is remedied by using the boost pump and / or switching tanks. Let's do the pre-flight walkaround. Following the Cessna checklist, we start with the left fuselage, checking the left static port, and gear well. Then around the tail and up the right side checking the same. The right fuel drain is checked, followed by the rest of the right wing, including the fuel vent which is hidden between the aileron and wingtip (presumably an ice-free location). Around the right wing leading edge, also looking at the underside at what seems like dozens of inspection plates. Up on the ladder (remember, we don't have any handy struts with steps) to check the fuel cap, which we notice is our favorite :-( flush-type cap. Off the ladder and under the belly to drain the right reservoir tank, then the nose check, including oil level and fuel strainer, and finally around to the left wing. Besides the stuff we checked on the right, we have the Pitot tube and stall warning vane to look at. We're finished, with no discrepencies. Now let's sit inside and go over the panel. Just ahead of the door on the left is the breaker panel and avionics master, including the controls for the standby vacuum system. The instruments in front of the pilot include the standard airspeed, attitude indicator with flight director, altimeter, turn coordinator, HSI, and vertical speed indicator. To the left of these is the suction guage and the propller anti-ice ammeter. To the right are CDI, RMI, panel-mounted DME, and mode controller for the flight director. Below are the electical switches and landing gear lights and lever. The radio stack include an audio panel, Cessna 400 series Nav/Coms, Cessna 400 RNAV, transponder, and two-axis autopilot. The right hand panel holds the LORAN, engine instruements, and ADF. The center console contains the elevator and rudder trim, the biggest cowl flap control I've ever seen, and the radio microphone. Down near the floor is the fuel selector and guages. The emergency gear extension pump handle is between the front seats, and overhead are ventilation controls and the oxygen system. Options which this plane could have but does not include the "known ice" package (extended coverage de-icing boots on the wing and both tail leading edges, windshield anti-ice panel, high-power heated Pitot tube and stall warning transducer, 95-amp alternator, dual vacuum pumps, ice detector light, and static discharger wicks), weather radar, and air-conditioning. Because I had read the book, the instructor just checked that I'm familiar with the appropriate items. Having had previous Cessna high-performance time (in 172RG and 182) helped a lot. Being prepared helps to keep the bill low! This being San Jose, we pull the plane out from the shelter onto the taxiway and climb in. Because there are sometimes delays, I copy the ATIS and get my clearance before starting up. The engine start procedure is a little different: boost pump on, open throttle until 50-60 lbs/hr fuel flow, close throttle, pump off, crank while s l o w l y opening throttle until the engine fires, then reduce to 1000 RPM. It works flawlessly and we start to taxi out. Snaking our way out to the runway requires strict adherence to the yellow centerline lest we catch a wingtip on something. 'Taint no extra room here! Ground control is good, but use of the rudder pedal also moves the aileron because of the interconnect spring. (More on this later.) The runup is standard, although I think the prop is a bit sluggish -- it took quite a bit of pull on the prop control before we got any RPM drop, but the instructor says it's OK. (Oil pressure is normal.) Lined up on 30R and cleared for takeoff. Takeoffs in the 210 are performed with 10 degrees of flaps (20 at soft/rough fields) so these are set. Advance the throttle slowly to avoid overboosting the engine. My first takeoff was at less than full power because I misread the MP guage and thought I was at maximum (36.5) when actually I was at 31.5 (can't see the numbers around the outside of the guage from the pilot's seat). Lift the nosewheel at 65 kts, and the plane lifts off gracefully. Positive rate-of-climb, brakes on, gear up. Through 80 kts, flaps up. Through 500 feet AGL, reduce to 30"/2500 (prop control seems fine now), mixture to 120 pph, and close the cowl flaps 1/2 way. Establish cruise climb of 110 kts. We are very light (I estimate 3300 lbs, max takeoff is 4000) so the rate-of-climb is over 1000 fpm. "Centurion 25Y contact Bay Departure." "Bye." I said I'd mention the rudder-aileron interconnect spring. In climb, this airplane requires a fair amount of right rudder. But because this also tries to add right aileron, you have to hold the yoke straight by applying left pressure. Why is the spring there you ask? Well it's not as you might expect an automatic coordination control. Small planes (I don't know about big ones) are required to be able to be banked and unbanked using rudder input only. With good couple, this is natural so for example 172s and Cherokees don't need the spring. These bigger planes like the 210 are more loosely coupled so they "cheat" (legally) and add a helper spring that puts in aileron if you stomp on the rudder. This doesn't provide the redundancy of good lateral-directional couple but it passes certification. It's also a pain when you want uncoordinated alieron and rudder. (I should also add that this is a one-way spring -- adding aileron does *not* put in rudder.) Speaking of springs, the 210 also has an elevator downspring like that in the 182. It does not feel nearly as strong, however. Pitch forces are very high, requiring diligence on the trim. Pushing over to accelerate to cruise climb required a lot of effort. We level off at 3,500 and head for the practice area. Set up 24"/2400 for 147 kts and 77 pph. We use a low power setting to keep the engine cooler since we won't be up that long. If we wanted to "gun it," we could go to 30"/2500 for 170 kts and 106 pph, but that's for another time. Close the cowl flaps and monitor the guages. All's well. We arrive at the practice area and do a few medium-bank turns follwed by dirty (flaps and gear down) slow flight, including more turns. "Slow flight" means 70 knots! Amazingly, this is all the instructor wants to see, so we head to South County Airport for some landings. My first pattern is in too close -- with the faster plane, I should fly a slightly larger pattern. In many ways the 210 is easier than smaller planes because, for example, flap and gear extension speeds are very high (160/130/115 for the three notches of flaps, 165 for the gear). So I widen out and target 75 kts as the final approach speed. And just to make things fun, there is a crosswind. But the first landing is quite servicable, although the final was a bit high. We taxi back and fly another circuit, and this landing is quite a bit better. We head back to San Jose, a trip which doesn't take too long at these speeds :-). I perform what the instructor called "stage cooling" (never heard that one before), reducing power no more quickly than 2" every 2 minutes. Having a nice long stabilized straight-in to 30R helps me produce the best landing of the day. We taxi back to the barn and shut down, having rung up 1.0 on the Hobbs meter (and even on my watch!). It was exhilirating, and I am anxious to spend more time with this airplane. I'd be most interested in hearing from other netters with 210 experience. Have I characterized the airplane correctly here? I was surprised that the checkout included no stalls, steep turns, emergencies (although he did make sure that I had done manual gear extensions before), or specialty takeoffs and landings. Is this normal for a checkout? I hope that you have found this review enjoyable. Happy flying! Mark -- Mark Cousins Hewlett-Packard Co. mtc@hpsemc.cup.hp.com HP-UX VAB programs 19055 Pruneridge Ave., MS 46T5 (408) 447-4659 Cupertino, CA 95014 FAX: (408) 447-4364