We have a 2005 t206 with the 540 tc and love the cargo door. Fill the back with hunting supplies with full tanks and a couple guys and your well in cg. Single front door is not that big of a deal but difficult for a passenger who is not comfortable crawling across the pilots seat. No wheel pants oversized tires. we get 145 kt down Low 165 in the teens. Great heavy hauler burns a lot of fuel and not the fastest by any means. Many times we wish it had more room. Simple to fly good ifr single engine that doesn’t break the bank at the annual with ad’s and retract costs.

I would take a utility door over a passenger door any day.......I mean how else is one going to load a barrel of wine

In addition to the utility door? Because the fuselage structure would fail.

Actually the right front door was an option on later models. It was primarily for 206’s on floats. It still had the double doors in addition to the seaplane door on the right side. I had one based in my hangars about 25 years ago.

The door was about 3/4 the size of the one on the pilots side.

Wipaire has an STC for a pax door addon.

In addition to the utility door? Because the fuselage structure would fail.

Here's a picture of the co-pilot door from Wipaire's site. Note that it's not as big as a normal door, leaving a piece of vertical frame between the front and rear doors that looks to be about 10" wide.



I wonder if additional strengthening is done in that area of the fuselage when the co-pilot door is installed?

I've never installed the Wipaire door, but I have studied the installation, and the structure is beefed up.

I've never installed the Wipaire door, but I have studied the installation, and the structure is beefed up.

Scott,
It's been more than 10 years. I can't answer your question, but I agree that 20k does seem light.

I have the TU206(turbo'd). I've run it LOP since overhaul in 2001(tangled with some deer landing at night). I cruise at 11.5gal/hr. The cyls have over 1200hrs and test above 70/80(had to pull one at 1100 due to an oil ring failure which is not turbo related). Before the overhaul I rebuilt the wastgate(by then it had 2500hrs on it) and replaced the turbo housing (it had about 2500hrs) at the time. At the same time I replace the Cessna exhaust with a Kniesly exhaust. I replace the turbo scavenge check valve every 1000hrs. I send the turbo out for rebuild every 1200hrs(cost is about 1AU). I have the co-pilot side engine cowl access panel STC which make turbo maintenance/inspection a snap(compared to without it). Due to running LOP and the high exhaust temps, I send the exhaust out for inspection/rebuild/replacement every 1200hrs. So every 1200hrs I plan for a 4AU expense related to the turbo. So there is maintenance expense but not what I'd consider to unreasonable considering the advantages it offers. As far as turbos eating cylinders....that's an OWT.

The advantages of the power the turbo delivers over a large range of altitudes is obvious. The great thing about a turbo is the LOP operations. I is very thermodynamically efficient. Once you set you LOP setting you can leave it be...no changes due to altitude like with a NA engine. LOP climbs are easy.

(309) 206 listed on Canadian Registry. 16 of them are P206. Not sure if they’re as rare on the FAA registry. I don’t believe any P206 had float provisions.

For those not reading from the beginning, P is the passenger door model with no cargo door.

Nice as the cargo door is, I’d be looking for a P206 if it were me, but also a float kit, so probably a non-starter. I’ll own my 185 until I can’t anymore.

Tom, if you want more space to take off road, maybe an option?

https://www.trade-a-plane.com/search?ma ... e=aircraft

Or you can buy the box a 182 comes in:

https://www.controller.com/listings/air ... elio-h-800

Or you can buy the box a 182 comes in:

https://www.controller.com/listings/air ... elio-h-800