And the main gear saddles and flimsy, ridiculously expensive nose gear steering.

Great video. Thanks for posting!

Ps: is that TAS the same TAS that is known as the twin cessna go-to?

No, I think they are referring to Paul New's company, Tennessee Aircraft Services. The twin cessna specialist is TAS Aviation up in Defiance OH.

Ok, looks like we are getting close to a buy. Any recommendations for a good pre buy mechanic in the Miami area? Thanks, Bill

if that plane has spent time in South Florida, especially if outside, look everywhere for corrosion, especially on the cabin roof and the wing spar center section. Look in the wings, tail, just everywhere. Not many 210s had zinc chromating from the factory and corrosion can be a major, major issue. If it hasn't been flown regularly (check on FlightAware) I would recommend looking in the cylinders with a borescope as well.

If you can get Paul New to look at it, it would be the best money you could ever spend.

I agree Booby. Sadly Paul is very busy!!

I have a P210N which has some similarities.

Do a test flight with the current owner if possible. Observe his climb rate and the corresponding CHT's. With a T210 or P210 the CHT's can define the climb rate. They are both capable of climbing relatively fast for a piston powered airplane however, the CHT's can go through the roof if not appropriately monitored. Both of the planes are fairly tightly cowled and keeping CHT's reasonable is directly proportional to longer cylinder life.

Look closely for signs of exhaust and induction leaks. An obvious bit of advice, but in these fire breathing turbo'd engines there is a propensity for failure.

I think the rest of the pre-buy stuff is basically standard. Folks who have not owned a 210 commonly say the gear and gear saddles are a problem. They are a problem of similar magnitude as any general aviation plane with retractable landing gear. No more. No less.

Flight characteristics are relatively heavy and very forgiving. They make wonderful instrument platforms as a result. A 210 is an SUV. It cares a lot, has a reasonable velocity, easy to land (well...easy to get used to), and has great visibility. Passengers enjoy the unobstructed view and easy access to seating. I removed the seat behind the pilot seat.

That's all I can think of at this moment. Good luck! I hope you find a good one.

The reason the gear door removal was popular is two-fold.

1. The 1979 model came into production with no rear gear doors, and mechanically actuated nose gear doors. Everyone wants their earlier plane to look like the newer model.

2. When the planes were belly landed, it was easier to put them back together without the doors.

The take home lesson: Cessna was able to dramatically simplify the power pack when they removed the gear doors. That made for a much more reliable gear system for 210N models forward. A 210M or earlier that has the gear doors removed is not the same system as the N model. Also, the gear door mods are available with or without nose gear doors hydraulically actuated vs modified to mechanically actuated like on the N model.

The highest dollar 210's are the turbine conversions. You may notice that they prefer 1978 model P210's that still have the doors on them. There is a reason!

By the time the 1972 model 210 came out with the electric hydraulic pump on the power pack, the system was a pretty darn good system. Many of the problems with those are just due to neglect.

The 1960 and 1961 models 210/210A were a very troublesome system to maintain, and have time life limited saddles to deal with as well.

The fuel system in these planes (60-61) are very prone to starvation with the ball out of center particularly on the base turns with about 1/3 tanks or less. Be very attentive to keeping the ball centered in the pattern on those models. These planes are the narrow cabin, four seat, IO-470 260 hp powered planes, and are really just a 1959/1960 182 with retractable gear. The prototype(s) 210 even had the 1959 182's straight tail.

The later model 210's are large cabin, big load haulers. They are coming to the point of being in short supply as they have been destroyed hauling drugs at an increasing rate as the 206 supply has decreased. The lower price of the 210's until recently made them a great smuggler. It used to be that the scrappy planes got used for smugglers. The last 15-20 years they have used and destroyed much nicer planes than in the past.

The Comanche is a fantastic plane with its economical Lycoming engine and smaller cabin providing speed and economy. It is nowhere near the comfort and load and mission capability of the 210 (1962 and later). The Bonanza's don't do the off-field/load profile that the 210 does so they, like the Comanches, don't get used for smuggling.

The early 210's with the narrow/small cabin will perform right with a Comanche or BE35 of the same horsepower. They will haul more weight but just don't have enough space to take advantage of it.

Buy a well maintained T210 and you will love the plane if it suits your mission well. Have someone that knows the breed maintain it. If you buy the cheapest one on the market you will get what you pay for, and thus don't blame the 210 in general. The best deals are usually made near the top of the market.

I have read the entire thread and the only thing I can add is that if you don't need turbo-charging, try to find an IO-550 powered normally aspirated 210. It is faster below 12,000 feet, more fuel efficient, and easier to manage with a longer TBO.

I have owned a 1960 model since 1993 and although the gear really isn't that bad to maintain, it isn't for the guy who just wants to fly and pay someone else for all the maintenance. Sadly, the gear saddles have gotten very expensive. I have a bunch of them for paperweights. The 1960 and I believe the 1961 models do not have the under-the-floorboard header tanks that the later models have and they also only feed fuel from the back inboard area of the tanks. If you nose an early 210 over steeply while low on fuel, or slip it steeply in the wrong direction, you will unport the fuel outlet and since there is no header tank it sometimes gets a little interesting. Once you do it a time or two, you start to remember it on final!

I also owned a 1975 T210L for a few years. Routine maintenance because of the turbo is a royal pain in the butt. I can change the oil on both engines in my Baron as fast or faster than I could on that T210L. Also, I think it was the 1975 L model or maybe the year before that they added a removable panel to make getting to the turbo much easier. It is still a royal pain in the butt to remove but at least it doesn't have to be done through the cowl flap opening. If I really didn't need the high altitude capability, I would look for a 210 that had been converted to an IO-550. If you really want performance and don't mind the turbo, Vitatoe offers the top induction 550 with dual intercoolers. The guy who owned my T210L bought one and I think he told me it was over 200 knots at 10,000 feet but my memory might be off a little bit. I thought I would use the high altitude capability of my T210L a lot, but in reality, for me, there weren't that many times that I was making a long enough flight in the right direction. It was wonderful though when I would get a long eastbound flight in the winter. The climb performance was nice on a hot day. I often would be up between 11-15K' to get to cool and smooth air. The built in oxygen was wonderful and I started using it on most flights.

Every time that I crawl into my Baron, I think about how easy my T210 was to get in and out of and how much room it had inside. If you need the room, there is nothing like them. Beechcraft have lighter and more harmonized controls, especially in pitch, but that really only matters for a short amount of time on each flight. There are a lot of 210s out there that have been rode hard and put up wet. 210s were typically working planes that weren't taken care of like Bonanzas were.

I second this approach.

You really won't fly that often at oxygen altitudes, so optimize for the 8K to 12 K region and the IO-550 does that. If need be, the IO-550 will also take you to the flight levels but cannulas run out at 18K, so that's a practical limit.

Mike C.

The above may be true unless your son lives out here in the west. The MEA's around here often beg for a turbo'd aircraft and after lunch, when the bumps and buildups start, your wife will beg for for altitude as well (or a supply of airsick bags). Plenty of folks out west don't have turbo'd aircraft and you might hear from them, but from where I live it at Reno it would be mission limiting.

Agreed. We live in Wyoming and frequently travel to Tahoe and FL200-220 were our usual picks with the T-210
Cannulas work fine for passengers above FL180, there’s just a legal restriction for the PIC so I used a mask. It was quite comfortable and had a microphone. My son and some other passengers generally refused to wear oxygen, but we live pretty high and he seemed normal even after 3 hours at FL200

If this type of flying is something you are going to do regularly and you want a 210, get a P210. Much more comfortable plane, essentially the same performance, will cost a little more to own. I had three different P210s and flew them all over the country all year long. Pressurization is a game changer and you will use higher altitudes without giving it a second thought, plus no oxygen to fool with, or have to refill. The P210 is the most bang for the buck in pressurized planes and most of them are better equipped than a T210 of similar vintage; there can be exceptions of course, but your passengers will appreciate the comfort pressurization affords.