Fast and efficient, the Cardinal RG is one of the best planes that Cessna ever made. '78 is considered the ultimate year for these planes and this is a beautiful example. Brand new paint with a 3 year warranty! Only 400 hours since overhaul on the fuel injected engine. Spar AD complied with. Lots of upgrades: Garmin 175 GPS for flying LPV approaches. Insight G2 engine monitor for all you Mike Busch lean-of-peakers. 3 blade prop is super smooth. Safe flight AOA. Monarch fuel caps. Upgraded oil cooler.

These airplanes are super comfortable (way better than a 172 or 182) with a wide cabin, huge doors, low step in height, and generous baggage. Excellent visibility for giving rides or just enjoying the trip. Light and responsive on the controls, but stable and a great IFR platform (flies an ILS like it's on a rail). Whether you need a family truckster, a long distance cruiser, a $100 hamburger bird, the Cardinal RG will do it all.

$134,500. Will consider trades for a deiced twin.

Airframe:
TT - 4200 Hours
2024 Paint w/warranty
New main gear tires/tubes
New SS screw kit
Recent OH on gear pump
Spar AD c/w
July 2024 Annual
Newer vinyl seats look nice
New carpet in 2024
Full logs back to 1978

Engine:
Lycoming IO-360-A1B6D
Only 400 hours SMOH in 2019
Insight G2 Engine Monitor with Fuel Flow
3 blade prop STC - 400 hours SOH

Avionics:
Garmin 175 WAAS touch screen GPS
Narco MK12E Com 1
Narco MK12E Com 2
King KT-76C Transponder
Uavionics Skybeacon ADS-B
Navomatic 300A autopilot (works in heading mode)
Insight G2 Engine Monitor with Fuel Flow
Safe Flight Angle of Attack Indicator

Nice cardinal!
What's the cruise speed on the RG Cardinal?

IIRC you could get 145Kt if you pushed it, 135Kt with a more reasonable fuel flow.

Pretty airplane.

IIRC you could get 145Kt if you pushed it, 135Kt with a more reasonable fuel flow.

You have a beautiful Cardinal RG. I’ve always liked those planes and nearly bought one back in 1989 but another buyer beat me to it. GLWS!

If you haven't flown a Cardinal you owe it to yourself to experience this model. If you are one who travels (or wants to travel) with an elderly person, a person with a physical disability or are maybe getting a little stiff in the legs yourself, the Cardinal is the easiest airplane in the single engine GA fleet for ingress and egress. The cabin doors are huge and the articulating seats slide waaaaay back. Plus doing away with the wing strut makes access to the cabin even easier. There simply isn't another aircraft in the single engine piston segment that offers this kind of ease of access.

(For perspective, my wife became hemiplegic after we started building our Glasair Sportsman. As her condition progressed I looked at alternatives to the Sportsman. The only viable alternative is the Cardinal. She currently is unable to access any GA aircraft so we are left with enjoying fond memories of flying in our Sportsman together.)

Wishing you the best of luck with the sale. That's one very sharp looking Cardinal!

This is fairly close to my Cirrus SR20. I see 145 KTAS on 9.0 GPH at 10,000 ft, +/- 500 ft. In addition to the Mooney, the SR20 would also be a bit faster and more efficient for the fuel burn. But the purchase price of the Cirrus was almost 50% more than the asking price of this Cardinal.

A '73 Cardinal RG was my first plane and I miss it. It was a great all around plane, everything from the $100 hamburger to trip across the country. Great speed, easy fuel burn and surprisingly high lift capacity. This is a beautiful example, the late models really are the culmination of a great aircraft, Cessna should have never stopped making them.

Dennis this thing is Gorgeous and I feel at your asking price it will sell fairly quick.

My question thou is there an STC for a turbo on these?

Yes, TAT has it.

Yes, TAT has it.

What a pretty example!!
I was part owner in a '76 and enjoyed it for ease of entry (I should have it now- 38 years later)
It was roomy and comfortable, and a decent compromise on speed, range, cabin space and useful load compared to the other 200 HP retract competitors.

They quote about $50K installed, here is the link to their page. I have the TAT system on my A36 and can't say enough good about it. Thinking of how that would have improved high altitude performance on the Cardinal, that would be amazing. Paul Milner, who is VERY active in the Cardinal community, has one. I would definitely speak to him about it.

any damage history?