1977 “Cessna 187” For Sale
Did that “187” get your attention? It was meant to, since my highly upgraded C-180 Skywagon
now out-performs the latest Cessna 185s. When I bought it fourteen years ago it already had
many upgrades, including the Kenmore Air Harbor STC that brought the maximum takeoff
weight up to 3,190 pounds, 390 more than standard, as well as a P-Ponk 270 HP engine. Since
“N180TC” was not available from the FAA, I chose “N184TC” since it was almost a 185. But
when I replaced the P-Ponk O-470-50 six years ago with a 300 horsepower IO-550D, it now is
truly an exceptional performer. I see 154 KTAS at 10,000 feet, full throttle, 2,500 RPM, rich-ofpeak, while burning 17.5 gph. But I have Gami injectors and usually do about 146 KTAS on 12
gph, lean-of-peak. The EDM700 allows me to make certain all six cylinders are happy, running
clean and cool.
The 1977 model was the first year of the last 180 model…the “K” version, with the latest
instrument panel that put the flight instruments in the modern, six-pack layout. By now, the large
dorsal fin and the third side cabin window were standard, making it look like a 185. But it was
the last year of the 12-volt electrical system, and I personally think that is a benefit since you can
use any car to jumpstart a weak battery. 1981 was the last year of 180K production.
This airplane’s first owner lived in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, and that’s where she went when
she left the Wichita factory. She was manufactured with both the factory seaplane and skiplane
kits and spent some time on both floats and skies during her years in Canada. She was imported
back into the USA in 1994, received her FAA C of A, and went to an owner in Ogden, Utah. I
purchased the plane in 2000 when it had a little over 1,200 hours total time and have enjoyed
owning and flying her for fourteen years and 1,600 hours. During that time she has never been
damaged, has lived in a hangar in the dry southwest, has been 100% reliable, and has provided
my family, friends, and me with wonderfully comfortable, safe, economical, and fun
transportation. She has graced most of the turf runways in the Idaho back-country as well as the
dirt strips of Arizona and Utah. This is the eighth airplane I have owned in my fifty-two years
and over twenty-three thousand hours of flying.
But now I am in the last year of my seventh decade and it is time to make sure she goes to a good
home with someone who can enjoy and nurture her for many more years to come.
Tom Clements
1977 Cessna 180K Skywagon
N184TC
Serial Number: 18052817
Price: $175,000
Contact:
Tom Clements, owner
602-625-9132
twcaz@msn.com
Airframe: 2,800 SNEW
Engine: 609 SFRM – Continental IO-550D (Installed by Air Plains Services at their facility in
Wellington, Kansas, under their STC, in January of 2008)
Propeller: 609 SNEW – McCauley 86-inch, three-blade, D3A34C401-C (Installed along with the
engine by Air Plains Services)
Max Gross Takeoff Weight: 3,190 pounds
Basic Empty Weight: 1,916 pounds
Useful Load: 1,274 pounds
Usable Fuel: 75 gallons (450 pounds)
Empty CG: 35.7 inches
General:
 No known damage history
 Airplane hangared at Deer Valley Airport (KDVT) in Phoenix, Arizona
 Last annuals performed by Dean Benedict’s Honest Air, Inc., in Boulder City, Nevada
 Complete logbooks available for inspection
 Annual Inspection due 4/2014
 IFR certification due 5/2014
 ELT battery due 4/2015
 All AD’s in compliance
 Engine compressions at 4/2013 annual: 76/72/72/69/63/72
Avionics: (Most installed by Avionics West, Inc., of Santa Maria, CA, in 2001)
 Garmin GNS530W (530 from 2001 was upgraded to 530W)
 Garmin SL40 #2 Comm
 Garmin GTX 327 Transponder
 P S Engineering PMA7000-C-D Audio Panel with four-place intercom system
 CD player
 Instrument subpanel, including all switches and circuit breakers and an extra power
outlet, was totally remade by Avionics West during avionics upgrading.
 Garmin 496 GPS with Air Gizmo panel dock and external antenna (XM radio and
weather available)
 Jack for external handheld comm antenna





JPI EDM700 Engine Data Monitor
JPI FS450 Fuel Flow Monitor system
Dynon D1 Back-up attitude, speed, and altitude indicator
Sporty’s mechanical altitude reminder
Bose headsets with aircraft power jacks for front seats
Additional Equipment
 Alphin Aircraft lower cowling cooling louvers
 Maple Leaf Aviation exhaust stack fairing
 Horizontal Stabilizer jackscrew access panels, left, right, and bottom
 Above three items as well as complete landing gear rigging were performed by Beegles
Aircraft Service, Inc., in July 2005.
 Mountain High Door Stewards (Great addition!)
 Rosen Sun Visors (Superb!)
 Sporty’s wing root air vents (They are awesome!)
 BAS Shoulder harnesses
 BAS Tail pull handles
 Monarch fuel caps (four; seaplane option)
 ADC (Oberg) remote oil filter with bypass warning annunciator
 8.00 MLG Tires
 Cleveland wheels and brakes
 LED Landing and taxi lights
 RMD wingtip recognition/landing lights with Precise Flight Pulselite system
 Whelen Cobra-flash wingtip strobe lights
 Challenger Intake Air Filter
 Stowable Copilot’s Rudder Pedals
 Lift Rings
 Lots of extras: Bruce’s Custom exterior cover, inside window shades, EPU jumper
cables, exterior and interior control locks, tailwheel tow bars (2), tie-down kit, First Aid
kit, MLG jack pad adapter, battery charging pigtail, extra brake set, B-Kool airconditioning system.
Paint and Interior
 Entire new interior fabric and leather, including ultraleather headliner, installed in 9/2001
by Arizona Aircraft Interior Design, Inc., of Chandler, AZ (7 of 10 condition)
 Complete exterior strip and paint job in 2/2002 by Arizona Aeropainting (Don
Copeland) of Eloy, Arizona. This is one of the premier paint shops in the world. The
design was made by me, Tom Clements, in an attempt to capture a more “classic” look
for this conventional-gear airplane. The red with beige and black accents is readily seen
and quite distinctive. (It’ll be great for search-and-rescue in the Alaska snow, eh?! 9 of 10
condition)
Miscellaneous
 New brake linings at last annual
 New Skytech stater, new muffler, 4/2011
 Twelve new Tempest sparkplugs one annual ago
 New attitude and directional Sigma-Tek vacuum gyros, 8/2002
 New tailwheel tire and tube, 2013
This is truly a one-of-a-kind, exceptional, Skywagon. The buyer has the option of receiving a
complete checkout from me, including a tailwheel endorsement if required.
For pictures, go to:
http://s20.photobucket.com/user/FJRTom/library/Cessna%20180