Cessna 162 Skycatcher Two - Seat Light-Sport Aircraft
THE SKY IS ONLY THE BEGINNING
Designed to make the dream of flight a reality, the Skycatcher has ushered a new generation of pilots into the sky. Its simplicity of operation and stable, docile handling make it the perfect trainer, as well as an ideal fit for experienced pilots seeking a modern and economical means of recreational flight. The Skycatcher is the perfect entry-level aircraft with first-rate technology. Its reputation as a platform for growth into a larger aircraft is well-earned.
Interior
THE HEIGHT OF ERGONOMICS AND COMFORT
The Skycatcher’s cockpit is quite different from other light sport aircraft in that it’s wider, more comfortable, and equipped with intuitive controls and enhanced technology for ease of operation.
Stunning views, ample natural light, luxury sedan comfort, and soothing quiet.
Exterior
Select from three different accent colors for the exterior design in addition to the standard black and medium silver metallic: royal blue, apple green, or burgundy.
CONTROLS
Enjoy control-stick capabilities without the hindered entry and exit that comes with a floor-mounted control stick.
AVIONICS
FLY YOURSELF INTO ADVENTURE
NEW EQUIPMENT, OLD SOUL
The all-glass Garmin G300 avionics suite was engineered specifically for the Skycatcher. This modern technology replaces antiquated manual and mechanical gyro instruments with an integrated digital flight deck that enhances safety and reliability. A second screen displays data in separate, full-screen PFD and MFD formats on the Skycatcher’s panel.
EYES IN THE BACK OF YOUR HEAD
A seven-inch high-definition WVGA display shows a wide attitude indicator with vertical tape displays for airspeed and altitude. Below that, you’ll find an easy-to-read electronic HSI. The surrounding bezel features a rotary joystick cursor control, which helps simplify data entry. Use accompanying softkeys for mode and menu selection. Select from optional VFR or airway-style IFR map modes. An integrated aviation base map gives life-like visual navigation that shows terrain such as rivers, roads, cities, lakes, airports, and more. Stay aware of special airspace activity with more than 683 parachute drop zones detailed in the Americas navigation database. And for enhanced safety, a built-in elevation database powers a color-keyed terrain page for both overhead and vertical profile views of potentially hazardous terrain along your route.
KNOW YOUR WAY AROUND
On top of its aviation base-map imagery, the G300 avionics suite also comes with basic Garmin FliteCharts® and SafeTaxi® functionality pre-installed for U.S. buyers of the Skycatcher. With SafeTaxi, you can access detailed airport diagrams and get geo-referenced positioning information about your aircraft’s position on the field for more than 900 U.S. airports. It’s especially useful when landing at unfamiliar locations. The G300 comes with AOPA Airport Directory data on more than 7,400 U.S. airports, as well as airports of entry for Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean. When flying internationally, you have the option of global AC-U-KWIK airport directory data instead.
SPECIFICATIONS
Performance data is based on the standard Skycatcher configuration, operating in International Standard Atmosphere (ISA) conditions with zero wind. Takeoff and landing field lengths are based on a level, hard surface and dry runway.
The New Classroom in the Sky
The SkyCatcher has only 120 square feet of wing area compared with 160 for the 150/152. That means the wing loading — gross weight divided by wing area — puts 11 pounds on each square foot of wing in the 162 while the 150's loading is 10 and the 152's is 10.5. With its higher wing loading, the 162 has a demonstrated crosswind of 12 knots. But higher wing loading, in general, increases stall speed. So Cessna engineers had to make a smaller wing for the SkyCatcher that would stall at a lower airspeed despite a higher loading. It seems like magic was required, but in reality what it took was gobs of experience to solve the problem.
You may recall that the original proof of concept SkyCatcher had an unusual wing that tapered gull fashion at the roots. That design appeared to both reduce stall speed and be easy to build. But testing showed it didn't deliver. So Cessna aeronautical engineers went back to the computer and came up with a totally new and custom airfoil that did the job.
The original SkyCatcher had a Rotax engine, but Cessna flight school operators shot that idea down. The Rotax has been in service for years, but successful flight schools demand the utmost in predictability of cost of maintenance in a trainer. Everybody was comfortable with the four-cylinder Continental engine, which is among the most produced aircraft powerplants in history, so the O-200D replaced the Rotax.
A key factor is the sweep of the wing struts that places them aft of the cabin doors, instead of ahead of the door frame as in other Cessna singles. The aft strut location frees up the fuselage space to use big top-hinged gull wing doors instead of the standard forward hinged doors. With the gull wing door raised, it's easy to slide into the seat without interference from the strut or the main landing gear leg.
Cessna made the 162 cabin 44.25 inches wide compared with 39.75 for the 150/152. That 4.5 inches of added width might not sound like much, but believe me, it makes all the difference in the world. My first airplane was a Cessna 140 with a cabin width essentially the same as the 150/152. Forty years ago that was tight, but OK. And it may still be OK for 20-year-olds, but I'm not going to get in a cabin of that size with any of my peers and get the doors closed. In the 162 Cessna, test pilot Dale Bleakney and I had plenty of room to move elbows, knees and shoulders without the slightest restriction.
To further improve the ergonomics of the 162 cabin, Cessna has fixed the seats in position and added fore and aft adjustment of the rudder pedals. Adjustable pedals are the norm in larger airplanes but the first I know of in a light two-seater. The fixed seats are lighter, and they are larger than possible if they had to move fore and aft. Shorter pilots might need to sit on a cushion to get the view they want over the panel, but the pedal adjustment range seemed sufficient to suit all heights of pilots. I'm 6 feet 2 inches and was very pleased with the seat position because it is low enough that I can look out the side without ducking my head down. In most other Cessna singles my head is up between the wing roots and I need to lower it to see directly to the side.
The SkyCatcher instrument panel is as modern as any new airplane with flat-glass display standard. There are no conventional gauges or instruments, and all flight and engine information is presented on the Garmin G300 display. A single display is standard with flight, navigation and engine instruments combined. I think most 162 owners will opt for the second display, which places primary flight instruments in front of the pilot and engine, navigation and other system information on an identical display in the center of the cockpit. If either display were to fail, the remaining one combines all essential data much like the single display format.
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Sukesha Mishra
Marketing Trannie at AeroSoft
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