It looks like Cessna did measure the speed w/ and w/out wheel pants

[MountainDude]

Based on this POH and the fact that the two models aerodynamically only differ in wheel pants, it looks like the wheel pants add 3 mph. See the top and cruise speeds. The caveat is that this is an older model, and the wheel pants back then may not be as beneficial as on the newer models.

 

[cgrab]

And they weigh 80 pounds

 

[Let'sgoflying!]

Cant see the image.
It looks like Cessna did measure the speed w/ and w/out wheel pants
Slow and slower?

edit: and I said this even when I owned one, its just a joke

 

[kyleb]

And they weigh 80 pounds

Probably not. I suspect there were several other trim enhancements to differentiate the 182 from the Skylane.

 

[hindsight2020]

Slow and slower?

POA is on a roll tonite!

 

[LongRoadBob]

And they weigh 80 pounds

Weird that gross weight is listed the same. Also seems to get ten miles more distance with them on.
I didn’t know they weighed that much, I believe you, but they weight SOMETHING, so unless they removed something else I don’t get the gross being the same.

 

[ateamer]

Back then a 182 was a pretty bare aircraft - literally. Stripes over bare aluminum, no avionics, bare feet. The Skylane was the deluxe version that added full paint, gyros, radios (tube-type, which were heavy) and wheel pants.

 

[Salty]

Weird that gross weight is listed the same. Also seems to get ten miles more distance with them on.
I didn’t know they weighed that much, I believe you, but they weight SOMETHING, so unless they removed something else I don’t get the gross being the same.

Gross weight is the max allowed weight. Not surprising it would stay the same; unless there were structural changes it would.

 

[LongRoadBob]

Gross weight is the max allowed weight. Not surprising it would stay the same; unless there were structural changes it would.

I shoulda thunk some more. Reading max gross and thinking it was empty weight. Sorry, thanks for the reply.

 

[Kenny Phillips]

I believe that the three wheel pants from our Skyhawk (F model) weighed about 32 lbs. including dirt and brackets.

 

[NordicDave]

Pretty well established full set of wheel pants are 3-7 kts speed difference depending on the model year. The greatest increase came with the 182T with ~5 kts increase over the previous S model due to actual wind tunnel testing on the new pants design and gear fairing design, and redesigned VOR antennas.