Origin of “Skylane”

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Kynadog

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Kynadog
Anyone know the backstory of the name “Skylane?” I get names with some connection to flying like “Skyhawk.” But Skylane? I don’t get it.
 
I realize it’s marketing, but I don’t understand what is it trying to evoke?

Marketing makes you want to buy something because it reminds you of something, brings forth a special feeling, etc.

Skylane just sounds like Ford Fairlane to me. Maybe that was such a huge seller in the 60’s they wanted to tag onto that ...
 
Kynadog said:
I realize it’s marketing, but I don’t understand what is it trying to evoke?

Marketing makes you want to buy something because it reminds you of something, brings forth a special feeling, etc.

Skylane just sounds like Ford Fairlane to me. Maybe that was such a huge seller in the 60’s they wanted to tag onto that ...
Click to expand...

So what does "Fairlane" remind you of, or what special feeling does it bring forth? :p

"Skylane" may not be the most ethereal of airplane names, but it sounds better than skyline. ;)
 
Kynadog said:
Skylane just sounds like Ford Fairlane to me. Maybe that was such a huge seller in the 60’s they wanted to tag onto that ...
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You may be on to something there. "Fairlane" was the popular upscale Ford when the "Skylane" option package was introduced in 1958, the first of the "Sky ..." names used on Cessna airplanes. "Fairlane" did have a cachet in the '50s; but a few years later it was just a dowdy mid-sized car.

You could buy a base (non-Skylane) 182 through the 1975 model year, but ordering it with the Skylane package got you all-over paint, wheel fairings, a factory radio package and other goodies. Likewise with the 1961-75 base 172 and Skyhawk, and 1968-75 177 and Cardinal. After that all 182s were Skylanes, and the option package became "Skylane II".
 
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Pilawt said:
You may be on to something there. "Fairlane" was the popular upscale Ford when the "Skylane" option package was introduced in 1958, the first of the "Sky ..." names used on Cessna airplanes.

You could buy a base (non-Skylane) 182 through the 1975 model year, but ordering it with the Skylane package got you all-over paint, wheel fairings, a factory radio package and other goodies. Likewise with the 1961-75 base 172 and Skyhawk, and 1968-75 177 and Cardinal. After that all 182s were Skylanes, and the option package became "Skylane II".
Click to expand...

Makes sense. The Fairlane was Ford’s premiere offering in the mid-to-late 50’s into the 60’s. Possibly trying to catch a little of that essence.


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AA5Bman said:
Today I learned not all 182s are Skylanes.
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That's true of all of the Cessna planes. Not all of them were originally "skylane/skywagon/skyhawk/stationair/businessliner".

They're all marketing names for trim levels that got adopted to the whole lineup much later on. Several 205/206/207's are actually Skywagons, not Stationair's, but the name stuck to 180/185s and now people with 1953 180's that were actually "businessliners" go by Skywagon... I have a true Skywagon so they can bite me :).

For a time 170's/180's/195's were "businessliners" or had a trim level with that name.
 
Lots of "Sky" names. Skylane doesn't seem to fit in with the rest.

172 Skyhawk
182 Skylane
175 Skylark
180 & 185 Skywagon
205 Super Skywagon
162 Skycatcher (Skycruncher)
320 Skyknight
336 & 337 Skymaster
408 Skycourier
 
I always figured "lane" was analogous to traveling over a distance in an automobile... in a "lane" on the highway. So therefore Skylane was a bit more of an actual traveling machine, vs. the 172 which was built for local area flying/training.
 
Lowflynjack said:
Lots of "Sky" names. Skylane doesn't seem to fit in with the rest.

172 Skyhawk
182 Skylane
175 Skylark
180 & 185 Skywagon
205 Super Skywagon
162 Skycatcher (Skycruncher)
320 Skyknight
336 & 337 Skymaster
408 Skycourier
Click to expand...

And then there's the 150 "Commuter", they slipped up there...
 
If the trim package and instrumentation made it a Skylane, when you go all glass, or even just a 430W etc... Is it STILL a Skylane? Logically it no longer has that trim package.
 
Lowflynjack said:
Lots of "Sky" names. Skylane doesn't seem to fit in with the rest.

172 Skyhawk
182 Skylane
175 Skylark
180 & 185 Skywagon
205 Super Skywagon
162 Skycatcher (Skycruncher)
320 Skyknight
336 & 337 Skymaster
408 Skycourier
Click to expand...

Not sure "177 Cardinal" quite fits the trend either... where did that come from?
 
When did the term "fast lane" enter the American zeitgeist? Is there any contemporary advertising from Cessna that asks things like, "Why take the fast lane, when you can take the Skylane?"
 
Better than calling it the “money pit“ (as all airplanes are).
 
I just wish I could find a Cessna on which the "Land-O-Matic" feature is operational. It seems to have been disabled on all the planes I've flown!

Land-O-Matic.jpg
 
Lane as in road or "way to go".

Any Cessna model ending in 7 is going to be an outlier. The lack of a Sky- name probably ensued as it was not brought out by the regular Cessna marketing but was supposed to be a high tech replacement for the Skyhawk. It was going to be the 172J but cooler heads prevailed and they keep the traditional Skyhawk line going (this is why there is no 172J). They let the Cardinal limp along in parallel.
 
A corollary question, does anyone know where the 1-X-2 model number convention came from? Does it mean anything (152,162,172,182)?
 
AA5Bman said:
A corollary question, does anyone know where the 1-X-2 model number convention came from? Does it mean anything (152,162,172,182)?
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I suspect it came when making nosewheel versions of the 170 and 180.
 
flyingron said:
I suspect it came when making nosewheel versions of the 170 and 180.
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Three things is the smallest number that can both establish and break a pattern.

170 -> 172, tailwheel to nosewheel
180 -> 182, tailwheel to nosewheel
150 -> 152, Continental to Lycoming
 
120/140:
No name 1946-51

150:
No name 1959-75 (available trim and option levels included “Standard”, “Trainer”, “Commuter” and “Patroller”)
“150 Commuter” 1976-77

152:
No name 1978-86.

A150/A152:
“Aerobat” 1970-85

162:
“Skycatcher” 2009-2014

170:
No name 1947-55

172:
No name 1955-60
Base “172” and deluxe “Skyhawk” concurrently 1961-75
“Skyhawk” 1976-86.
(“Skyhawk/100” used in ads but not displayed on aircraft 1977-78)

172Q:
“Cutlass” 1983-85

172R:
“Skyhawk” 1996-2010

172S:
“Skyhawk SP” 1999-

172RG:
“Cutlass RG” 1980-1985

P172D:
“172 Powermatic” and deluxe “Skyhawk Powermatic” concurrently 1963

R172K:
“Hawk XP” 1977-81

FR172 (built in France):
“Reims Rocket” 1968-76
“Hawk XP” 1977-81

175:
No name 1958-59
“Skylark” 1960-62

177:
Base “177” and deluxe “Cardinal” concurrently 1968-75
“Cardinal” 1976-78

177RG:
“Cardinal RG” 1971-78

180:
No name 1954-67
“Skywagon 180” 1968-81

182:
No name 1956-57
Base “182” and deluxe “Skylane” concurrently 1958-75
“Skylane” 1976-86.

R182:
“Skylane RG” 1978-86

185:
“Skywagon” 1961-67
“Skywagon 185” 1968-85

190/195
No name 1947-54. “Businessliner” used in 1953-54 ads but not displayed on aircraft.

205 (aka 210-5):
No name 1963-64

206:
“Super Skywagon” 1964

P206:
“Super Skylane” 1965-70

U206:
“Super Skywagon” 1965-70
“Stationair” 1971-77
“Stationair 6” 1978-86

206H:
“Stationair” 1999-

207:
“Skywagon 207” 1969-77
“Stationair 7” 1978-80
“Stationair 8” 1981-85

210:
No name 1960-63
“Centurion” 1964-85

P210:
“Pressurized Centurion” 1978-85

T303:
"Crusader" 1981-85 (Model 303 prototype was called “Clipper”)

310:
No name 1954-81

320:
“Skyknight” 1961-66
“Executive Skyknight” 1967-68

335:
No name 1980-81

336:
“Skymaster” 1964

337:
“Super Skymaster” 1965-70
“Skymaster” 1971-81

P337:
“Pressurized Skymaster” 1977-81

340:
No name 1972-85

CH-1C (helicopter):
“Skyhook” 1958-62

Note: 1976-86, the suffix “II” indicated the upscale equipment and avionics package on most models — including “152II”

There will be a quiz. :p
 
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Mtns2Skies said:
190 -> 195 upengined
180 -> 185 Upengined
170 -> 175...uhh what?
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Looking for consistency in Cessna's model number protocol will drive you nuts.

A retractable 172 is a Model 172RG. A retractable Cardinal is a Model 177RG. So of course a retractable 182 is a ... nope, it's a Model R182. But a Model R172 is a fixed-gear 172 with a bigger engine. And don't confuse the Model R182 with the Model 182R (or an R172 with a 172R). Or the Model 182T, or a turbocharged Model T182. You could also have a fixed gear Model T182R, but the turbo'ed retractable is the Model TR182. Still with me?

A Model P172 was a 172 with more horsepower, but a Model P206 had the same engine as the other 206's but with nicer seats and no cargo door. And a Model P210 was a 210 with pressurization.

Put an 'A' in front of a Model 150 or 152 (A150/A152) and you've made it aerobatic. Put an 'A' in front of a 185 Skywagon or 188 Agwagon and you've made it with a bigger engine. Put an 'A' in front of a 182 and you've made it ... in Argentina!
 
Pilawt said:
Looking for consistency in Cessna's model number protocol will drive you nuts.

A retractable 172 is a Model 172RG. A retractable Cardinal is a Model 177RG. So of course a retractable 182 is a ... nope, it's a Model R182. But a Model R172 is a fixed-gear 172 with a
Click to expand...
A retractable 177 Cardinal is a Cardinal RG.
A retractable 182 Skylane is a Skylane RG.
So a retractable 172 Skyhawk is of course a... Cutlass.
 
My favorite are the non turbo 182T.
 
AA5Bman said:
A corollary question, does anyone know where the 1-X-2 model number convention came from? Does it mean anything (152,162,172,182)?
Click to expand...
Logically the Skycatcher might have been "160", but there was an experimental Model 160 in the early 1960s - a bare-bones four-seater that made the 172 look luxurious.

cessna_160_exp.jpeg

flyingron said:
Any Cessna model ending in 7 is going to be an outlier.
Click to expand...
In the late 1960s Cessna flew a prototype Model 187, a planned 182 replacement. It looked a lot like a Cardinal, slightly larger. They flew it both with a Cardinal-style low tail and a T-tail. Finally they decided it would be more expensive to build and there was not enough improvement in performance, so it was canceled.

cessna_187_1501.JPG
 
Pilawt said:
Logically the Skycatcher might have been "160", but there was an experimental Model 160 in the early 1960s - a bare-bones four-seater that made the 172 look luxurious.

View attachment 91079


In the late 1960s Cessna flew a prototype Model 187, a planned 182 replacement. It looked a lot like a Cardinal, slightly larger. They flew it both with a Cardinal-style low tail and a T-tail. Finally they decided it would be more expensive to build and there was not enough improvement in performance, so it was canceled.

View attachment 91080
Click to expand...
Wow... yuck! Interesting touches on the first one though. Struts behind the door, maybe a castoring nosewheel...
 
Pilawt said:
Logically the Skycatcher might have been "160", but there was an experimental Model 160 in the early 1960s - a bare-bones four-seater that made the 172 look luxurious.

View attachment 91079


In the late 1960s Cessna flew a prototype Model 187, a planned 182 replacement. It looked a lot like a Cardinal, slightly larger. They flew it both with a Cardinal-style low tail and a T-tail. Finally they decided it would be more expensive to build and there was not enough improvement in performance, so it was canceled.

View attachment 91080
Click to expand...
Look at those tufts! #peter

That actually looks pretty cool with the t tail
 
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