Cessna C182 Wren

gprellwitz

gprellwitz

Touchdown! Greaser!
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Grant Prellwitz
Does anyone have any comments, pro or con, about the Peterson Cessna 182 Wren conversion, in particular the earlier 460P http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peterson_260SE? Came across a specimen recently, and it looks interesting. Specifically, would it be a reasonable plane for a first-time owner? Are there any special "gotchas" beyond those normal with an "older" plane? Are parts or maintenance inordinately expensive? Can the normal mechanic conversant in a C182 take good care of it? And, if you know them, what are the real-world performance numbers like?
 
If you want a Wren, get a Wren. The Peterson conversion leaves out the most important modifications to the wing.
 
kgruber said:
If you want a Wren, get a Wren. The Peterson conversion leaves out the most important modifications to the wing.
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Okay, I'm confused. I thought that the Peterson is a Wren. What does it leave out? I'm asking from a standpoint of almost total ignorance here.:dunno:

Ah, okay. Found this, which I think explains your comment: http://www.bush-planes.com/Petersen-Wren.html

And Wikipedia says "Todd Peterson acquired the Supplemental Type Certificate for the Wren and produced a number of them in the early 1980s under the designation 460P. He evolved the Wren design into the Peterson 260SE."

The one we saw was (I think) the 460P, and included the "teeth" and the full-span double-slotted flaps.
 
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Man, if those performance figures are correct, that's one heckuva plane!
 
there was one parked next to me for a couple of years, they used it to check cattle, waters, fences etc and would land in the pasture (not too many planes can do that in these pastures - flat areas are short and the rest is rough). Hazy recollection but it seems like it would fly at about 35kts and in 300'
 
Well, the one we saw has the "teeth" (mega-VGs), so I guess you'd term it a "real" Wren. From what that Wikipedia article said, it appears as if Peterson made a few "real" Wren's before doing some modifications and naming it the 260SE. When I tried to do a pricing eval on vRef (AOPA), the only options were for 260SE STOL. However, there were two listed, with no differentiation, except about $40K.
 
The 260SE is a heckuva plane. I've only seen that one in action, not the Wren. the Peterson's are always $$$ because they are such awesome performers. High resale value, especially out west. Don't know about the long-term effects of the canard on the front of the airplane, and of course at the end of the day you still have an old 182 airframe gussied up and paid for at new airplane price levels. Still!!

Build a Zenith Ch801 Stol instead....
 
flyersfan31 said:
The 260SE is a heckuva plane. I've only seen that one in action, not the Wren. the Peterson's are always $$$ because they are such awesome performers. High resale value, especially out west. Don't know about the long-term effects of the canard on the front of the airplane, and of course at the end of the day you still have an old 182 airframe gussied up and paid for at new airplane price levels. Still!!

Build a Zenith Ch801 Stol instead....
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I wouldn't trust ANYTHING I built! :no: It's good to know one's limits! :yes:
 
Skywagons said:
The numbers are stall 28 MPH and cruise 130 kts and it is an amazing plane for slow speed flight. Don't hold the yoke back while taxi-ing, It will take off. Seriously.
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That would save on taxi time, tire and brake wear, and fouled sparkplugs. Sounds like an idea.

Wish I could afford such a bird. Too bad it's not a taildragger:wink2:

Dan
 
That's absolutely awesome...wouldn't taking the wheelpants off slow it down a little bit more? I'd imagine they'd get busted up pretty quickly taking it into cow pastures and other unprepared runways. Or they could be on just for the pictures?
 
Arbiter419 said:
That's absolutely awesome...wouldn't taking the wheelpants off slow it down a little bit more? I'd imagine they'd get busted up pretty quickly taking it into cow pastures and other unprepared runways. Or they could be on just for the pictures?
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:confused: Wheel pants have nothing to do with the bottom end of flying speed (or really the top end for that matter).
 
Dan Thomas said:
That would save on taxi time, tire and brake wear, and fouled sparkplugs. Sounds like an idea.

Wish I could afford such a bird. Too bad it's not a taildragger:wink2:

Dan
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You wink but I gotta think it would be more popular if it were. I don't think the conversion moved the front wheel mount off the firewall to the engine mount :(
 
You would not want to get into any icing with that wing... Best if that bird stays down South...

denny-o
 
Henning said:
:confused: Wheel pants have nothing to do with the bottom end of flying speed (or really the top end for that matter).
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I was under the impression that wheel pants gave you maybe 3 knots in cruise, I actually have no idea what they do for you at the lower end of the spectrum, I just assumed it kind of worked in reverse.

But, we all know what happens when you assume something.
 
Arbiter419 said:
I was under the impression that wheel pants gave you maybe 3 knots in cruise, I actually have no idea what they do for you at the lower end of the spectrum, I just assumed it kind of worked in reverse.

But, we all know what happens when you assume something.
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5 kts on a 172. BTDT.

Dan
 
Arbiter419 said:
I was under the impression that wheel pants gave you maybe 3 knots in cruise, I actually have no idea what they do for you at the lower end of the spectrum, I just assumed it kind of worked in reverse.

But, we all know what happens when you assume something.
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Bottom end is limited by AOA, top end is limited by Vne. For a given HP setting that has you below Vne, they will allow you to cruise at a slightly higher speed. They will have no effect on your stall.
 
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