Quantcast

Cessna's legacy: Understanding the evolution of the Pressurized Centurion

Airline CEO wants airports to cap passengers at 2 alcoholic drinks to limit on-board disruptions
Emirates Will Buy 5 Airbus A380s From Lessor For $200 Million
Delta Air Lines named official airline of the WNBA
Pair Of C-Suite Officials Depart Wheels Up
LAX Receives Final Cars for People Mover Train
Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines merger clears Justice Department hurdle, now faces DOT
Alaska Airlines flight attendants reject new contract, union says there's 'more work to do'
Elliott Investment To Push For 10 New Boardroom Directors At Southwest Airlines
Alaska Air Backs JetZero Blended-Wing Design
AI in Aviation Line Maintenance: A Strategic Response to Delays, Satisfaction, and Staffing Challenges
Air taxi service plans for 2026 Los Angeles launch at USC, SoFi and LAX
VistaJet Flight Brings Home Americans in Prisoner Swap
Air Canada Blames Paris Olympics On Decreased Profits
Delta passengers sue airline over refund refusals after CrowdStrike meltdown
Microsoft fires back at Delta after massive outage, says airline declined ‘repeated’ offers for help
Korean Air Confirms A Spacious Lounge Is Coming To The New Terminal One at New York JFK
VAS Aero Services to Acquire an Additional 17 Airbus A320 Airframes, Bringing to 23 the Total Number of A320s Slated for Teardown and Harvested Parts Redistribution
Delta CEO says CrowdStrike-Microsoft outage cost the airline $500 million
Boeing Reports $16.9 Billion In Revenue For 2nd Quarter With 5,400 Commercial Aircraft Backlog
United Airlines says flight attendant in Terrell Davis incident is no longer employed and NFL legend’s ‘no fly’ ban is lifted | CNN
Nepal Plane Crash Kills 18 After Takeoff - Airline Ratings
Southwest Airlines is getting rid of open seating | CNN Business
CrowdStrike Outage Caused 10% Spike in Air Charter
Aircraft Engine Maintenance and Repair to Peak in 2026, Worsening Capacity Shortage for Commercial Aviation, Says Bain & Company
Joby’s Electric Air Taxi Makes European Debut
The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation announces NLRB-scheduled vote to remove union officials
Families recount the horror of MH17 ten years on - Airline Ratings
777-9 Enters Certification Flight Testing - AVweb
Kompass Kapital Sets New Course with Airshare Investment
SATS, SIA Engineering Company and Changi Airport Group to Trial Autonomous Buses at Changi Airport
Cessna's legacy: Understanding the evolution of the Pressurized Centurion
Policy
Webp iy1i7qwocvuspdub382rez39haa6
Sumit Singh Editorial Lead | Simple Flying

The Cessna P210, a pressurized version of the Cessna 210, was produced from 1978 to 1986, offering improved comfort and performance at higher altitudes. The P210 was designed to meet the demand for high-performance, single-engine aircraft capable of flying at higher altitudes with cabin pressurization. The Cessna P210 provided a combination of comfort, performance, and reliability, making it a popular choice among pilots who needed to fly at higher altitudes and in various weather conditions.

The Cessna P210, also known as the Pressurized Centurion, was produced from 1978 to 1986. This model was a pressurized version of the popular Cessna 210, designed to offer improved comfort and performance at higher altitudes. The standard non-pressurized Cessna 210—an upgrade from the Cessna 182—had a substantial production run from 1957 to 1986. The P210 was introduced for the 1978 model year and continued production until Cessna retired the model 210 type in 1986. During this period, 873 P210 aircraft were produced, with the P210R variant being the rarest and most advanced but only produced during 1985 and 1986.

Cessna designed and built the P210 to meet the demand for high-performance, single-engine aircraft capable of flying at higher altitudes with cabin pressurization. Consequently, P210 pilots and their passengers would typically fly at FL230 instead of the 8-12,000-foot altitude common to unpressurized models.

Get the Newsletter
Sign-up to receive weekly round up of news from Sky Industry News
By submitting, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. By providing your phone number you are opting in and consenting to receive recurring SMS/MMS messages, including automated texts, to that number from our short code. Msg & data rates may apply. Reply HELP for help, STOP to end. SMS opt-in will not be sold, rented, or shared.

General aviation buyers were impressed with the airplane and were buying it in large numbers; so why a pressurized variant? The short answer is market share. By 1978, Cessna was manufacturing every type of general aviation aircraft. If there were a market niche for a fast, high-performance, pressurized single-engine airplane, Cessna would feel compelled to fill it.

The P210 enabled high-altitude flight for more comfortable and less fatiguing flights. This feature reduces the need for supplemental oxygen and allows flight above weather and turbulence. It utilized a well-proven engine/turbocharger system making it reliable for pilots needing to maintain schedules and fly in IFR weather conditions.

There was growing interest in pressurized single-engine aircraft during the late 1970s and early 1980s. The introduction in 1984 of the Piper Malibu pushed Cessna to enhance the P210's capabilities to remain competitive. This led to progressively more powerful engines, improved aerodynamics, and increased fuel capacity.

Overall, the Cessna P210 offered a combination of comfort, performance, and reliability. In all, 9,240 Cessna 210 aircraft were built during its production run. Richard Collins said: “The 210 was simply an airframe that was adaptable to a lot of different things.”

Original prices ranged from around $30,000 for early models to over $200,000 for later variants. Current used prices vary widely based on condition and model.

Owners have mixed feelings about their aircraft due to cockpit control complexity and maintenance issues involving various systems. However, they appreciate its speed capability above bad weather with superb visibility due to its high cantilever wing design.

Modern single-engine aircraft easily eclipse its performance capabilities but come at significantly higher prices.

The Cessna P210 remains as a vestige of boom times in general aviation when manufacturers produced an airplane for every budget and purpose.

___

Organizations Included in this History
More News

American Express has introduced a new benefit for its Business Gold Card holders, offering up to $150 in annual statement credits for U.S. purchases made with Squarespace.

Oct 25, 2025

Kawal Preet, Executive Vice President of Planning, Engineering, and Transformation at FedEx and former President of the Asia Pacific region, has been named to Fortune magazine’s “2025 Most Powerful Women in Business: Asia” list.

Oct 25, 2025

On October 22, Air France announced it will begin regular flights between Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) and Las Vegas starting April 15.

Oct 25, 2025

Airbus has established itself as a leading commercial aircraft manufacturer, surpassing Boeing in the late 2010s to become the world's largest producer of airliners.

Oct 25, 2025

FedEx Express and UPS Airlines are two of the largest cargo carriers in the world, with both companies operating extensive fleets and moving significant volumes of freight globally.

Oct 25, 2025

The Dubai Airshow, the largest event of its kind in the region, is set to return in 2025 with more than 200 aircraft expected to be on display.

Oct 25, 2025