Me too, and I've just returned from a trip to Danville, KY to look at one. If you are contemplating doing the same, PM me and I'll share my findings, possibly saving you a trip or helping you to better understand the plane.
John Johnson

I wish I would have been able to buy your previous Cardinal! It was a real beauty. Glad to see you getting back in the air. Good luck with your search.

I ended up with a C182, and it has been a good bird for me. I never found a Cardinal that was comparable to yours.

John, anyone interested in a Cessna Cardinal would be well advised to check out the Cardinal Flyers Online. This is a very active type club with tons of information for a buyer as well as the owner.
http://www.cardinalflyers.com/home/_home.php

CFO principal, Keith Peterson offers pre-buy inspections and he's posted the inspection list online: http://www.cardinalflyers.com/prep/chec ... cklist.php

Cardinals are wonderful airplanes with no major surprises, but there is no replacing the knowledge shared by thousands of owners.

John,
I sent you a message regarding this post

I do miss my Cardinal and want to get back into ownership. I know this is a Beech forum and I really like the Bonanza and the Mice, but my wife has mobility problems and the Cardinal fits the bill.

Thanks Henry for the compliments on my old plane. I might end up with a 182 too. The Cardinals are getting outrageously expensive. Some people are selling junky airplanes for a premium simply because they are Cardinals, and I guess people are willing to buy them.

Thanks Joe. I've been a member for many years.

Danville, KY. That's the town that the freight train tracks run down the middle of main street.

Don't parallel park and leave your car door open, or set the baby buggy too far from your car while unloading it, because any moment a train could come along and take it out. One of the most unique railroad anomalies I have ever seen. Cool for a tourist, but I understand why there's modern-day objection.



The Cardinal RG is one of my personal favorites. Along with the V-tail Bonanza. Both are well engineered and beautiful too. Through technical support and sharing, the CFO group had added significant value to the Cardinal model. Flipping what was once considered a bastard of sorts into a highly respected and sought after airplane. It was the last 100 series that Cessna designed, and they got it right.

Good luck with your search.

visual aid

I got my commercial certificate last year using a C177RG. I liked it, but I find the 182 more comfortable and easier to get in and out of, given my height. I can see that a strut and the additional height to get in could be an issue to someone with mobility issues, though. Once inside, I much prefer the 182. I also find that the RG part isn't all that important to me. The 182 with Pponk engine is just as fast as the Cardinal RG I flew, with the simplicity of a fixed landing gear.

Hopefully we'll see you back at CPS, John.

Henry, I would be interested to know what your normal cruising speed in the 182 is. I have read others saying they are as fast as a 177rg, but I have my doubts. They may be down low but as you get higher?

My 177rg trues out at about 150 knots at 7000 - 8000 in smooth air at about 70% power and burning about 41 litres per hour. Bumpy air closer to 145 knots. Below 5000 not quite as fast, 140 - 145 knots. One reason is the top of the green is quite slow, so in anything but smooth air it is not unusual to have to throttle back.

I do have the IO390, but I doubt it adds much to the speed, the extra power probably is more noticeable in takeoff and climb.

Not knocking the 182. I have never flown one but by all accounts a great plane. I am just curious as to real world speeds.

Cheers, Paul.

I owned two Cardinal RG's and loved them both. My first was a 1975 that I painted, upgraded with a new interior and added the Powerflow exhaust. Great airplane: you can see my ad from 2011 at http://www.brucehorn.com/Cardinal_RG.html. When I realized I needed to have more performance in the mountains (KMMH) I decided that I needed a turbo. I was walking around my home airport and happened to notice a Cardinal in an open hangar with the cowling louvers (TN mod). I walked in, introduced myself to the owner Dave, who has since become a good friend, and mentioned that I was thinking about adding the turbo to my Cardinal, and what did he think? He said, "why don't you just buy my airplane?" which is what I did! Another great plane, even better with TN--smoother and quieter and of course great performance on 200HP at altitude. I miss them both but they are with great new owners in TX.

Then my life situation changed and suddenly I had a new spouse and her two teenage girls. I was chatting with Dave and mentioned this and he said, "well, time for you to upgrade to the Bonanza A36." Which is what I did :-) Sure is great having friends who know what you need!

Best,

Bruce

Anytime someone mentions a Cardinal I think of this one:

http://www.cujet.com/

What an incredible restoration.

I purchased an almost new cardinal RG in 1979. Lots of room, with large doors making entry and exit to rear seats easy. Four adults, full fuel and baggage from Florida to San Francisco numerous times. I remember about 135 knots in cruise. Excellent visibility and a great flying machine.