The 210 and P-210 are amazing, capable, aircraft. I loved the time flying shotgun in the 210 but really treasured the P-210 time flying with a friend to Michigan from WV. It was roomy, quiet, fast, and we could get up high if we needed to but never did.

As noted, get someone knowledgeable to go through the gear with a fine tooth comb.

There is a brake line swivel joint (1280111-1, I believe) that is made out of unobtanium. Supposedly, the vendor is only manufacturing 6 new ones per year. Fortunately, there are plenty of spares since these survive an unfortunate gear up. There are a few repair stations that do good work replacing about $5 worth of O rings and charge around $500 for their experience, time, and parts. Honestly, it looks like the parts easily be made with an additive laser printer for about $50, plus the $5 Orings. The price, when I was looking at a 182RG to lease back was about $2100 for a new part and $600 for an overhaul with core. The plane needed it and the hydraulic lines replaced, which was going to be about $4,000 in parts and labor.

I'm kind of wondering, why a 210, Saratoga or A36? Do you need the seats?

It's really a question of what you want to do with it and how willing you are to re-hab one to the condition you'll be happy with.

For that matter, what about a turbocharged twin? I owned a Seneca II for about 10 years, FIKI and turbo engines, huge load hauling and reasonable speed/fuel consumption.

When I didn't need to load hauling, I went to the Columbia 400, which is perfect for two and bags, fast, high and economical.

36 was build to be a cadillac sedan. 210 is a ford pickup. Different missions, but a perfectly reasonable plane to own. 210's evolved quite a bit over the years - there are some gains to be had going later than '69. Don't go too much earlier - their is an onerous gear saddle AD on some of those.

The advice to get the CPA 210 buyers guide is spot on.

Well, maybe a Cadillac hearse..... not sure if OWT or just someones opinion...but
I have heard or read somewhere the story that the double doors were sized large enough that a coffin could be fit through them and on to the floor for transportation. Evidently the transport of human remains was a fairly large part of small SE revenue operations in the 60s and early 70s, maybe in part to the war efforts in SE Asia and the need to return the sailors, airmen and soldiers home.

Only the 1960 and 1961 models have a really bad AD. The saddles must be replaced every 1000 hours on them. Don't ask me how much they cost. It will take your breath away. Every time I check the price they have gone up. I believe that later models can have an updated saddle put in for a one time repair.

When you close up the airplane and walk away, just don't look back. The damned things are so ugly you really won't want to look at it, then come back and fly it again. Aside from that... actually I've never been in one.

Guessing You Really Love V-Tails Bill?
Me Too

Thanks for all your comments. To answer one of the questions, I don't really need six seats, but I do need to carry four people with stuff or sometimes just bulky stuff. I really liked the barn doors on my 36 (may she rest in peace), but A36's tend to be more expensive than equivalent year 210's or Saratoga's. Truthfully, a Turbo Arrow would handle 90% of my flights and be much cheaper than any of the six seaters. The other thing is that I don't really like the club seating (most people don't like sitting facing backwards), and 210's don't have that.

Now that summer is over there are more airplanes coming up for sale. I'm keeping my ear open for a number of options.

Warren

I owned a ‘68 T210 for 14 years. Gear door deletion kit and despite all the warnings, essentially no difficulty with the gear mechanism. Great plane but kids got too big for the rear two “mini seats”. Continental 520 went to several hundred hours past TBO (with annual compression checks and oil analysis). Replaced 3 cylinders during that time. Also had to do the turbo once when a rivet came off the air box and was ingested. Speed was 147kts LOP low power (12gph). 155 LOP high power, and ROP (17.5gph) yielded 168kts at low altitude and 175kts above FL200. Service ceiling was FL300 but I never tried going that high. My wife called the plane “old reliable”. It was an outstanding plane for our growing family.

Couple points of information

1) the rear seats got bigger at some point (though never big) See CPA guide for when that changed

2) the gear retraction mechanism is complex. The gear door deletion kit doesn't really help because the door hardware remains and still has to work.

I find my T210 to be a versatile and highly capable traveling machine. The leaf spring gear is robust and the retraction system is easily manageable if your mechanic understands it — strive to find one who does, or send your favorite mechanic to the CPA “Cessna 210 systems and procedures” class.

210s have a wide CG range, and thus can make good use of their entire useful load. The trade-off for all that CG latitude is that pitch control forces can be heavy, esp compared to a Bonanza, and esp when you’re at far forward CG (eg, two front seats filled, four back seats empty)

A T210 is a competent airplane, well behaved in all flight regimes. Flies well fast, flies well slowly. Good short-field manners, very good altitude performance into the high teens and low flight levels. A little spendy for Saturday morning coffee runs. Stay on top of the maintenance. Don’t fear the gear system, it ain’t magic. People will tell you how awful they are — ask how many hours in type they have?

Paraphrasing another thread, it was said that with older airplanes, “it doesn’t matter who was prettiest in high school; what’s important now is who still goes to the gym.” I completely agree, so I caution that general truths about the type will only take you so far, it really comes down to the individual airplane you’re considering, its condition, its service history, its storage history.

Happy to answer more questions here, or by pm

Mark

The 210L was the first airplane with the bigger rear seats. This was due to a change in the gear architecture (and I think to tubular gear legs) that moved the retracted main gear further aft in the fuselage. The fuselage stayed the same from the 210L on through the 210R. The 210N was the first without gear doors from the factory. I think it was the first with 4000 lb ul (for the turbo model, na was 3800). Gear operating speed on the N is top of the green arc, and gear extended speed is redline. I think the speeds are lower on previous models due to the gear doors.

I have a friend with 210N with a IO-550. It is faster below 12,500 and much more efficient than the T210N I owned. Great airplane.

When I was a kid, Dad had a 1969 210 (non-turbo). His rule was that if it would fit, it would fly. We did trips with both parents, a maid, a dog, two little kids, hunting gear, tennis gear, and other crap loaded to the ceiling. I sat in the rear jump seat. We moved up to a 1978 T310R when I could no longer fit in back.

Has anyone looked at insurance rates for a new 210 owner with relatively low time lately?
I’ve heard that anything less than 1000 hours is exorbitant.
Any first hand knowledge?

I was quoted roughly double for a 210 over a Bo. Maybe not prohibitive ($4-5k vs $2-3) but a big difference, on top of what at the time was a higher priced plane (apples to apples, 210’s always came in higher than the Bo). At the time had little complex/HP time and wasn’t IR yet.

why would you want a 210 when God made the Bonanza?