FLYING THE CESSNA 210 CENTURION IN THE PAVILION AT MARION, ILLINOIS
A critique by Sky Squires President and world famous test pilot Darrell W. Honey
The little Cessna 210 Centurion lifted off the concrete at exactly 12:35 on 9/18/07 into a dark sky pierced by shafts of light. There was a low ceiling with 9 floodlights creating a rather pleasant combination of both darkness and light. The little craft climbed rapidly and would have contacted the ceiling but for the pilot’s skills, long hours and experience in the cockpit of various types of aircraft. Letting off on the throttle the 210 leveled off and settled down into a nice, brisk cruising speed. On the East horizon (wall) a strong wind (air conditioning vent) suddenly caused the normally horizontal wings to go completely vertical. Although violently buffeted about by turbulence the little Cessna was quickly brought under control and resumed normal flight. The pilot thought this a fun experience and so turned around into the gale again and again with complete confidence in his craft. After about 3 minutes a flawless landing was made with all 3 wheels touching at the same instant. The next flight involved several touch and go’s that were executed with precision, being always mindful that this model does not steer on the runway. This plane is a hoot to fly with nice elevator control but could use a bit more rudder. Flying 3 to 5 feet off the airfield is fun with this model because the elevator is a much more precision control than using the throttle to gain and lose altitude as in other small models. Reportedly the little 70mAh power pack will cruise this 0.6 ounce (17.3 gram) foam plane for 15 minutes without charge which is more than enough. The next time this little 210 Cessna will undoubtedly be subjected to more rigorous flight tests with loops being the primary objective. Also, outdoor flight is not out of the question with this model.
