Cessna took the retractable-gear 210, fixed the legs down, widened the mission and cut a pair of clamshell cargo doors into the right side of the fuselage. The resulting Cessna 206 Stationair has spent six decades hauling freight, jumpers, survey gear and families out of gravel bars, floatplane docks and jungle strips, which is why Textron Aviation still builds it at Independence, Kansas as the Turbo Stationair HD.

Cessna 206 Stationair Specifications

Figures below are for the current turbocharged T206H unless noted. Legacy Continental-powered airframes differ in weights, power and ceiling.

Manufacturer	Textron Aviation (Cessna), Independence, Kansas
Type	Six-seat single-engine utility aircraft
First flight	1964 (Model 206); the parent Model 205 was introduced late in 1962
Certification	CAR 3 for the 205, 206, U206 and P206; FAA Part 23 type certificate A4CE for the 206H and T206H, 1998
Production status	Active. T206H Turbo Stationair HD in production; naturally aspirated 206H built from 1998 to 2013
Units built	6,581 Model 206s between 1964 and 2004; 8,509 across the 205, 206 and 207 family between 1962 and 2006
Engine	1x Lycoming TIO-540-AJ1A turbocharged flat-six, 310hp at 2,500 rpm (T206H). Naturally aspirated 206H used a 300hp Lycoming IO-540-AC1A5; legacy airframes used Continental IO-520 and TSIO-520 series of 285 to 300hp
Propeller	McCauley three-blade constant speed, 79in diameter, de-ice boots
Max range	559nm (1,035km) at 75 percent power and 20,000ft; 703nm (1,302km) at 45 percent power and 10,000ft, both on 87 US gallons usable with 45-minute reserve
Cruise speed	164 KTAS at 75 percent power and 20,000ft; 150 KTAS at 10,000ft; 178 KTAS maximum at 17,000ft
Max operating altitude	27,000ft; 26,000ft when operated at the 3,789 lb HD takeoff weight
Takeoff distance	910ft ground roll, 1,740ft over a 50ft obstacle, sea level ISA
Landing distance	735ft ground roll, 1,395ft over a 50ft obstacle, sea level ISA
Max takeoff weight (MTOW)	3,600 lb (1,633 kg) standard; 3,789 lb (1,719 kg) on the HD gross weight increase, with a 3,600 lb maximum landing weight
Useful load	Approximately 1,266 lb on a 2006 T206H; up to roughly 1,450 lb on the current HD
Fuel capacity	92 US gal total, 87 US gal usable, integral wet wings
Wing span / area	36ft (10.97m) / 174 sq ft (16.2 sq m)
Passenger capacity	6 including pilot; Transport Canada certifies the type for five occupants
Crew	1 pilot
Price (new)	Approximately $725,000 to $1.25 million as configured (2026); most well-equipped deliveries fall between $900,000 and $1.05 million
Operating cost	Approximately $675/hr for the 206H and higher for the turbocharged model, at 200 annual hours

History and Overview

Development and Background

Cessna introduced the Model 205 late in 1962 as a fixed-gear derivative of the 210 Centurion, designating it internally as the Model 210-5. It carried six people behind a 260hp Continental IO-470-S and kept the early 210 cowling bulge where the nose wheel had once retracted. Only 577 were built across two model years.

The 206 replaced it for 1964 with a 285hp Continental IO-520-A, a redesigned wing, larger flaps and a streamlined cowling. Cessna then split the line: the U206 Super Skywagon for utility work, with a single pilot door and large clamshell cargo doors on the right side, and the P206 Super Skylane for passenger use, with the 205 door arrangement and the bigger engine. Utility won decisively, with 647 P206s built against more than 7,000 U206 airframes before the passenger variant was dropped in 1970.

Cessna refined the type steadily through the 1970s and early 1980s, adding camber-lift wing leading edges in 1972, cleaner wheel fairings and cowl flaps in 1975, and wet wings in 1979. Production stopped in 1986 when Cessna shut down its entire single-engine line. The 206 returned in 1998 as the 206H and T206H, newly certified to FAR Part 23 and powered by Lycoming rather than Continental.

Design and Performance

The 206 is an all-metal, strut-braced high-wing aeroplane built for volume and mass rather than speed. Cabin height is 49.5in and the clamshell cargo doors open 43in wide at the top, which is enough for a 55-gallon drum, a stretcher or an outboard motor. Fixed gear costs perhaps 10 knots against a 210 and returns simplicity, ground clearance and the ability to accept floats, skis or oversize tires without touching a retraction system.

Turbocharging is the real dividing line in the fleet. A T206H holds 164 knots true at 20,000ft and climbs at 1,050 fpm at sea level, so the aircraft that gets out of a short strip at low level also crosses high terrain with oxygen aboard. The naturally aspirated 206H gives up roughly 20 knots and most of the ceiling, and is the better value on the used market for operators who never go above the mid teens.

Textron added the HD designation in 2024 after winning FAA approval for a 189 lb maximum takeoff weight increase, taking the type to 3,789 lb without airframe change. The gross weight increase came from flight testing and engineering analysis rather than new structure, which says something about the margins Cessna designed in. Current aircraft ship with Garmin G1000 NXi, a heated three-blade McCauley propeller and factory air conditioning as an option.

Variants

205 and 205A — 1963 to 1964, 260hp Continental IO-470-S, 577 built, the fixed-gear 210 that started the line
206 and U206 Super Skywagon — from 1964, 285hp Continental IO-520-A, clamshell cargo doors, renamed Stationair from 1970
P206 Super Skylane — 1965 to 1970, passenger door arrangement, 647 built, retained the 285hp IO-520-A
TU206 and TP206 — turbocharged variants from 1966, Continental TSIO-520-C of 285hp, later TSIO-520-F of 300hp
U206G Stationair 6 — 1977 to 1986, the most refined legacy airframe and the one most sought after for utility work
206H Stationair — 1998 to 2013, 300hp Lycoming IO-540-AC1A5, Part 23 certification
T206H Turbo Stationair and Turbo Stationair HD — from 1998, 310hp Lycoming TIO-540-AJ1A; HD from 2024 with 3,789 lb MTOW

Operators

The 206 has no single dominant operator and never has. Skydive centres run it hard on short high-cycle sorties, floatplane and lodge operators fly it on amphibious floats across Alaska, Canada and Scandinavia, and mission aviation organisations use it as the standard aircraft type across Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and central Africa. Aerial survey, photography and law enforcement fleets take it for the belly clearance and the ability to fly with a door removed.

Charter and air taxi work makes up much of the commercial fleet in remote regions where the alternative is a boat or nothing. Private owners buy it for the same reason as the operators, which is that it swallows what a Bonanza or a Cherokee Six cannot. Wipaire and similar float installers keep a steady stream of new and used airframes moving through amphibious conversions.

Current Status

The T206H Turbo Stationair HD remains in production and is currently the only piston Cessna above the Skylane in the range. The naturally aspirated 206H ended in 2013 and Textron has not indicated it will return. New aircraft are quoted rather than list priced, with 2026 configurations running from roughly $725,000 to $1.25 million.

The used market is deep and active because so many were built. Legacy Continental-powered U206 airframes trade broadly from around $165,000 upward depending on engine time, corrosion history and whether floats or a cargo pod are fitted. Parts, engine overhauls and tires are all readily available across the whole production span, which is not something every 1960s Cessna can claim.

Cessna 206 Stationair Landing Gear and Tires

Landing Gear Configuration

The 206 uses a fixed tricycle undercarriage with a single wheel at each of the three positions. Main gear legs are tubular spring steel cantilevered from the fuselage, which absorbs rough-field arrivals without oleos to service and is a large part of why the type tolerates gravel and grass so well. The nose gear is steerable and sprung, and brakes are hydraulic and toe-operated on both pilot positions.

Standard fitment from the factory is tube type throughout, with a 5.00-5 nose tyre and 6.00-6 mains. Cessna also offers an oversize tire and wheel fairing option that exchanges the mains for 8.00-6, and the aftermarket goes considerably further, with 8.50-6, 26in and 29×11.0-10 tundra fitments installed under STC for backcountry operations. Float, amphibious float and ski installations replace the wheel gear entirely.

Cessna 206 Stationair Tire Specifications

Nose wheel tire size	5.00-5, 6 ply rating, tube type
Main gear tire size	6.00-6, 6 ply rating, tube type
Oversize main option	8.00-6, 6 ply rating, supplied with the factory oversize tire and wheel fairing kit
Ply rating	6PR nose / 6PR main
Speed rating	120 mph and 160 mph options are both available in these sizes; either satisfies the type
Compatible brands	Goodyear, Michelin, Condor
Tube requirement	Tube type standard; a tubeless tire of equal or higher speed and ply rating may be fitted with a tube where the airframe data permits

Verify tire size, ply rating and part number against the Aircraft Maintenance Manual and applicable airworthiness directives for the specific serial number and configuration before ordering. Oversize wheel and tire kits, float provisions and STC tundra installations change the approved fitment at one or both positions. Inflation pressures are published in the AMM and are not reproduced here.

Main Gear Tires

Main gear tires carry the bulk of a 3,600 to 3,789 lb aeroplane on two wheels, and on a 206 they usually wear out from surface abrasion rather than from load. Goodyear’s application chart lists both 6.00-6 and 8.00-6 at a 6 ply rating for the type, matching the standard and oversize fitments in Cessna’s own specification. Skydive and jump operators see the fastest wear because sortie length is short and the cycle count climbs quickly.

Gravel and unimproved strips chew tread far faster than pavement, and operators working off rough surfaces often move to the 8.00-6 for the extra section and lower footprint pressure. Goodyear, Michelin and Condor all produce both sizes at 6PR, and the choice usually comes down to lead time and whether the operator wants a 120 mph or 160 mph rated casing.

Nose Wheel Tire

The nose tire is a 5.00-5 at a 6 ply rating, smaller and lighter than the mains but working under a steerable, sprung leg that takes considerable abuse in the flare and on soft ground. Nose wheel shimmy is the common complaint on the type and is nearly always traced to a worn shimmy damper, loose torque links or an out-of-round or unbalanced tire rather than to the size itself. Fitting a balanced tire and checking the damper at the same visit resolves most cases.

Approved and Compatible Brands

The following fitments apply to the Cessna 206 Stationair in the correct size and ply rating:

Goodyear Flight Special II — 606C61-6 and 606C61B1 (6.00-6 6PR, 120 mph) — main gear
Goodyear Flight Custom III — 606C66-8 (6.00-6 6PR, 160 mph) — main gear
Michelin Air — 070-314-0 (6.00-6 6PR, 120 mph) — main gear
Michelin Aviator — 061-316-1 (6.00-6 6PR, 160 mph) — main gear
Michelin Pilot — 025-316-0 (6.00-6 6PR, 160 mph) — main gear
Condor — 072-314-0 (6.00-6 6PR, 120 mph) — main gear
Goodyear Flight Special II — 505C61-8 (5.00-5 6PR, 120 mph) — nose gear
Michelin Air — 070-312-0 (5.00-5 6PR, 120 mph) — nose gear
Michelin Pilot — 025-309-0 (5.00-5 6PR, 160 mph) — nose gear
Condor — 072-312-0 (5.00-5 6PR, 120 mph) — nose gear
Goodyear Flight Special II — 806C61-5 (8.00-6 6PR, 120 mph) — oversize main gear option
Michelin Aviator — 071-371-0 (8.00-6 6PR, 120 mph) — oversize main gear option
Condor — 072-371-0 (8.00-6 6PR, 120 mph) — oversize main gear option

FAQs

Is the Cessna 206 Stationair still in production?

Yes. Textron Aviation builds the T206H Turbo Stationair HD at Independence, Kansas. The naturally aspirated 206H was discontinued in 2013, and the original Continental-powered run ended in 1986 before the type returned in 1998.

What are the Cessna 206 Stationair specifications?

A 310hp turbocharged Lycoming TIO-540-AJ1A, six seats, 3,789 lb maximum takeoff weight on the HD and a 27,000ft ceiling. Cruise runs 164 knots true at 20,000ft and useful load reaches roughly 1,450 lb. The full table above lists dimensions, fuel and field performance.

What is the range of the Cessna 206 Stationair?

Around 559nm (1,035km) at 75 percent power and 20,000ft on 87 usable gallons with a 45-minute reserve. Pulling back to 45 percent power at 10,000ft stretches that to about 703nm (1,302km) over 6.3 hours. Legacy Continental airframes and the naturally aspirated 206H are broadly similar at lower altitudes.

What is the Cessna 206 Stationair price?

New Turbo Stationair HD aircraft are quoted by configuration rather than list priced, and 2026 examples run from roughly $725,000 to $1.25 million. Well-equipped deliveries typically land between $900,000 and $1.05 million. Used T206H airframes generally trade between $300,000 and $900,000, and legacy Continental-powered 206s start well below that.

What does the Cessna 206 Stationair cost to operate per hour?

Industry models put the naturally aspirated 206H near $675 per hour at 200 annual hours with fuel around $7 per gallon. The turbocharged model runs higher because of fuel burn and turbo maintenance. Actual cost varies sharply with utilisation, hangar rates and whether the aircraft is on floats.

Where can I find a Cessna 206 Stationair for sale?

Listings appear consistently on Controller, Trade-A-Plane, GlobalAir and Barnstormers, and float-equipped examples often move through specialist installers such as Wipaire. Supply is good across the whole production span because more than 8,500 airframes were built in the 205, 206 and 207 family.

What interior options does the Cessna 206 Stationair offer?

Six seats in three rows are standard, with the rear four removable for cargo work in a matter of minutes. Current aircraft have leather seating, a flight deck armrest, LEMO headset plugs at every seat and built-in oxygen. A utility interior with vinyl grip flooring is available for operators who expect the cabin to get dirty.

What is the Cessna 206 Stationair landing distance?

Landing ground roll is approximately 735ft with a total distance of 1,395ft over a 50ft obstacle, at sea level in ISA conditions on a dry paved runway. Takeoff runs 910ft on the ground and 1,740ft over the same obstacle. Add 15 percent to the ground roll figures for dry grass.

What tire size does the Cessna 206 Stationair use?

Nose wheel tires are 5.00-5 at a 6 ply rating and main gear tires are 6.00-6 at a 6 ply rating, both tube type as delivered. The factory oversize tire and wheel fairing option substitutes 8.00-6 mains. Verify the fitment against the AMM for your serial number and configuration before ordering, particularly on aircraft with float provisions or an STC tundra installation.

Which tire brands are approved for the Cessna 206 Stationair?

Goodyear, Michelin and Condor all produce 5.00-5 and 6.00-6 tires at the 6 ply rating the type requires, and all three cover the 8.00-6 oversize main. Goodyear offers the Flight Special II and Flight Custom III lines in these sizes, Michelin the Air, Aviator and Pilot lines. Speed ratings of 120 mph and 160 mph are both available and either exceeds what the aircraft needs.

How much do Cessna 206 Stationair tires cost?

Pricing varies by brand, ply rating and speed rating rather than by aircraft type. A 5.00-5 nose tire is the cheapest item on the aeroplane by some distance, and the 6.00-6 mains sit modestly above it. Oversize 8.00-6 and STC tundra fitments cost considerably more and wear differently.

What is the tire pressure for the Cessna 206 Stationair?

Inflation pressures for both positions are published in the aircraft maintenance manual and vary with tire size, weight variant and whether an oversize kit is fitted. Work from the AMM figure for the specific airframe rather than a general catalogue value. Check pressures cold against a calibrated gauge at the intervals the maintenance programme sets.

How long do Cessna 206 Stationair tires last?

Piston single main gear tires typically give a few hundred landings, but the spread on a 206 is wider than most because the mission set is so varied. A jump aircraft flying short high-cycle sorties onto pavement wears tires far faster than a private owner making cross-country trips. Gravel, coral and unimproved surfaces shorten life again.

How often should Cessna 206 Stationair tires be changed?

Replace at the wear limit, when cord or fabric is exposed, or when cuts, bulges or flat spots are found at inspection. Tread depth and sidewall condition drive the decision more than calendar time on a utility aircraft. A licensed engineer and the AMM govern the final call.