Certified Bushliner – Cessna 180/185
The Modern Skywagon is Here!
A complete overhaul for your aircraft, value backed by VREF.
The ultimate solution for the aging fleet!
Making the Grade: Proven Design Modern Utility
Standardized Assembly:
- New sheet metal skin.
- New hardware.
- New windows.
- New carbon fiber interior.
- New wiring.
- New avionics.
- New cables/pulleys and controls.
- New overhauled/firewall forward.
- Reconditioned or new PMA’d structural components.
- Airframe structural upgrades.
- All AD’s complied with and/or eliminated.
- A Bushliner may include; Modifications on request.
- Outfitting for specialized business or government operations.
Bushliner Cessna 180/185 Build Sheet
Core:
- Complete disassembly
- Parts inventory
- Complete reconditioning and 8130 for overhauled components
- Primed prior to assembly
Bushliner Included:
- Complete disassembly
- New sheet metal skin
- Reconditioned or remanufactured PMA’d structural components
- New gearbox
- P.Ponk landing gear reinforcements
- Various structural reinforcements
- Epoxy primed prior to assembly
- Ground-up re-assembly in Cessna factory tooling
- Bushliner STC’s such as modern doors, stainless brake lines, etc.
- Sportsman STOL wet wings
- Manual 40º flaps with reinforced trailing edge and roller upgrade
- Other flight/ control surfaces
- New windows
- Lifting eyes
- New cables, pulleys, controls, hardware, wire, etc.
- New fuel selector valve and fuel system
- Cabin entry steps
- Baggage door
- Squared off instrument panel shape
- Carbon Fiber Cowling
- Backlit switch and CB panel
- Remote oil drain
- Remote oil filter
- Door and window seals
- New stabilizer jack screws
- Leather seats
- Shoulder Harnesses
- Rosen sun visors
Interior:
- Shoulder harnesses (front)
- Carbon fiber headliner and side panels
- Leather seats
- Rubber flooring
- Multiple storage areas
- Rosen sun visors
- Rear jump seats
Lighting:
- AeroLED’s LED wingtips, mid-wing landing lights, beacon, and navigation lights
- Interior map/ cabin lights
Airframe Upgrades:
- Wing X wing Extensions and gross weight increase
- Speed brakes to double rate of decent and prevent shock cooling
- Flint wingtip tanks
- Vortex Generators
- V-Brace
- Front and rear tinted skylights
- Extended baggage area
- Grey tinted windshield/windows
- Green tinted windshield/windows
- 2” bubble door windows
- 4” bubble door windows
- 6” bubble door windows
- Patroller door option if available
- Modern yoke upgrade
- Modern rudder pedal upgrade
- Rear shoulder harnesses
- Belly pod
- Seaplane kit
- Ski kit
- Hydraulics kit
Powerplant:
- Factory new
- Overhauled
- Continental IO-550D 300HP (425lbs)
- Continental IO-520D 285HP (411 lbs)
- P.Ponk XP O-470 235HP (410 lbs)
- Heavy duty engine mount
- Electronic Ignition System
- Ly-Con tuning
- K&N air filter
- Powerflow exhaust
- Supercharger
Propeller:
- MT 83” Natural Composite
- Hartzell Composite
- Hartzell Aluminum
- McCauley Aluminum
Accessories:
- Multiple camera mount hard points
- Forward cargo net
- Rear cargo net
Landing Gear:
- Steel main gear and axles
- Steel tail gear and saddle
- Titanium main gear and axles
- Titanium tail gear and saddle
- Standard Tailwheel
- Baby Bushwheel
- 14” Tailwheel
- 8.50×6 Tires
- 26” Bushwheels
- 29” Bushwheels
- 31” Bushwheels (recommended)
- 35” Bushwheels
- Bushwheel extra thick tread (recommended)
- PK Floats
- Wipline Floats
- Aerocet Floats
- Amphibious
- Skis
Avionics:
- Dynon Avionics package: (2) 10” EFIS displays, ADSB in/out
- Garmin G500 TXI
- Other
- Autopilot
- 406 ELT
- 4 place intercom
- 6 place intercom
Paint:
- Polished
- Partial Paint
- Full Paint
- Custom Scheme
Overview Process
Phase 1: Acquisition and InitiationPhase 1: Acquisition and Initiation
- All details of build reviewed and approved
- Deposit acquired
- Airframe assigned to the client
- Dismantling
- Component Refurbishment
Phase 2: Assembly of Bushliner
- Fuselage jig and assembly (Cessna Factory Jigs)
- Initial instrument Panel framing
- Plumbing, wiring and, controls
- Landing Gear installation
- Wing and tail surface receiving
- Interior Paint
- Windows
- Paint/ Polish exterior
- Interior panels and upholstery
Phase 3: Fitment and Finish
- Final instrument panel installation
- Firewall forward – Client selected engine option
- Lighting and accessories
- Flight controls and rigging completed
- Weight and Balance
- Flight Test / Engine break-in
- Final adjustments and detailing
- Delivery
Bushliner: Building a Better Cessna
- The Cessna 180 and Cessna 185 are highly capable aircraft that are no longer in production. No current aircraft on the market offers the same performance or has the same reputation as the Cessna Skywagon family.
- These aircraft were originally manufactured prior to modern techniques being developed. Unfortunately the existing Cessna 180 and 185 fleet is deteriorating beyond economical repair.
- Cessna anticipated the aircraft would be needed for, and designed them to last for 15-20 years of normal use. Many of these aircraft are well beyond 40 years old and have been abused hard for that time.
- Integrating upgrades into the aircraft during the overhaul is key. Every component is epoxy primed, structural reinforcements added, and all critical fasteners are replaced with modern hardware over three times stronger. Integrating the latest manufacturing practices.
- By making these improvements, the aircraft will last for over a century, even when operated in the harshest environments.
- Our aircraft are designated “equivalent to new”, which gives the purchaser equity, and confidence in the reliability of our aircraft.
- They are familiar to pilots and mechanics worldwide, furthering the legacy and popularity of these models.
Our Process
Disassembly
Each aircraft undergoes a complete tear down. Every rivet or other fastener is removed, including each sub assembly. Components are harvested and individually inspected to determine quality.
Component refurbishment
- Steel welded components NDT inspected, epoxy primed, enamel topcoat.
- All structural aluminum machined parts anodized per AMS 2700
- All aluminum structural components disassembled, inspected per Cessna Maintenance Manual 51-11-00, cleaned, etched, chemically treated (alodine) per MIL-C-81706 and epoxy primed prior to assembly per AC43-4B. Or rejected and replaced.
Assembly
- All fatigue components replaced or upgraded to latest configuration. (Gearboxes, spars, horizontal stab attachments)
- Complete assembly in a Cessna Factory Jig. (Cessna built the aircraft in two parts, attached later, which caused dimensional errors of over 1″ in some cases.)
- Fuselage reinforcements added.
- Systems (such as electrical) upgraded to comply with new safety regulations.
- All refurbished components QC stamped and logged.
- All bearings removed, bores inspected, cleaned, and new bearings installed.
- All eligible fasteners superseded.
- All AD’s and SB’s complied with or eliminated, and a new MX schedule included
Deemed “Equivalent to New” by the FAA
New Hardware
Here is a example of BOTH elevator cable clevis bolts after 3,500+ hours of use, compared to a brand new one. The old one has been cut nearly half way through!
If these were to break you would loose control of the aircraft pitch immediately. This isn’t normally caught on pre-buy inspections or annuals.
Here at Bushliner Aircraft all our airplanes are assembled with NEW hardware. Period.
New Components
After 65 years and 3,500+ hours the old rudder pedal bearings are worn out!
This causes a stiff rudder and jiggly pedals.
All Bushliners are built with new wearable parts such as these to give you the best and most reliable control of your aircraft.
Corrosion Protection
All Bushliners are epoxy primed before assembly! Dirt and oil is covering this aircraft making it heavier, and encouraging corrosion.
The trim cable has also been tangled for at least several years. Every Bushliner is delivered with 100% new cables, no need to ever wonder what’s been done or “fixed”.
New Hoses
This is an original brake line located under the rudder pedals. Over the years it has worn through down to the core! If this were to rupture it would likely be under pressure- when the pilot wanted the brake, and it would fail.
All Bushliners are delivered with NEW upgraded hoses and chafe protection to ensure failures like this don’t happen to you.
Professional Rigging
An improperly rigged airplane can slow you down and not give you full control authority! A straight airframe won’t need improper rigging or trim tabs to compensate!
At Bushliner our aircraft are built in laser aligned factory jigs and rigged professionally to maximize both ends of the speed envelope!