Flying a Cessna Cardinal 177B, is it better than a 172? In Flight Review.

[@cessna177flyer3]

I’ve owned my 1971 177B "Cardinal" for 10 years. I flew in the USAF for 21 years and now fly a B777. Some observations: the Cardinal is about 4 inches wider than the 172 so it is a much more comfortable airplane. Most Cardinals have fully articulating front seats, which means they adjust fore/aft, up/down, and recline. Again a comfort thing and a handy feature if you have a child in the front seat. The triangle-shaped side windows can open outward, allowing great airflow into the cabin during ground operations on hot days. Yes, the controls are more responsive than the 172 in all axis. Speed is better than the 172, but 150 knots is out of reach for the fixed gear Cardinal. The typical B model has a max TRUE airspeed around 125 knots. Mine has several speed mods and a Powerflow exhaust, and I see 130 knots between 6000-8000 feet at 75% power, 10.4 GPH. With an aft CG, I’ve seen 135 TAS, but that’s rare. Yes, the visibility is superior compared to the 172. Not only are the windows larger, but the wing was intentionally set further aft, so you can see the runway while turning left base. And no wing struts make for much easier ingress/egress - lots of pilots with spouses who have disabilities choose the Cardinal. And the room in the back seat can easily accommodate someone over 6 feet tall, something which is a rare in a typical 4-seater. Re: the interior - Cessna does NOT get the credit for that interior. The current or previous owners spent some big $$ to get that Cardinal to look like that. Because they were designed a built in the late 60s/early 70s, most Cardinals came with some pretty ridiculous (by today’s standards) color schemes and materials. Think crushed velvet meets Austin Powers. Cessna got a lot right with the Cardinal, but the airplane didn’t succeed in the market. Google AvWeb’s excellent article “Unfairly Maligned Airplanes” to learn why.

[@SirDrifto]

Great information! 👍

[@cessna177flyer3]

@@SirDrifto thanks for getting the word out about the Cardinal. They were ahead of their time.

[@SirDrifto]

@@cessna177flyer3 I really enjoyed flying this plane. It has nice updates over the 172. A real refined bird.

[@TravisSmith1]

Thanks for that article, it articulates the cardinal nicely.

[@lcprivatepilot1969]

YES!

[@samsharp8539]

It is a 172 Racer. Just when Cessna got the bird right, they stopped production. Love flying it, teaching IFR in it, and hauling family in it. You can have the ‘’Gutless.”

[@WarrenKimpel]

another nice video THANKS

[@SirDrifto]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@chipilot]

My dream airplane to own! Scared to pull the trigger!

[@GrantGrove]

Sweet flying platform. I flew the 177RG ❤

[@ldmax]

140-150 knots in a fixed gear Cardinal? I call BS. The POH says maximum cruise is 130 ktas. Even the Cardinal RG only cruises at 142. There's simply no way you are getting 140+ out of a stock 177B.

[@littlegreenman1]

Yeah, he meant mph.

[@tevahflys]

Yeah the rg cruises at about 148kt so he must have meant mph

[@ikefork2606]

Doesn't the Cardinal have a similar wing (airfoil) to the C-210?

[@bernardanderson3758]

Eddy Current AD wing spar on these and the 210s and I’ve seen a lot of them getting checked during the 100 annual inspection and overall the Cardinal Fixed or RG are all great flying aircraft

[@SirDrifto]

I learned something new!

[@cessna177flyer3]

Not an AD for the Cardinal (yet). It is still a Cessna Service Bulletin, although most owners have elected to comply with the SB.

[@igclapp]

Wouldn't the 172 be a more stable instrument platform in turbulence?

[@BigMike10960]

How much more legroom for the back passengers in a 177

[@SirDrifto]

There is a bit more leg room but I wouldn't say it's more noticeable than a standard 172

[@cessna177flyer3]

@@SirDrifto disagree. There is a *tremendous* difference in leg room in the back seat between a 172 and a Cardinal.

[@LWJCarroll]

Yes alot better than a C172, back in the 1980s I got my PPL, C177RG. rating and did one long x/c over sea Ardmore/Nelson/New Plymouth/Ardmore flying the 1st leg…with 3 other blokes from the Ardmore Flying School…. Unfortunately I stopped flying after that….😢😢. Laurie. NZ.

[@SirDrifto]

Good birds indeed

[@TrainSounds]

The 182 also has the strut.

[@tallishyeti2756]

Is a Camry better than a Toyota?

[@A.J.1656]

Is a Les Paul better than a Gibson?

[@naderamin]

i love to fly my cardinal

[@SirDrifto]

They’re great planes

[@rogersmart1766]

Oh ok !

[@donnborden1423]

That's a ridiculous question. ANYTHING flies better than a C-172.

[@scarpheel]

What does flying feel like ? (Like in an elevator or ...)

[@SirDrifto]

A very comfy elevator

[@henryostman5740]

way more fun than a elevator.

[@rogersmart1766]

A Cardinal IS built by Cessna

[@SirDrifto]

That is correct. The title was supposed to say cessna 172

[@rogersmart1766]

I thought it might had Been a typo/correction

[@rogersmart1766]

I thought it might had Been a typo/correction

[@rogersmart1766]

I thought it might had Been a typo/correction

[@rogersmart1766]

I thought it might had Been a typo/correction

[@edwardrandle5922]

I don’t know I’ve only flown jets

[@SirDrifto]

lucky guy :)

[@HartsfieldSpotting]

Ugly PFDs but gorgeous plane.