The Cessna 210 Centurion is a 6 seat, high-performance, retractable-gear single-engine general aviation aircraft which was first flown in January 1957. Production was completed in 1985.

Cessna T210L Turbo Centurion ZS-JWL (sn T210-60076) Photo taken May 20, 2006 Durban Virginia Airport, South Africa (VIR / FAVG) Photo Copyright and Thanks to Gary Shephard

Development
The early Cessna 210 (210 and 210A) had 4 seats and an IO470 260-hp engine. It was essentially a Cessna 182 on which retractable gear had been added. In 1961 the fuselage and wing were completely redesigned - the fuselage was made wider and deeper, and a third side window was added. The wing planform remained the same (constant 64" chord from centerline to 100 inches out, then straight taper to 44" chord at 208 inches from centerline), but the semi-Fowler flaps (slotted, rear-moving) were extended outboard, from Wing Station 100 to Wing Station 122, which allowed a lower landing speed (FAA certification regulations state that a single-engine aircraft must have a flaps-down, power-off stall speed no greater than 70 miles/hour). To compensate for the reduced aileron span, the aileron profile was changed and its chord enlarged. The 1964 model 210D introduced a 285-hp engine and 2 small child seats, set into the cavity which contained the mainwheels aft of the passengers.

In 1967 the model 210G introduced a cantilever wing replacing the strut-braced wing. Its planform changed to a constant taper from root chord to tip chord. In 1970 the 210K became the first full 6-seat model; this was achieved by replacing the flat-leaf main gear springs with tapered tubular steel springs of greater tread width (which allowed the tires to be nested farther back in the fuselage). This model also eliminated the folding doors which previously covered the retracted main gears; the retracted tubular springs lie in shallow channels along the bottom of the fuselage and the wheels fit snugly into a closed depression on the fuselage bottom. Some models featured de-icing boots as an option.

The aircraft was offered in a normally aspirated version, designated the model 210, as well as the turbocharged T210 and the pressurized P210 versions.

Variants
The Cessna 210 was offered in several variants. The 210N, T210N (turbocharged), and P210N (pressurized) versions were produced in the greatest quantity. The rarest and most expensive models were the T210R and P210R, which were produced only in small quantities in 1985-86.

The early strut-winged Cessna 210B was developed into a fixed-gear aircraft known as the Cessna 205. This spawned an entirely new family of Cessna aircraft including the 206 and the eight seat 207.

The main competitors to the 210 are the Beechcraft 36 Bonanza, Piper Saratoga, and Piper Malibu.

Commercial operators
The 210 is preferred by many operators because it has the speed and carrying capacity of many twin-engined aircraft with the economy of only one engine. Outside the USA, it is common in Southern Africa and Australia, where 275 are registered as of October 2007.

The largest known fleet of 210s (59 aircraft) is operated by Flight Express of Orlando, Florida.

Outside the U.S., a fleet of seven Cessna 210s is operated from Windhoek, Namibia by air charter operator Africa Adventure.[3] Also, scenic flight operator Slingair in Kununurra, Western Australia operates six Cessna 210s.

Cessna 210 Training
In most cases insurance companies require type-specific training and/or simulator training for pilots to fly such an aircraft. Several simulator training companies offers such services, including FlightSafety International in Kansas and Flight Level Aviation in Pennsylvania.

Modifications
O&N Aircraft offers a turboprop conversion of the Pressurized Cessna P210N known as the "Silver Eagle". This conversion includes an airframe overhaul, airframe modifications, new avionics, new paint and installation of a Rolls-Royce Model 250 powerplant.

The converted 210 will produce climb rates of 2100 fpm, cruise speeds of 200 - 210 knots and shorter take-off and landing distances, while consuming 20 - 28 gallons of Jet A per hour depending on altitude and air temperature. Range with a full 147 gallons of Jet A is over 1350 nm (1566 miles). The conversion costs USD$600,000, including USD$350,000 for the engine, plus the cost of the used Cessna 210.

Accidents
While flying an early model 210A, famed test pilot Scott Crossfield crashed and died in the woods of Georgia on April 20, 2006; the preliminary NTSB report indicates the pilot crashed after flying into a severe (Level 6) thunderstorm and does not note any mechanical or aircraft design defect leading to this crash.

Succession
Cessna re-introduced three single engine models in the 1990s that had been out of production since 1986 - the Cessna 172, 182 and 206. The 210 was not reintroduced at that time as it was company policy that all re-introduced aircraft would be recertified to the latest FAR Part 23 standards instead of the original CAR-3 standards. Due to its single spar wing structure, the 210 could not meet the current certification standards. This left a gap in the Cessna line for a high-performance single engine aircraft that was quickly filled by competitors such as the Cirrus SR22 and Columbia 400. In 2006 Cessna announced that they will produce a new aircraft, known while under development as the Cessna NGP. This new aircraft will fill the gap left in the Cessna line when the 210 went out of production in 1986.

Military operators
- Bolivia
- Dominican Republic
- Philippines
- Jamaica
- Mexico

Specifications (210N Centurion II)

General characteristics
- Crew: One, pilot
- Capacity: Five passengers
- Length: 28 ft 2 in (8.58 m)
- Wingspan: 39 ft 9 in (12.12 m)
- Height: 9 ft 8 in (2.95 m)
- Wing area: 181 ft² (16.82 m²)
- Empty weight: 2,400 lb (1,090 kg)
- Loaded weight: 4,016 lb (1,835 kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 4,000 lb (1818 kg)
- Powerplant: 1× Continental TSIO-520-R , 310 bhp (231 kW)

Performance
- Maximum speed: 172 knots (T/P Versions) (198 mph, 321 km/h)
- Range: 1,000 nm (1151 mi, 1,865 km) 75% power at 24,000 ft
- Service ceiling: 27,000 ft (8,230 m)
- Rate of climb: 930 ft/min (4.7 m/s)
- Wing loading: 22.9 lb/ft² (4.68 kg/m²)
- Power/mass: 0.0775 hp/lb (W/kg)