Overview

The Cessna 188 is a single-seat agricultural aeroplane built between 1966 and 1983, the only purpose-built ag aeroplane Cessna ever produced. It borrowed its wing and tail structure from the Cessna 180/185 family but mated them to a low-set, braced wing and a tall, forward cockpit that gives the pilot a clear view over a large chemical hopper. Across a 17-year run Cessna built 3,976 of them in four marketing names: the 230 HP AGwagon and AGpickup, the 300 HP AGwagon-300 and AGtruck, and the turbocharged T188C AGhusky.

These specifications reflect the A188B AgTruck, the most numerous and representative variant, powered by the 300 HP Continental IO-520-D turning a McCauley constant-speed propeller. It is certificated in the restricted category for agricultural and fire-fighting work, with a 3,300 lb normal-category gross weight that rises to 4,200 lb in the restricted category for dispersal operations.

Key Features for GA Buyers

• Purpose-built ag platform. A rugged, simple, slow-flying taildragger with a powerful engine, a strong airframe, and a commanding forward view. It carries a large hopper low and slow with precision and absorbs the punishment of unimproved strips, exactly what it was built to do.
• 300 HP muscle. The Continental IO-520-D gives the 188 a hard climb and a short landing roll, the performance the ag mission demands and the trait that turns heads in the rare private example.
• Shared 180/185 structure. The airframe is drawn from the well-supported 180/185 line, so parts and type knowledge are more available than the small production numbers might suggest.

Trade-offs

• Single-seat, restricted category. There is no passenger seat, no standard-category mission, and a noise certification limited to agricultural and fire-fighting special purposes. It is not a cross-country or training aeroplane.
• Corrosion and dispersal upkeep. Many surviving airframes have led hard lives spraying corrosive chemicals at low altitude, so corrosion is the central pre-buy concern, and the dispersal system itself carries recurring maintenance a touring single never sees.
• Demanding to fly. The 300 HP engine and conventional gear require both a high-performance and a tailwheel endorsement, and low-level ag flying is among the most demanding work in aviation. The reward is a tough, capable, characterful machine for the buyer whose mission actually fits it.

See Also

• Cessna 185 Skywagon – the utility taildragger the 188 borrowed its structure from: six seats, the same kind of rugged hauling mission, and a far broader standard-category role. Compare
• Cessna 182 Skylane – the natural cross-shop for a buyer wanting a powerful Cessna single without the single-seat ag limitations: four seats, standard category, and a constant-speed prop. Compare
• Cessna 172 Skyhawk – the familiar four-seat Cessna single, far cheaper to own and operate than a 300-hp restricted-category ag aeroplane for anyone whose mission is travel rather than spraying. Compare