Overview

The Rockwell Commander 112 is a four-seat, single-engine retractable that Rockwell designed from a clean sheet in the early 1970s, FAA type-certificated under TCDS A12SO in 1972 and built at the Bethany, Oklahoma factory alongside the Commander twins. It is powered by a 200 hp Lycoming IO-360-C1D6 driving a constant-speed propeller, with a low wing, retractable tricycle gear, and a cabin that was the whole point of the airplane: at 47 inches across it is one of the widest in the 200 hp retractable class, entered through doors on both sides.

Rockwell built the 112 to out-comfort the Piper Arrow and Beechcraft Sierra rather than out-run them, and that is how it turned out. The airframe is heavy and strongly built, which gives it a solid, big-airplane feel and a forgiving ride but leaves the 200 hp engine working hard: cruise sits around 140 knots, a figure a fixed-gear Piper Archer will match. Production ran from 1972 through the end of the decade across the 112, 112A, 112B, and turbocharged 112TC; the 260 hp Commander 114 is the higher-output sibling for buyers who found the 112 underpowered.

The 112 suits a buyer who wants a comfort-first cross-country single and accepts a specific set of trade-offs. The cabin, the visibility, and the trailing-link landing gear still distinguish it from its contemporaries; the performance is modest, the useful load is tight with full fuel, and the original manufacturer is long gone, so parts and type-specific maintenance knowledge are the things to verify before buying. An active owners’ community and the surviving Commander parts lineage keep well-supported examples flying.

Key Features for GA Buyers

• Class-leading cabin width. At about 47 inches the cabin is wider than the contemporary Piper Arrow or Beechcraft Sierra, with real shoulder room and a finished, big-airplane interior.
• Doors on both sides. Unlike most Cessna and Piper singles, the Commander has a door for each front occupant, which makes entry, egress, and loading noticeably easier.
• Trailing-link landing gear. The trailing-link main gear soaks up firm arrivals and gives the airplane a reputation for making ordinary landings look polished.
• Solid, stable IFR platform. The heavy airframe and low wing give a planted feel in cruise and on instruments that owners value on longer trips.

Trade-offs

• Modest cruise for a retractable. Expect roughly 135 to 140 knots on 200 hp; a simpler fixed-gear Archer keeps pace, so the 112 does not convert its retractable gear and added complexity into much extra speed.
• Tight useful load with full fuel. The stout airframe eats into payload; with the tanks full, cabin load for people and baggage is limited, and honest four-adult trips usually mean trading fuel for weight.
• Orphaned manufacturer, thinning parts pool. Rockwell left the single-engine business decades ago; some airframe-specific parts and the trailing-link gear components need a shop and a parts network that know the type. Budget for a knowledgeable pre-buy.
• Wing-spar and gear inspection items. The type carries airworthiness-directive history on the wing spar and attention items on the retractable gear; a type-experienced annual is the sensible approach, not a generalist one.

See Also

• Piper Cherokee Arrow – The direct period rival: a 200 hp retractable Cherokee that trades the Commander’s cabin width for slightly better speed and a far deeper parts network. Compare
• Beechcraft Sierra 24 – The closest cabin-comfort competitor: a roomy 200 hp retractable single with a similar comfort-over-speed character. Compare
• Cessna 177 Cardinal RG – Same 200 hp retractable-single bracket with wide doors and good visibility; a high-wing alternative to the Commander’s low-wing layout. Compare
• Mooney M20F – The efficiency counterpoint: the same 200 hp IO-360 in a much faster airframe, the airplane the Commander is most often accused of losing to on speed. Compare