Today’s Top Aircraft For Sale Pick: 1963 Cessna 210C Centurion

Early versions of this retractable Cessna can offer plenty of performance for the money.

This 1963 Cessna 210 Centurion could be ideal for a traveling family. [Courtesy: Hancock Aviation LLC]

Each day, the team at Aircraft For Sale picks an airplane that catches our attention because it is unique, represents a good deal, or has other interesting qualities. You can read Aircraft For Sale: Today’s Top Pick at FLYINGMag.com daily.

There are many features that make the Cessna 210 Centurion attractive, including a blend of speed, useful load, and short-field performance that few in its category can match. For pilots who trained on smaller fixed-gear Cessna 150s and 172s,   the roomy, powerful Centurion can be the ideal step-up airplane. Indeed, if you prefer flying a high-wing, there are not many choices in the high-performance retractable category.

Cessna built several versions of the 210 over its long production run from 1960 to 1986. The earliest models essentially were 182s with retractable gear. This 1963 model has the wider fuselage and enlarged cabin that later characterized the 210. Last year I came close to buying a 1966 T210F, which was the last year for the strut-braced wing. After many years of flying 172s, I immediately felt comfortable in the 210, which flies much like the smaller Cessna but a whole lot faster.

This Cessna 210 has 5,249 hours on the airframe, 544 hours on its Continental IO-470-S engine, and 1,217 hours on the McCauley three-blade propeller. The airplane’s maximum takeoff weight is 3,000 pounds and useful load is 1,085.75 pounds. Fuel capacity is 65 gallons, giving a range of 700 nm.

The panel includes a King MA 24 audio panel with Garmin GNS 430W and King KX 155 Nav/Comms, a Garmin GTX 330ES transponder, an engine monitor, and InterVOX intercom.

Pilots looking for high-horsepower performance in a high-wing package that can keep up with Beechcraft Bonanzas and other fast piston singles should consider this 1963 Cessna 210 Centurion, which is available for $90,000 on AircraftForSale.

You can arrange financing of the aircraft through FLYING Financial Group. For more information, email info@flyingfinancial.com.

Jonathan Welsh is a private pilot who worked as a reporter, editor and columnist with the Wall Street Journal for 21 years, mostly covering the auto industry. His passion for aviation began in childhood with balsa-wood gliders his aunt would buy for him at the corner store. Follow Jonathan on Twitter @JonathanWelsh4

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