1957 Cessna 180A

$AUD245,000

This 1957 Cessna 180A for sale, VH-DLM, is a straight, honest example of the classic tailwheel aircraft, fitted with a practical selection of bush flying modifications. Highlights include a Sportsman STOL cuff, Madras wingtips, wing fences and aileron gap seals, complemented by 8.50-6 Goodyear tyres and dual-piston brakes. Powered by a Continental O-470-K with just 490.8 hours since remanufacture by Lycon, VH-DLM combines a low-time engine with a classic panel and interior that retain its period character and present in good condition. An alternator conversion, BAS inertia-reel seatbelts and JPI fuel flow instrument add practical improvements for touring and bush flying. No known accident or damage history identified in the aircraft records. Cessna 180A for Sale – Features & Equipment Lycon remanufactured engine  88-inch McCauley two-blade constant-speed propeller Sportsman STOL CUFF Madras tips Wing fences Aileron gap seals 8.50 - 6 Goodyears Dual piston brakes Alternator conversion kit MOGAS Approval BAS Inertia reel seatbelts  Dual USB charger No known accident or damage history identified in the aircraft records. Cessna 180A Performance Stall Speed (full flap): ~43 kt* Cruise Speed: ~125-130 kt Fuel Burn: ~45 L/hr Fuel Capacity: 208 L (61 US gal) *Sportsman STOL + madras tips-equipped. Indicative performance figures, subject to aircraft configuration, operating conditions and verification. Contact Stick ’n Rudder for further information or to arrange an inspection of VH-DLM. Cessna 180A Load Analysis Basic Empty Weight: 759 kg Maximum Takeoff Weight: 1202 kg Payload: 443 kg Aircraft History Cessna 180A VH-DLM has a connection to Victoria’s bushfire aviation history through former owner and pilot Neil McInnes, a former RAAF Flight Lieutenant who later became the Victorian Member for Gippsland South. McInnes received the Royal Humane Society Silver Medal for a dramatic mountain rescue in 1947, using his Tiger Moth to evacuate an injured cattleman from Victoria’s high country. This rescue preceded VH-DLM’s manufacture by a decade. According to Peter McHugh’s account on Victoria’s Forests & Bushfire Heritage, VH-DLM was owned and flown by McInnes at West Sale Airport in February 1965. The aircraft was used extensively by Forests Commission staff from Heyfield for aerial reconnaissance during the prolonged 1965 Gippsland bushfires. Jeff Brisbane navigated beside the pilot, while Gregor Wallace worked from the rear with maps and radio. VH-DLM also participated in aerial resupply trials near Lake Glenmaggie. Athol Hodgson of the Commission’s Fire Research Branch used the aircraft to test the “Helibox”—a heavy-duty cardboard supply container with fold-out wings, developed for dropping supplies to remote fire crews. Historical source: Peter McHugh, Victoria’s Forests & Bushfire Heritage, 7 October 2025.