See which Cessna aircraft have retractable landing gear, from 172RG and 210 singles to Skymaster twins, Conquests and Citation jets.
Cessna aircraft with retractable landing gear include the 172RG Cutlass, 177RG Cardinal, R182/TR182 Skylane RG and 210 Centurion, plus the 337 Skymaster and most classic Cessna piston twins. Every Cessna Citation jet also retracts its gear. Standard 172s and 182s, Caravans and SkyCouriers use fixed gear.
In real-world aviation, the exact model designation is decisive. An aircraft does not gain retractable gear merely because it shares the Skylane, Cardinal or Skyhawk name with an RG variant.
Which single-engine Cessnas have retractable gear?
The principal factory-built Cessna piston singles with retractable tricycle landing gear are the 172RG, 177RG, R182/TR182 and the complete 210 family.
| Model | Common name | Critical distinction |
|---|---|---|
| 172RG | Cutlass RG | A dedicated retractable variant; ordinary Cessna 172 models have fixed gear. |
| 177RG | Cardinal RG | The RG retracts its gear, while the standard 177 Cardinal does not. |
| R182 | Skylane RG | Often called the 182RG, but its formal model designation is R182. |
| TR182 | Turbo Skylane RG | The turbocharged retractable member of the 182 family. |
| 210, T210 and P210 | Centurion, Turbo Centurion and Pressurised Centurion | Retractable gear is standard across the production 210 family, so an RG suffix is unnecessary. |
Do normal Cessna 172 and 182 aircraft have retractable gear?
No. Standard Cessna 172 Skyhawks and 182 Skylanes have fixed tricycle landing gear, as does the ordinary 177 Cardinal. The 172RG, R182 and TR182 are separate factory variants rather than standard aircraft fitted with an optional gear lever.
This distinction is easy to miss in abbreviated listings. Our side-by-side explanation of standard 172 and 182 models covers their usual fixed-gear configurations and the separate 182RG variant.
Which twin-engine and jet Cessnas retract their gear?
Most of Cessna's classic higher-performance twins, the Conquest turboprops and every Citation jet use retractable landing gear.
- Piston twins: T-50/AT-17 Bobcat, 303 Crusader, 310, 320 Skyknight, 335, 337 Skymaster, 340, 401, 402, 404 Titan, 411, 414 Chancellor and 421 Golden Eagle. The Bobcat retracts its main wheels but retains a fixed tailwheel.
- Turboprops: 425 Corsair/Conquest I, 441 Conquest II and the Reims-Cessna F406 Caravan II.
- Military jets: T-37 Tweet and A-37 Dragonfly.
- Business jets: all production Cessna Citation families.
There are important exceptions. The twin-engine Cessna 336 Skymaster has fixed gear, whereas the later 337 retracts it. The Cessna 208 Caravan and twin-engine 408 SkyCourier also have fixed landing gear. Experimental prototypes, one-off conversions and retractable wheels attached to amphibious floats are not included here.
How can you confirm whether a particular Cessna has retractable gear?
The reliable method is to identify the exact model, then check its approved documentation rather than relying on the paint scheme or marketing name.
- Read the complete designation. Look for 172RG, 177RG, R182, TR182, 210 or another model listed above.
- Check the aircraft manual. The POH or approved flight manual identifies the landing-gear type and its operating limitations.
- Inspect the cockpit. A retractable model has a landing-gear selector and gear-position or warning indications. A fixed-gear 172 or 182 does not.
- Use external features only as supporting evidence. Wheel wells and doors help, but some designs leave parts of the wheels exposed after retraction.
For simmers, a mistake we see constantly is treating an inactive gear command in a standard 172 or 182 as a controller fault. The aircraft has no retract mechanism, so the command should do nothing. Load the correct RG model instead; this native FSX R182 aircraft is a concrete example of the retractable Skylane variant.
Why do some Cessnas use fixed gear instead?
Retracting the wheels reduces drag and generally supports higher cruise performance, but the mechanism adds weight, maintenance, pilot workload and the possibility of a gear-up landing. Fixed gear suits training and utility aircraft where simplicity, durability and operating cost matter more than maximum speed.
Our guide to fixed and retractable landing-gear operation explains the underlying mechanisms and trade-offs without repeating them here.