This prompted the design of the C-185 in 1960, featuring a Continental fuel-injected 260 hp engine and a 1620 pound useful load that was 6 1/2% greater than its 1520 pound empty weight. Although the C-180 represented a better match between engine and airframe, in the author's opinion, it was obvious that an on-purpose utility airplane was needed for the bush country for heavy-hauling on wheels, Edo 628-2960 floats, and Fluidyne C-3200 or C-3600 wheel skis. This was illustrated by a precipitous decline in annual C-180 unit sales from a high of 891 planes in 1956 to only 250 planes in 1958 when the C-182 hit its stride in the marketplace. Thus the C-180 was moved almost exclusively into a utility airplane role. As the C-170 evolved into the tricycle gear C-172 and the C-180 evolved into the tricycle gear C-182, it became apparent that these airplanes were becoming the favorite "easy-to-land" personal airplanes of the late 1950's.
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