The Peterson 260SE is a STOL conversion of a Cessna 182 airframe made by Todd Peterson . The conversion consists of the addition of a high-lift canard and a 260 HP engine.

The 260SE traces its history to a STOL aircraft called Skyshark built by Jim Robertson in the late 1950s. The Skyshark was a technological success but too expensive to produce. However, Todd Peterson incorporated many features of the Skyshark into the Wren 460. The Wren 460 was a conversion of the Cessna 182 airframe that had full-span double-slotted flaps, movable spoilers in leu of ailerons for roll control and a movable high-lift canard. The aircraft gained a reputation as the only safe STOL aircraft. This was because it did not achieve its STOL characteristics through dangerous high angles of attack and by depending on a powerful engine to pull the aircraft upward (operating "behind the envelope"). At idle power the aircraft could loiter at slow speed with outstanding stall resistance and over-the-nose visibility. It could also make steep turns immediately after take-off.

The Peterson 260SE is the next-generation STOL conversion for the Cessna 182. On the 260SE the wing modifications are absent. The aircraft depends on the high-lift canard and a more-powerful 260 HP Continental engine to achieve STOL capabilities. A canard-only conversion, the 230SE, is also available for about 1/3 the price of the canard/engine combination. The 230SE has inferior take-off performance compared to the 260SE but both aircraft have a stall speed of 35 knots.

Performance

• Take-off: 383 ft (230SE, 475 ft)
• Landing: 400 ft
• Stall speed: 35 kt
• Rate of Climb: 1,380 fpm (230SE, 1,150 fpm)
• Cruise: 175 kt (230SE, 140 kt)

External links

• Manufacturer's website
• Photo galleries Peterson 230/260SEs and Wren 460s
• Wren 460 Picture with spoilers, full-wing double-slotted flaps and canard clearly visible.]