The Airvan's robust steel gear makes it ideal for outback strips.

by Rick Durden

Airplane makers have a rich tradition of trying to balance the demands of building a load-hauling piston single without the result looking like the design engineer had been badly frightened by a steamer trunk during his youth.

Despite fervent wishes of aerodynamicists, no one has devised a better or cheaper shape for lugging lots of stuff than a box, even though Cessna managed to taper that shape somewhat with its 185, 206 and 207. …