Smaller, Lighter Cessna 327 'Mini Skymaster'

The 327 was Cessna’s solution to a downsizing opportunity. Then it ended up in a NASA wind tunnel.

Jason McDowell

Tuesday, June 27, 2023 at 11:41 AM ET

Verified

A close-up shot of the 327 undergoing testing in NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. [Credit: NASA]

Key Takeaways:

Cessna developed the 327 "Baby Skymaster" prototype in the 1960s to target a market niche for a smaller, more economical twin-engine aircraft.
The unique aircraft, similar in size to a Cessna 172, featured two 160 hp engines, a strutless wing, and excellent visibility, but completed less than 40 hours of flight testing.
The sole 327 prototype was later used by NASA in 1975 for wind tunnel research on propeller noise reduction, where it was found that propeller shrouds unexpectedly increased noise.
The ultimate fate of the Cessna 327 after its NASA research is unknown, but its design and the noise-reduction studies may still hold relevance today.

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Once upon a time, GA aircraft manufacturers pursued market niches with the ferocity of wild dingos. When marketing teams identified a potentially underserved customer segment, they wasted no time introducing minor variations to existing models to accommodate it. Compared to today’s offerings, the resulting variety of aircraft was spectacularly broad and varied.

When Cessna determined some customers would be willing to pay a bit more for a slightly more powerful 172, for example, the company introduced the 175 Skylark. This was little more than a 172 with a different engine, but the company was in pursuit of new market segments and opted to advertise it as an entirely different model.