The flying club that I've been a member of for the last few years has two airplanes - a Cessna 172 and a Cessna 177RG. I've been flying the 172 and, while it's a good plane, the 177RG is much better for longer trips due it's higher speed and range. To fly the 177RG, a Complex Endorsement is needed. Last week I started learning how to fly this more complex airplane. So, what makes this airplane "complex"?
Two major differences set the 177RG apart from the 172. First, it has what is known as a "constant speed propeller". Instead of controlling the propeller speed with the engine RPM, there is another control that lets you set the propeller pitch, which then regulates the engine RPM. The major advantage of this system is greater speed and better fuel economy. A good analogy is that the 172 is a car with only 2nd gear, and the 177RG has many gears to choose from based on whether you need power or speed.
The second difference is the "RG" - retractable gear. Landing gear is a major source of drag on an airplane and getting the gear out of the wind adds quite a bit of speed to an airplane. So, getting in the habit of putting the gear down before landing is a key aspect of successfully flying the 177RG.
I'll need at least 10 hours of dual instruction time in the airplane to meet the training requirements for the endorsement and the insurance requirements. I'm hoping to complete the training in a few weeks.
