03/31/2012. Remarks by Johan Visschedijk: "In the late 1950s, Jim Robertson designed a STOL aircraft named the "Skyshark." It featured many STOL devices not seen before. Although the aircraft was a technical success, it was too expensive to produce. Some of the best features of the Skyshark were then applied to the proven Cessna 182 airframe to produce the Wren 460. The Wren featured full-span, double slotted flaps, movable spoilers called "wren's teeth" to assist in roll control, and a very innovative idea for its day, a movable high lift canard.

The Wren achieved a worldwide reputation for being the only safe STOL airplane ever built. It achieved this by not relying on dangerous high angles of attack, and operation behind the power curve to achieve its safe STOL performance. The Wren's safe, slow flight characteristics saw the Wren being used in many different roles. After Todd Peterson had built numerous Wrens in the early 1980s, he decided to certify a new airplane that would replace the Wren.

Based upon customer input, the new airplane would be faster, carry more weight, have a higher service ceiling and have improved handling characteristics. It had a smaller canard, not full-span flaps, nor upper wing spoilers/drag plates in front of the ailerons. All this was to be done without giving up short field ability, its safe, flat attitude at low speeds, or its stall resistance. Thus, the 260SE/STOL was produced in 1986 after two years of FAA certification.

The pictured aircraft was produced in 1976 as a Cessna 182P Skylane and the aircraft is still registered as such, although since it has been converted to a Peterson 260SE STOL aircraft."