On the upcoming trip to Victoria Falls, we will be going a bit bigger than usual.
Instead of a C182 Stationair, we will be taking this beautiful C206 Skywagon.

Bigger means more power

Bigger firstly means more power. Without more power bigger would be pretty useless.
A normally aspirated C206 has 285 maximum continuous Break Horse Power (BHP) at 2 700 RPM. For take-off, you can get up to 300 BHP at 2 850 RPM. But that is really only for take off and would put too much stress on the engine for continuous operation.
These 285 BHP are a fair amount more than the 230 BHP you get in a normally aspirated C182.

Having that additional power under your cowling, obviously enables you to do a bit more in terms of carrying people, gear and whatever else you intend to move around.
With a full load of 80 USG of fuel, you can pack about 220 kg into a C182. With an equivalent full load of fuel, you can pack a whopping 470 kg of cargo, passengers or both. That is more than double. It is no surprise then, that the C206 is commonly referred to as the workhorse of the air.

In addition, and that is another real plus point to emphasise here, the C206 is still very capable for short field take off and landings (STOL). A C210 would no longer qualify as a STOL aircraft.
With the STOL capability, the C206 is also an exceptionally flexible and capable workhorse. It can carry load into or from remote areas, which would otherwise be hard to serve.
Ok, he accepts that you can drop boxed cargo with a parachute from an aircraft over any area. But you couldn’t necessarily do that with a doctor or field consultant. Unless that guy has nowhere to go from there. Practically not likely, he would presume.

But also more weight

As one can see, that additional power is really great and adds a lot of value in terms of what you can do. That is, whilst that power is there.
That bigger engine is unavoidably also heavier, and with more power you are likely also heavier loaded, all of which also makes a difference when you lose that power during flight.
In the event of an engine failure in air, you can glide as far as a C182, but you gonna reach the ground a bit sooner than in a C182. It’s always good to be at least aware of it, as there is a little less time to think and ponder when it happens.

Besides the bigger engine and increased payload, the only real difference is that the C206 has a direct fuel injected engine, whilst the C182 normally comes with a carburetor. The better fuel efficiency of a direct injected engine offsets the higher fuel burn somewhat, but of course not fully.
As both models have a fuel capacity of 80 USG, the total endurance in the C206 is a bit lower than in the C182. But with the higher cruise speed, you can get pretty much the same range if not more. With a cargo pod, your range would however drop slightly due to the added drag.

For our crowd and rather light luggage up to Victoria Falls, the C206 is certainly more than what is needed for a comfortable flying adventure. But sometimes, bigger is indeed better.
We’ll have fun out there.