Cessna 172

The Cessna 172 Skyhawk is a four-seat, single-engine, high-wing airplane. More Cessna 172s have been built than any other Western aircraft. It is also probably the most popular flight training aircraft in the world.

Development

The Cessna 172 is without doubt the most successful mass produced light aircraft in history. The first production models were delivered in 1956 and it is still in production in 2007; more than 35,000 have been built. The Skyhawk's main competitors have been the popular Piper Cherokee, the Beechcraft Musketeer and Grumman Cheetah (both no longer in production), and, more recently, the Diamond DA40 Star.

Early 172s looked almost identical to the 170, with the same straight aft fuselage and tall gear legs, but later versions incorporated revised landing gear, a lowered rear deck, and an aft window. Cessna advertised this added rear visibility as "Omni-Vision". The final structural development, in the mid-1960s, was the sweptback tail still used today. The airframe has remained almost unchanged since then, with updates to avionics and engines including most recently the Garmin G1000 glass cockpit since 2005. Production ended in the mid-1980s, but was resumed in 1996 with the 160 hp (120 kW) Cessna 172R Skyhawk and was supplemented in 1998 by the 180 hp (135 kW) Cessna 172S Skyhawk SP.

The older Skyhawks were delivered with a 145 horsepower (110 kW) engine, while later versions were equipped with engines up to 180 horsepower (135 kW), though 150 or 160 hp (110 or 120 kW) is more common. A rare modification of engines allowed the installation of a 220 hp Franklin engine.

The Cessna 172 started life as a relatively simple tricycle undercarriage development of the taildragger 170, with a fairly basic level of standard equipment. First flight was in November 1955. The 172 became an overnight sales success and over 1400 were built in 1956, its first full year of production.

The basic 172 remained in production until replaced by the 172A of early 1960. The 172A introduced a swept back tail and rudder, while the 172B of late 1960 introduced a shorter undercarriage, equipment changes and for the first time the Skyhawk name for the Deluxe option.

The 172D of 1963 introduced the cut down rear fuselage with wraparound rear window. The 172F introduced electric flaps and was built in France by Reims Cessna as the F172 through to 1971. It also formed the basis for the US Air Force's T-41A Mescalero primary trainer. The 172G of 1966 introduced a more pointed spinner, while the 172H was the last Continental powered 172.

In the late 1960s Cessna re-engined its already highly successful 172 four seater with the four cylinder Lycoming O-320. These O-320 powered models were the most successful to bear the 172 model number.

Cessna re-engined the 172 with the Lycoming O-320-E as compared with the O-300 it had two fewer cylinders (and thus lower overhaul costs), a 200 hour greater TBO, improved fuel efficiency and more power. Even so, Cessna thought 172 production would be shortlived as the similarly powered but more modern 177 Cardinal was released at the same time. In spite of the Cardinal, the Lycoming powered 172 was a runaway success and easily outsold and outlived its intended replacement.

The first O-320 Skyhawk was the 172I introduced in 1968. The 1969 172K introduced a redesigned fin, reshaped rear windows and optional increased fuel capacity, while 1970's 172K sported conical camber wingtips and a wider track undercarriage. The 172L in production in the 1971/72 model years was the first to feature the enlarged dorsal fin fillet.

The 1974 172M is powered by the Lycoming O-320-E2D 150HP carburated four cylinder engine. The 172M of 1973/76 gained a drooped wing leading edge for improved low speed handling. The 172M was also the first to introduce the optional `II' package of higher standard equipment. Also in 1976 Cessna stopped marketing the aircraft as the 172.

The 172N was powered by a 120kW (160hp) O-320-H designed to run on 100 octane fuel, but the engine proved troublesome and was replaced by the similarly rated O-320-D in the 172P of 1981. The P was the last basic 172 model, remaining in production until 1985.

The 172R was introduced in 1996 powered by a 160hp Lycoming IO-360L2A. This was the first of the Cessna 172's to have a fuel-injected engine. The maximum takeoff weight of the 172R is 2,450lbs (1,113kg) and has a full flaps stall speed (Vso) of 33 knots. The 172R introduced many improvements including a new interior with contoured front seats which adjust vertically and recline, an all new multi level ventilation system, standard four point intercom, interior soundproofing, and energy absorbing 26g seats with inertia reel harnesses.

The 172S (Skyhawk SP) represents the most modern development of the Cessna 172. Introduced in 1998, it is powered by a 180hp Lycoming IO-360L2A. The maximum rpm was increased from 2400rpm to 2700rpm to deliver a 20hp increase over the 172R. The aircraft is geared to owner-operators, with leather seats and the maximum takeoff weight increased to 2,550lbs (1,157kg). As of 2007, both the Cessna 172R and Cessna 172S are offered in the Cessna product range and the Garmin G1000 avionics package is standard.

Cessna 172RG Cutlass

Cessna produced a retractable-gear version of the 172 named the Cutlass 172RG and also produced versions on floats. The 172RG additionally had a variable pitch, constant speed propeller and more powerful stock engine as did the more spartan militarized Cessna 172E that was sold to the US Army as a spotter plane. While numbered and marketed as a 172, the 172RG is actually a variant of the Cessna 175 type.

Reims FR172J and Hawk XP

The Reims Rocket, designated FR172J was produced by Reims Aviation from the late 1960s to the mid 1970s, and was powered by a Rolls-Royce built fuel-injected Continental IO-360D producing 210 hp, and driving a constant speed prop. This led to the R172K Hawk XP which was produced from 1977 to 1979 in both Wichita and Reims, and this featured a fuel injected Continental IO-360K (later IO-360KB), derated to 195 hp, driving a two bladed constant speed prop. This aircraft is capable of 131 knot cruise speed, and performs similarly to the Cessna 182. While numbered and marketed as 172's, the R172J and R172K models are actually variants of the Cessna 175 type.

Lineage

The 172 is a direct descendant of the Cessna 170, which has conventional landing gear in place of the 172's tricycle gear.

The Skyhawk is part of a large family of high-wing, tricycle-gear, single-engine Cessna planes, ranging from the two-seater 150/152 (no longer in production) to the more powerful 182 Skylane, the six-seat 206 Stationair, and the fourteen-seat turboprop 208 Caravan, along with several other models no longer produced.

Military operators

A variant of the C172, the T-41, is used as a trainer with the United States Air Force and Army.

Because of its high-wing design, stability at low airspeeds, and relatively low stall speed, the C-172 is an excellent platform for search and rescue operations, and is the primary platform for the Civil Air Patrol's operations. Some C-172RG's in the CAP Fleet are equipped with the Satellite Digital Imaging System.

In addition, the United States Border Patrol uses a fleet of many C-172's for aerial surveillance along the Mexican-American border.

• Angola, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, France, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Indonesia, Ireland, Liberia, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, United Kingdom, and United States.

Famous Cessna 172 Flights

On December 4, 1958 Robert Timm and John Cook took off from McCarran Airfield, Las Vegas, NV. 64 days, 22 hours, 19 minutes and 5 seconds later they landed back at McCarran Airfield on February 4, 1959. Food, water and fuel were transferred from a chase car. The aircraft is currently on display in the passenger terminal at McCarran International Airport.^{[citation needed]}

In 1987 a rented Skyhawk 172B was used by the German teenage pilot Mathias Rust to fly, without permission, from Helsinki-Malmi Airport through Soviet airspace to a landing near the Red Square in Moscow, all without being intercepted by Soviet air defense.

On January 5, 2002 high school student Charles J. Bishop, inspired by the September 11 attacks, stole a Cessna 172 and crashed it into the side of the Bank of America Tower in downtown Tampa, Florida, killing himself but otherwise causing very little damage. See 2002 Tampa plane crash.

Specifications (172R)

Data from Quest for Performance^[1]

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Capacity: 3 passengers
• Length: 27 ft 2 in (8.28 m)
• Wingspan: 36 ft 1 in (11.0 m)
• Height: 8 ft 11 in (2.72 m)
• Wing area: 174 ft² (16.2 m²)
• Empty weight: 1,620 lb (743 kg)
• Max takeoff weight: 2,450 lb (1,110 kg)
• Powerplant: 1× Lycoming IO-360-L2A flat-4 engine, 160 hp (120 kW) at 2,400 rpm
• Zero-lift drag coefficient: 0.0319
• Drag area: 5.58 ft² (0.52 m²)
• Aspect ratio: 7.32
• Lift-to-drag ratio: 7.5

Performance

• Never exceed speed: 163 knots (185 mph, 302 km/h)
• Maximum speed: 123 knots (141 mph, 228 km/h) at sea level
• Range: 790 mi (687 nm, 1,272 km) at 60% power at 10,000 ft (3,040 m)
• Service ceiling: 13,500 ft (4,120 m)
• Rate of climb: 720 ft/min (3.7 m/s)
• Max wing loading: 14.1 lb/ft² (68.8 kg/m²)
• Minimum power/mass: 0.065 hp/lb (110 W/kg)

References

• Type certificate data sheet no. 3A17. Revision 45. (Mar 31, 2003) Department of Transportation. Federal Aviation Administration
• Type certificate data sheet no. 3A12. Revision 73. (Feb 14 2006) Department of Transportation. Federal Aviation Administration

Wikipedia information about Cessna 172 This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Cessna 172". It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer). Help contribute to Americola and edit this article.