The Buttonville Flying Club COPA Flight 44

 
The Airplane of the Day is the Cessna 172.
 
Arguably the most popular civil airplane ever built.
 
In the cool air of November 1955, the first 172 leapt into the air as a four-seat, single-engine, high-wing, fixed-wing aircraft and is still in production today. More Cessna 172s have been built than any other aircraft and is the most successful mass produced light aircraft in history. Unfortunately, Clyde Vernon Cessna, aviator, designer and founder of the Cessna Aircraft Corporation, had passed away in the previous November. The company however; remains true to him and his efforts.
 
The first production models were delivered in 1956, sold for $8,995 US and they are still in production today following an 11 year hiatus. More than 43,000 172’s have been built as of 2008 and the main competitors have been the Beechcraft Musketeer and Grumman AA-5 series (neither of which are in production), the Piper Cherokee and, more recently, the Diamond DA40.
 
Beginning life as a tricycle landing gear variant of the taildragger Cessna 170, the 172 came equipped with a basic level of standard equipment and became an overnight sales success with sales of over 1,400 units in 1956.
 
Design changes and innovations continued over the years with the 1960 model 172A which introduced a swept back tail and rudder, as well as float fittings. The price was $9,450 US and 1015 were built.
 
The 172B was introduced in late 1960 as the 1961 model and introduced a shorter undercarriage, engine mounts were lengthened three inches, and included a reshaped cowling and a pointed propeller spinner. The "Skyhawk" name also made it’s emergence due to deluxe option package that became available and the gross weight was increased to 2,250 lb.
 
In 1962 the 172C began selling and brought with it an optional autopilot and a key starter to replace the previous pull-starter. The seats were redesigned to be six-way adjustable. A child seat was made optional to allow two children to be carried in the baggage area. The price was $9,895 US. A total of 889 172C models were produced.
 
The 1963 172D model introduced the lower rear fuselage with wraparound Omni-Vision rear window and a one-piece windshield. New rudder and brake pedals were also added and a total of 1,146 172Ds were built. 1963 also saw the introduction of the 172D Powermatic which equipped the airplane with a Continental GO-300E producing 175 horsepower and a cruise speed 11 mph faster than the standard 172D. In reality this was not a new model but was a Cessna 175 Skylark that had been renamed for its last year of production. The Skylark had gained a reputation for poor engine reliability and the renaming of it as a 172 was a marketing attempt to regain sales through rebranding. The move was not a success and neither the 1963 Powermatic nor the Skylark were produced again after the 1963 model year.
 
The 172E was the 1964 model. The electrical fuses were replaced with circuit breakers. Gross weight was increased to 2,300 lb where it would stay until the 172P came to fruition. 1,401 models 172Es were built that year as production continued to increase.
 
The 1965 model 172F introduced electrically-operated flaps to replace the previous lever-operated system. It was built in France by Reims Cessna as the F172 until 1971. These models formed the basis for the US Air Force's T-41A Mescalero primary trainer with a total of 1,436 172Fs completed.

The 1966 model year 172G introduced a more pointed spinner and sold for $12,450 in its basic 172 version and $13,300 in the upgraded Skyhawk version. A total of 1,597 were built.
 
The 1967 model 172H was the last Continental O-300 powered model. It also introduced a shorter-stroke nose gear oleo to reduce drag and improve the appearance of the aircraft in flight. A new cowling was used, introducing shock-mounts that transmitted lower noise-levels to the cockpit and reduced cowl cracking. The electric stall warning horn was replaced by a pneumatic one. The 1967 model 172H sold for $10,950 while the Skyhawk version was $12,750. Only 839 were built that year, representing the first year that production was less than the year before.
 
The 1968 model marked the beginning of the Lycoming powered 172s. The familiar 172 needed to be re-engined because Cessna had cancelled its contract with Continental for their venerable 0-300 6-cyl engine which produced 145 hp. With the change the "I" model was introduced and had a Lycoming O-320-E2D engine of 150 hp, an increase of 5 hp over the Continental powerplant which resulted in an increase in optimal cruise from 130 mph TAS to 131 mph TAS. There was no change in the sea level rate of climb at 645 ft per minute. The 172”I” also introduced the first standard "T" instrument arrangement. The 172”I” saw an increase in production to record levels with 1,206 built.
 
The Cessna Company planned to drop the previous 172 configuration for the 1968 model year and replace it with a cantilever-wing/stabilator configuration that would be the 172J. However, dealers put pressure on the company and the 172 J never came to into being, instead it was renamed the 177. The deluxe option would become the 177 Cardinal. The "J" designation was never publicly used.
 
The next model year was the 1969 "K" model. The 1969 172K had a redesigned vertical fin cap and reshaped rear windows. Optional long range 52 US gal wing fuel tanks were offered. The rear windows were slightly enlarged by 16 square inches. The 1969 model sold for $12,500 for the 172 and $13,995 for the Skyhawk, with 1,170 made.
 
The 1970 model was still called the 172K but sported fiberglass, downward-shaped, conical wing tips and fully articulated seats were offered. Production in 1970 was a dismal 759 units.
 
The 172L, sold during 1971 and 1972, replaced the main landing gear, which were originally flat spring steel with tapered, tubular steel gear legs. The new gear had a width that was increased by 12 inches. The new tubular gear was lighter, but required aerodynamic fairings to maintain the same speed and climb performance as experienced with the flat steel design. The "L" also had a plastic fairing between the dorsal fin and vertical fin to introduce a greater family resemblance to the 182's vertical fin. The 1971 model sold for $13,425 in the 172 version and $14,995 in the Skyhawk version. Only 827 172Ls were sold in 1971 but a slight increase in sales was realized in 1972 where 984 made it into production.
 
The 172M of 1973-76 gained a drooped wing leading edge for improved low speed handling. This was marketed as the "camber-lift" wing.
 
The 1974 172M was also the first to introduce the optional 'II' package which offered higher standard equipment, including a second nav/comm radio, an ADF and transponder. The baggage compartment was increased in size and nose-mounted dual landing lights were available as an option.
 
The 1975 model 172M sold for $16,055 for the 172, $17,890 for the Skyhawk and $20,335 for the Skyhawk II. Total production of "M" models was 7,306 over the four years it was manufactured.
 
In 1976, Cessna stopped marketing the aircraft as the 172 and began exclusively using the "Skyhawk" designation. This model year also saw a redesigned instrument panel to hold more avionics.
The Skyhawk N, or Skyhawk/100 as Cessna termed it, was introduced for the 1977 model year. The "100" designation indicated that it was powered by a Lycoming O-320-H2AD, 160 horsepower engine designed to run on 100 octane fuel, whereas all previous engines used 80/87 fuel. Unfortunately, this engine proved troublesome and it was replaced by the similarly rated O-320-D2J to create the 1981 172P. The 1977 "N" model 172 also introduced rudder trim as an option and standard "pre-selectable" flaps. The price was $22,300, with the Skyhawk/100 II selling for $29,950.
 
The 1978 model brought a 28-volt electrical system to replace the previous 14-volt system and air conditioning became an option.
 
The 1979 model "N" increased the flap extension speed for the first 10 degrees to 115 knots and optional fuel cells increased the optional fuel to 66 US gallons.
 
The "N" remained in production until 1980 when the 172P or Skyhawk P was introduced.
 
There was no "O" ("Oscar") model 172 and serves a good bit of trivia for Cessna pilots.
 
The 172P, or Skyhawk P, was introduced in 1981 to solve the reliability problems of the "N" engine. The Lycoming O-320-D2J was a great improvement. The "P" model also saw the maximum flap deflection decreased from 40 degrees to 30 to allow a gross weight increase from 2,300 lb to 2,400 lb. A wet wing was optional, with a capacity of 62 US gallons of fuel. The price of a new Skyhawk P was $33,950, with the Skyhawk P II costing $37,810 and the Nav/Pac equipped Skyhawk P II selling for $42,460.
 
In 1982, the "P" saw the landing lights moved from the nose to the wing to increase bulb life. The 1983 model added some minor sound-proofing improvements and thicker windows and a second door latch pin was introduced in 1984. Production of the "P" ended in 1985 and no more 172s were built for eleven years as legal liability rulings in the USA had pushed Cessna's insurance costs too high, resulting in dramatically increasing prices for new aircraft.
 
There were only 195 172s built in 1984, a rate of fewer than 4 per week.
 
The 172Q was introduced in 1983 and given the name Cutlass to create an affiliation with the 172RG, although it was actually a 172P with a Lycoming O-360-A4N engine of 180 horsepower. The aircraft had a gross weight of 2,550 lb and an optimal cruise speed of 122 knots compared to the "P"s cruise speed of 120 knots on 20 hp or less. It had a useful load that was about 100 lb more than the Skyhawk P and a rate of climb that was actually 20 feet per minute lower, due to the higher gross weight. Production ended after only three years when all 172 production stopped.
 
The Skyhawk R was introduced in 1996 and is powered by a derated Lycoming IO-360-L2A producing a maximum of 160 horsepower at just 2,400 rpm. This is the first Cessna 172 to have a factory fitted fuel-injected engine. The 172R's maximum takeoff weight is 2,450 lb. This model year introduced many improvements, including a new interior with soundproofing, an all new multi-level ventilation system, a standard four point intercom, contoured, energy absorbing, 26g front seats with vertical and reclining adjustments and inertia reel harnesses.
 
The Cessna 172S was introduced in 1998 and is powered by a Lycoming IO-360-L2A producing 180 horsepower. The maximum engine rpm was increased from 2,400 rpm to 2,700 rpm resulting in a 20 hp increase over the "R" model. As a result, the maximum takeoff weight was increased to 2,550 lb. This model is marketed under the name Skyhawk SP, although the Type Certification data sheet specifies it is a 172S. The 172S is built primarily for the private owner-operator and is offered with the Garmin G1000 avionics package as standard equipment and leather seats.
As of 2009, only the S model is in production.
 
    
 
This is a fine example of a Cessna 172 K

 
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)
Airfoil: NACA 2412 (modified)
Empty weight: 1,620 lb (736 kg)
Useful load: 830 lb (376 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 2,450 lb (1,113 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: 11.6
Wing loading: 14.1 lb/ft² (68.8 kg/m²)
Power/mass: 15.3 lb/hp (9.25 kg/kW)
 
Performance
 
Never exceed speed: 163 knots (187 mph, 302 km/h)
Maximum speed: 123 knots (141 mph, 228 km/h) at sea level
Cruise speed: 122 knots (140mph, 226 km/h)
Range: 610 nm (790 mi, 1,272 km) at 55% power at 12,000 ft (3,040 m)
Service ceiling: 13,500 ft (4,116 m)
Rate of climb: 720 ft/min (3.7 m/s)
 
 
... Al.