The Cessna 172 Skyhawk is an American four-seat, single-engine, high wing, fixed-wing aircraft made by the Cessna Aircraft Company."Cessna Skyhawk" (2013), Cessna Aircraft Company. Retrieved 2013-04-12. First flown in 1955, more 172s have been built than any other aircraft. It was developed from the Cessna 170, which was first manufactured in 1948, but with tricycle landing gear rather than conventional landing gear. The Skyhawk name was originally used for a trim package, but was later applied to all standard-production 172 aircraft; in the 1980s, the 172 was briefly marketed as the Cutlass. The 172 was also produced under license in France by Reims Aviation. The 172 was developed into the more powerful but less successful Cessna 175; after that aircraft's discontinuation, Cessna and Reims used the 175 type certificate to develop the R172 series, which includes several aircraft marketed as 172 variants.
Measured by its longevity and popularity, the Cessna 172 is the most successful aircraft in history. Cessna delivered the first production model in 1956, and , the company and its partners had built more than 44,000 units.Cessna homepage: Skyhawk . Retrieved 2015-01-22 With a break from 1986 to 1996, the aircraft remains in production today.
A light general aviation airplane, the Skyhawk's main competitors throughout much of its history were the Beechcraft Musketeer and Grumman American AA-5 series, though neither are currently in production. Other prominent competitors still in production include the Piper PA-28 Cherokee,Plane and Pilot: 1978 Aircraft Directory, pp. 22–23. Werner & Werner Corp, Santa Monica CA, 1977. and, more recently, the Diamond DA40 Diamond Star and Cirrus SR20.
Design and development The Cessna 172 started as a tricycle landing gear variant of the taildragger Cessna 170, with a basic level of standard equipment. In January 1955, Cessna flew an improved variant of the Cessna 170, a Continental O-300-A-powered Cessna 170C with larger elevators and a more angular tailfin. Although the variant was tested and certified, Cessna decided to modify it with a tricycle landing gear, and the modified Cessna 170C flew again on June 12, 1955. To reduce the time and cost of certification, the type was added to the Cessna 170 type certificate as the Model 172. Later, the 172 was given its own type certificate. The 172 became an overnight sales success, and over 1,400 were built in 1956, its first full year of production.Clark, Anders (1 January 2015). "Cessna 172 Skyhawk ". Disciples of Flight. Retrieved 12 August 2015
Early 172s were similar in appearance to the 170s, with the same straight aft fuselage and tall landing gear legs, although the 172 had a straight tailfin while the 170 had a rounded fin and rudder. In 1960, the 172A incorporated revised landing gear and the swept-back tailfin, which is still in use today. Starting with the 172B, Cessna introduced the stepped firewall and enlarged, relocated instrument panel from the related Cessna 175; from this point forward, the fuselages of the two types became largely identical.
The final aesthetic development, found in the 1963 172D and all later 172 models, was a lowered rear deck allowing an aft window. Cessna advertised this added rear visibility as "Omni-Vision".
Production halted in 1986 because of product liability costs, but resumed in 1996 at Cessna's new factory at Independence, Kansas, with the Cessna 172R Skyhawk. Cessna supplemented this in 1998 with the Cessna 172S Skyhawk SP.
Modifications The Cessna 172 may be modified through a wide array of supplemental type certificates (STCs), including increased engine power, higher gross weight limits, and certain aerobatic conversions. Available STC engine modifications increase power from , add constant-speed propellers, or allow the use of automobile gasoline. Other modifications include additional fuel tank capacity in the wing tips, added baggage compartment tanks, added wheel pants to reduce drag, or enhanced landing and takeoff performance and safety with a STOL kit. AOPA Pilot, May/July 1994 The 172 has also been equipped with the fuel injected Superior Air Parts Vantage engine.
Operational history The Cessna 172 has been used extensively for flight training, personal transportation, and aerial patrol work. Various operators, including civil flying schools and government agencies, have flown the type for tasks such as search-and-rescue, pipeline inspection, and law-enforcement observation.
World records From December 4, 1958, to February 7, 1959, Robert Timm and John Cook set the world record for (refueled) flight endurance in a Cessna 172, registration number N9172B. They took off from McCarran Field (now Harry Reid International Airport) in Las Vegas, Nevada, and landed back at McCarran Field after 64 days, 22 hours, 19 minutes and 5 seconds in a flight covering an estimated , over 6 times farther than flying around the world at the equator. The flight was part of a fund-raising effort for the Damon Runyon Cancer Fund. The aircraft is now on display at the airport.
Variants
Cessna has historically used model years similar to U.S. auto manufacturers, with sales of new models typically starting a few months prior to the actual calendar year.
Introduced in November 1955 for the 1956 model year as a development of the Cessna 170B with tricycle landing gear, dubbed "Land-O-Matic" by Cessna. The 172 also featured a redesigned tail similar to the experimental 170C, "Para-Lift" flaps, and a maximum gross weight of while retaining the 170B's Continental O-300-A six-cylinder, air-cooled engine. The 1957 and 1959 model years brought only minor changes, while 1959 introduced a new cowling for improved engine cooling. The prototype 172, c/n 612, was modified from 170 c/n 27053, which previously served as the prototype of the 170B. A total of 3,757 were constructed over the four model years; 1,178 (1956), 1,041 (1957), 750 (1958), 788 (1959).Clarke, Bill: The Cessna 172 First Edition. TAB Books, 1987. Simpson 1991, p. 118
1960 model year with a swept-back vertical tail and rudder and powered by a O-300-C engine. It was also the first 172 to be certified for floatplane operation. 994 built.
1961 model year with shorter landing gear, engine mounts lengthened by three inches (76 mm), a reshaped cowling, a pointed propeller spinner, and an increased gross weight of . The stepped firewall introduced in the closely related Cessna 175 was adopted in the 172, along with the 175's wider, rearranged instrument panel located further aft in the fuselage. For the first time, the Skyhawk name was applied to an available deluxe option package that included optional wheel fairings, avionics, and a cargo door along with full exterior paint rather than partial paint stripes. The Skyhawk was also powered by an O-300-D in place of the O-300-C of the standard model. 989 built.
1962 model year with fiberglass wingtips, redesigned wheel fairings, a key starter to replace the previous pull-starter, and an optional autopilot. The seats were redesigned to be six-way adjustable, and a child seat was made optional to allow two children to be carried in the baggage area. 810 built.
1963 model year with a cut down rear fuselage with a wraparound Omni-Vision rear window, a one-piece windshield, increased horizontal stabilizer span, and a folding hat shelf in the rear cabin. Gross weight was increased to , where it would stay until the 172P. New rudder and brake pedals were also added. 1,011 were built by Cessna, while a further 18 were produced by Reims Aviation in France as the F172D.
1964 model year with a redesigned instrument panel with center-mounted avionics and circuit breakers replacing the electrical fuses of previous models. 1,209 built, 67 built by Reims as the F172E.
1965 model year with electrically operated flaps to replace the previous lever-operated system and improved instrument lighting. 1,400 built, plus 94 by Reims as the F172F.
The 172F formed the basis for the U.S. Air Force's T-41A Mescalero primary trainer, which was used during the 1960s and early 1970s as initial flight screening aircraft in USAF Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT). Following their removal from the UPT program, some extant USAF T-41s were assigned to the U.S. Air Force Academy for the cadet pilot indoctrination program, while others were distributed to Air Force aero clubs.
1966 model year with a longer, more pointed spinner and sold for US$12,450 in its basic 172 version and US$13,300 in the upgraded Skyhawk version. 1,474 built (including 26 as the T-41A), plus 140 by Reims as the F172G.
1967 model year with a 60A alternator replacing the generator, a rotating beacon replacing the flashing unit, redesigned wheel fairings, and 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. 1,586 built (including 34 as the T-41A), plus 435 by Reims as the F172H for both the 1967 and 1968 model years.
The 1968 model year marked the beginning of the Lycoming-powered 172s, with the 172I introduced with a Lycoming O-320-E2D engine of , an increase of over the Continental powerplant. The increased power resulted in an increase in optimal cruise from true airspeed (TAS) to TAS. There was no change in the sea level rate of climb at per minute. Starting with this model, the standard and deluxe Skyhawk models were no longer powered by different engines. The 172I also introduced the first standard "T" instrument arrangement. 649 built.Simpson 1991, p. 119
For 1968, Cessna planned to replace the 172 with a newly designed aircraft called the 172J, featuring the same general configuration but with a more sloping windshield, a strutless cantilever wing, a more stylish interior, and various other improvements. A single 172J prototype, registered N3765C (c/n 660), was built. However, the popularity of the previous 172 with Cessna dealers and flight schools prompted the cancellation of the replacement plan, and the 172J was redesignated as the 177 from the second prototype onward and sold alongside the 172.Simpson 1991, p. 137
Introduced for the 1969 model year with a redesigned tailfin cap and reshaped rear windows enlarged by . Optional long-range wing fuel tanks were also offered. The 1970 model year featured fiberglass, downward-shaped, conical camber wingtips and optional fully articulated seats. 2,055 built for both model years, plus 50 by Reims as the F172K.
Introduced for the 1971 model year with tapered, tubular steel landing gear legs replacing the original flat spring steel legs, increasing landing gear width by . The new landing gear was lighter, but required aerodynamic fairings to maintain the same speed and climb performance as experienced with the flat steel design. 172L also had a nose-mounted landing light, a bonded baggage door, and optional cabin skylights. The 1972 model year introduced a plastic fairing between the dorsal fin and vertical fin to introduce a greater family resemblance to the 182's vertical fin. 1972 also introduced a reduced-diameter propeller, bonded cabin doors, and improved instrument panel controls. 1,535 built for both model years, plus 100 by Reims as the F172L.