Cessna is one of the most popular general aviation and private aviation manufacturers in the world. The company was founded in 1927 by Victor Roos and Clyde Cessna. Clyde bought out Roos within the first month to create Cessna Aircraft Company and utilized his background in mechanical design and engineering to begin designing aircraft in the late 1920s.
However, the first aircraft designed by Cessna Aircraft Company, the Cessna DC-6, was certified on the same day of the stock market crash of 1929, which led to the Great Depression. Clyde was forced to close the doors of his company in the early 1930s.
The company was eventually revived by Clyde’s two nephews, Dwane and Dwight Wallace. In 1934, the two brothers bought the company and began redesigning aircraft under Clyde’s guidance, and the Cessna Aircraft Company saw great success under the two Wallace brothers. The company was able to secure several contracts from the United States military during World War II, which allowed it to break into the aviation industry. It also took advantage of the general aviation boom that followed the end of World War II.
The immediate success that Cessna Aircraft Company saw in the 1930s and the 1940s led to its success over the years. This led to the creation of several successful series of aircraft, including the Citation series of business jets. This is one of the most popular families of private jets and is still produced today. This includes private jets like the following aircraft:
- Cessna CitationJet series
- Cessna Citation Excel
- Cessna Citation Latitude
- Cessna Citation Longitude
The Wichita, Kansas-based company has also produced several popular turboprop aircraft, like the Cessna Caravan. However, Cessna is most known for its series of popular trainer aircraft, which are single-engine and piston-engine powered. This includes popular aircraft like the Cessna 182 Skylane and the Cessna 206 Stationair, which are still produced today. However, the most popular aircraft it produces is the Cessna 172 Skyhawk. Let’s take a closer look at this unique aircraft and why it is popular across the world.
About the Cessna 172 Skyhawk
The Cessna Aircraft Company found its footing in the civil aviation industry in the 1940s and early 1950s, especially with the introduction of the Cessna 170. However, the company saw an area for improvement. This led to the company working to develop an upgraded variant in the early 1950s, which was later designated the Cessna 172 Skyhawk.
The first prototype conducted its maiden flight in January 1955, which featured more powerful engines, upgraded flight controls, and tricycle landing gear. The flight testing program found the aircraft to be successful, and Cessna moved to quickly certify it. To make the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) type certification easier, the company added it to the certification of the Cessna 170 in 1955. Later, the company would certify the Cessna 172 under its own type certificate.
Photo: Textron Aviation
The company officially introduced the aircraft in 1955. In its first full year of production, Cessna produced over 1,400 aircraft, making it an overnight success. Since then, the company has introduced several variants, each adding further upgrades to keep the aircraft competitive in the light aircraft industry. Since its introduction, Cessna has produced over 44,000 total Cessna 172s, making it the most popular general aviation aircraft of all time.
The competitive range of the Cessna 172 Skyhawk
One of the Cessna 172’s best features is its competitive range. Many operators utilize the aircraft for flight training or to begin their flying careers as pilots. Overall, the Cessna 172 Skyhawk can fly approximately 640 nautical miles (737 miles), which is a competitive range in the light aircraft market.
Photo: Lithium366 | Shutterstock
The Cessna 172’s range of 640 nautical miles puts it significantly ahead of some of its major competitors. It has a further range than the American Champion, the Beechcraft Musketeer, the Piper PA-28 Cherokee, and the modern Piper Archer. However, it is a bit behind the more advanced Cirrus SR20 and the Beechcraft Bonanza. However, the Cessna 172’s lower price point still makes it a popular solution for many pilots and flight schools.
The range of the Cessna 172 allows operators to make easy one-way flights across the US. Some of these trips include:
- New York City, New York, to Indianapolis, Indiana
- Atlanta, Georgia, to Chicago, Illinois
- Dallas, Texas, to Denver, Colorado
- Los Angeles, California, to Salt Lake City, Utah
Other performance specifications of the Cessna 172 Skyhawk
Overall, the Cessna 172 Skyhawk has a high-wing configuration with a single engine and fixed tricycle landing gear. It also incorporates a swept tailfin and a large aft window to help increase the range of vision for the pilot. More recent variants are powered by a Lycoming IO-360 four-cylinder engine, which provides the aircraft with 160 horsepower. Many aircraft utilize fixed-pitch propellers, with many using Textron Aviation-owned McCauley fixed-pitch propellers. Newer variants are also powered by a Garmin avionics system, which is an electronic flight instrument system (EFIS) with two large display screens.
The Cessna 172 Skyhawk has the following performance specifications:
|
Maximum capacity |
Three passengers and one pilot |
|---|---|
|
Length |
27 feet two inches |
|
Height |
Eight feet eleven inches |
|
Wingspan |
36 feet one inch |
|
Gross weight |
2,450 pounds |
|
Cruise speed |
122 knots (140 miles per hour) |
|
Range |
640 nautical miles (737 miles) |
|
Service ceiling |
13,500 feet |