Cessna 172 – Data for Beginners

The Cessna 172 Skyhawk is the most popular aircraft that Cessna has ever produced. The first prototype of the 172 was flown in 1955 and production began in 1956. The normal cruising speed for a fixed-gear 172 ranges from 105 to 125 knots, depending on the engine and the era. The Cessna 172 was a new Cessna idea that they hoped would be popular with the public. However, the aircraft was an overnight success, with sales reaching 1,400 in its first year, 1956. The official production estimate for the Cessna 172 Skyhawk is between 35,000 and 43,000 aircraft.

The basic Cessna 172 Skyhawk remained in production until it was replaced by the Cessna 172A in the early 1960s. The 172A introduced a rear-slanted tail and rudder. However, the Cessna 172B, which arrived in the late 1960s, introduced shorter landing gear and other equipment changes. Then the name Skyhawk was first introduced for the deluxe version that was produced after the 172B.

The engine used in the Cessna type 172 that was manufactured between 1955 and 1967 was the six-cylinder Continental O-300. This engine was later replaced by the four-cylinder Lycoming O-320. The equipment and instruments used were analog, but currently Cessna is introducing the Garmin G1000 glass cockpit to its aircraft, which is said to be the new way forward with aircraft avionics and equipment.

Competitors to the Cessna 172 include the Beechcraft Musketeer, the Grumman American AA-5 series (none in production today, but were competitors during the 1960s and ’70s), Piper Cherokee, Diamond DA-40, and Cirrus SR-22. These older versions of the 172 ship with a 145 horsepower engine. Later aircraft were shipped with engines up to 180 horsepower, although 150 or 160 horsepower is more common. Cessna produced a retractable gear version of the Cessna 172 called the Cutlass 172RG and also produced versions on floats.

The Cessna 172RG also had a variable pitch, constant speed propeller, and a more powerful stock engine, as did the more spartan, militarized Cessna 172E, which was sold to the US Army as an observation aircraft. The Cessna R172K Hawk XP was produced in the late 1970s and featured a fuel-injected Continental IO-360-k, operating at just 195 hp. This aircraft is capable of cruising at 131 knots and behaves similarly to the Cessna 182.

The Cessna 172 Skyhawk is the airplane that most people envision when they hear the words “plane.” More people are likely to know the name Piper Cub, but the shape of the Skyhawk is much more familiar. Most people have a 172, as I have seen at my local airport. But in my opinion, the Cessna 172 is a good plane to fly as in the flight I have done on it in Microsoft Flight Simulator X. I could be wrong, but for me it is a good aircraft for beginners.