Cessna 172
_(7-20-2025).jpg) A Cessna 172S Skyhawk SP in flight. Photo: ZLEA, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
| |
| Make | Cessna |
|---|---|
| Model | 172 Skyhawk |
| Type | Four-seat, single-engine, high-wing light airplane |
| Country |  United States
|
| First flight | June 12, 1955 |
| Built | 1956–1986 and 1996–today |
| Status | In production (Textron Aviation) |
| Number built | More than 44,000 (as of 2015) |
| Registered in the US | 18,762 (FAA register, Oct 30, 2026) |
| Seats | 4 (pilot + 3) |
| Engine | One four-cylinder piston engine, 145–180 hp depending on model |
| Cruise speed | 122 kn (172R) |
| Range | 696 nmi (172R, 55% power, 45-minute reserve) |
| Service ceiling | 13,500 ft (172R) |
| Max weight | 2,450 lb (172R) |
| Fuel | 56 US gal, 52 usable (172R) |
| Developed from | Cessna 170 |
| More aircraft · For sale | |
The Cessna 172 Skyhawk is a four-seat, single-engine, high-wing airplane, and more of them have been built than any other aircraft in history. It first flew in 1955, and Cessna and its partners had built more than 44,000 by 2015.[1] It has been used extensively for flight training,[1] and the most common 172 on the U.S. register today is the 1970s-era 172M.[2]
History
The 172 began as a Cessna 170 with a nosewheel. The 170 was a taildragger; in 1955 Cessna fitted a modified 170C with tricycle landing gear, and it flew again on June 12, 1955. To save time and money the new model was first added to the 170's type certificate as the Model 172, and later got a certificate of its own. It sold at once: more than 1,400 were built in 1956, its first full year.[1]
The look settled over the next few years. The 1960 172A brought the swept-back tail still used today, the 1961 172B took the wider instrument panel from the Cessna 175, and the 1963 172D added the "Omni-Vision" rear window.[1] The 1968 172I switched from Continental to Lycoming engines.[1]
Cessna stopped building the 172 in 1986 because of product-liability costs. Production came back in 1996 at a new factory in Independence, Kansas, with the fuel-injected 172R, followed in 1998 by the 180 hp 172S Skyhawk SP.[1] The 172 was also built under license in France by Reims Aviation as the F172.[1]
The Las Vegas endurance record
From December 4, 1958, to February 7, 1959, Robert Timm and John Cook kept a Cessna 172 (N9172B) in the air for 64 days, 22 hours, 19 minutes and 5 seconds, refueling in flight. They took off from and landed at McCarran Field in Las Vegas (now Harry Reid International Airport) and covered an estimated 150,000 miles. The flight raised money for the Damon Runyon Cancer Fund, and the airplane is now on display at the airport.[1]
Models by year
Cessna named its models by model year, like car makers, with new models going on sale a few months before the calendar year.[1] The last column shows how many of each are registered in the U.S. today.[2]
| Model | Model years | Engine (when it changed) | Built | Registered in the US (2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 172 | 1956–1959 | Continental O-300-A, 145 hp | 3,757 | 1,778 |
| 172A | 1960 | Continental O-300-C, 145 hp | 994 | 429 |
| 172B | 1961 | Continental O-300-C (Skyhawk package: O-300-D) | 989 | 407 |
| 172C | 1962 | — | 810 | 361 |
| 172D | 1963 | — | 1,011 (+18 Reims F172D) | 459 |
| 172E | 1964 | — | 1,209 (+67 Reims) | 605 |
| 172F | 1965 | — | 1,400 (+94 Reims) | 709 |
| 172G | 1966 | — | 1,474 (+140 Reims) | 709 |
| 172H | 1967 | — | 1,586 (+435 Reims, 1967–68) | 765 |
| 172I | 1968 | Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 hp | 649 | 350 |
| 172K | 1969–1970 | — | 2,055 (+50 Reims) | 1,012 |
| 172L | 1971–1972 | — | 1,535 | 840 |
| 172M | from 1973 | — | 3,534 | |
| 172N Skyhawk/100 | from 1977 | Lycoming O-320-H2AD, 160 hp (for 100-octane fuel) | 3,099 | |
| 172P | from 1981 | Lycoming O-320-D2J | 1,100 | |
| 172Q Cutlass | from 1983 | Lycoming O-360-A4N, 180 hp | 13 | |
| 172R Skyhawk | from 1996 | Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 160 hp (first fuel-injected 172) | 680 | |
| 172S Skyhawk SP | from 1998 | Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 180 hp | 1,907 |
"—" means the source lists no engine change for that model; a blank "Built" cell means the source gives no count. There was never a 172J in production (the design became the Cessna 177) and no 172O, to avoid confusion with zero.[1] Five Reims-built F172s are also on the U.S. register.[2]
Specifications (172R)
| Item | 172R |
|---|---|
| Crew and passengers | 1 pilot + 3 passengers, 120 lb of baggage |
| Length / wingspan / height | 27 ft 2 in / 36 ft 1 in / 8 ft 11 in |
| Wing area | 174 sq ft |
| Empty / maximum weight | 1,691 lb / 2,450 lb |
| Fuel | 56 US gal (52 usable) |
| Engine | Lycoming IO-360-L2A, four-cylinder, 160 hp |
| Propeller | Two-blade fixed-pitch metal McCauley, up to 6 ft 3 in |
| Cruise speed | 122 kn |
| Stall speed | 47 kn (power off, flaps down) |
| Never-exceed speed | 163 kn (indicated) |
| Range | 696 nmi (55% power at 12,000 ft, 45-minute reserve) |
| Service ceiling | 13,500 ft |
| Rate of climb | 721 ft/min |
Figures are from Cessna's 172R data as given in the Wikipedia article.[1]
Changes owners make
Many 172s fly with supplemental type certificates (STCs): engines of 180 to 210 hp, constant-speed propellers, approval to burn automotive gasoline, extra fuel tanks, wheel pants and STOL kits.[1]
Photos
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A 1956 Cessna 172 at North Las Vegas Airport. Photo: Tomás Del Coro, CC BY-SA 4.0 -
Field maintenance on an early 172. Photo: Ahunt, public domain -
A 1977 172N on approach to North Las Vegas. Photo: Noah Wulf, CC BY-SA 4.0 -
A 172 on floats. Photo: SDASM Archives, no known restrictions -
A 172P instrument panel. Photo: Kentaro Iemoto, CC BY-SA 2.0 -
A 172SP with the Garmin G1000 glass cockpit. Photo: Coyau, CC BY-SA 3.0 -
Three-view drawing. Cessna Aircraft Company, public domain
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All photos are from Wikimedia Commons; click a photo for its full credit and license.
Buying a Cessna 172
Sources
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 Wikipedia, "Cessna 172", read November 1, 2026. Airplane Wiki's text is written in its own words; facts are checked against this article and its sources.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Federal Aviation Administration, Releasable Aircraft Database, file dated October 30, 2026. Count of valid registrations whose FAA model name is a Cessna or Reims 172 model (172 through 172S, not the retractable 172RG). Airplane Wiki uses only counts from this file, never owner names or addresses.