Cessna 170
 Cessna 170. Photo: John Karns, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
| |
| Make | Cessna |
|---|---|
| Model | Cessna 170 |
| Type | Light personal aircraft |
| Country |  United States
|
| First flight | June 1, 1948 |
| Built | 1948–1956 |
| Number built | 5,174 |
| Registered in the US | 2,060 (FAA register, October 30, 2026) |
| Seats | 1, 3 passengers |
| Engine | Continental C145-2, 145 hp |
| Cruise speed | 120 mph (170B) |
| Service ceiling | 15,500 ft (170B) |
| Max weight | 2,200 lb (170B)
|
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The Cessna 170 is a four-seat, single-engine airplane built by Cessna from 1948 to 1956. It is the airplane the Cessna 172 grew from: the 172, the most produced aircraft in history, replaced it in production in 1956.[1] In the U.S. there are 2,060 Cessna 170s with a valid registration, most of them the 170B.[2]
History
Cessna began selling the 170 in late 1948. The first 170s were four-seat versions of the popular Cessna 140, with a metal fuselage and tail, fabric-covered straight wings braced by a "V" strut, a 145 hp Continental C145-2 (later called the O-300), and 36 gallons of fuel in three tanks.[1]
In 1949 the 170A arrived, all metal, with a tapered outer wing, larger flaps that went down to 50 degrees, two 21-gallon tanks and a single wing strut.[1] The 170B, the most common today, followed. The 170 is a taildragger; when Cessna fitted one with a nosewheel, it became the 172.[1]
Registered in the United States
The FAA register lists 2,060 of these airplanes with a valid U.S. registration. Here they are by the model name the FAA uses.[2]
| FAA model name | Registered |
|---|---|
| 170B | 1,287 |
| 170A | 504 |
| 170 | 269 |
Specifications (170B)
| Item | 170B |
|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
| Passengers / capacity | 3 passengers |
| Length | 24 ft 11+1/2 in |
| Wingspan | 36 ft |
| Height | 6 ft 7 in |
| Wing area | 174 sq ft |
| Empty weight | 1,205 lb |
| Maximum takeoff weight | 2,200 lb |
| Fuel | 42 USgal |
| Engine | Continental C145-2, 145 hp (air-cooled flat-six) |
| Maximum speed | 140 mph |
| Cruise speed | 120 mph |
| Stall speed | 52 mph |
| Service ceiling | 15,500 ft |
| Rate of climb | 690 ft/min |
Figures as given in the Wikipedia article and its sources.[1]
Photos
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Cessna170. Photo: Photo by Tom Gideon., CC BY-SA 1.0 -
Cessna170A C-FGUG 04. Photo: Ahunt at English Wikipedia, Public domain -
Cessna170C-GHFK10. Photo: Ahunt at English Wikipedia, Public domain -
Cessna170BC-FFTU03. Photo: Ahunt at English Wikipedia, Public domain -
Cessna170AtCentennial. Photo: Avitya at English Wikipedia, Public domain
All photos are from Wikimedia Commons; click a photo for its full credit and license.
Buying a Cessna 170
Sources
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Wikipedia, "Cessna 170", 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 Federal Aviation Administration, Releasable Aircraft Database, file dated October 30, 2026. Valid registrations of fixed-wing airplanes whose FAA maker and model names belong to this family. Airplane Wiki uses only counts from this file, never owner names or addresses.