Cessna 120 and 140
.jpg) Cessna 120 and 140. Photo: Tomás Del Coro from Fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
| |
| Make | Cessna |
|---|---|
| Model | Cessna 120 and 140 |
| Type | Light utility aircraft |
| Country |  United States
|
| First flight | June 28, 1945 (140), 1946 (120) |
| Built | 1946–1951 |
| Number built | 7,664 |
| Registered in the US | 2,464 (FAA register, October 30, 2026) |
| Seats | one, one passenger |
| Engine | Continental C-85, 85 hp |
| Cruise speed | 105 mph (Cessna 140) |
| Range | 450 mi (Cessna 140) |
| Service ceiling | 15,500 ft (Cessna 140) |
| Max weight | 1,450 lb (Cessna 140)
|
| More aircraft · For sale | |
The Cessna 120, 140 and 140A are two-seat, single-engine tailwheel airplanes first built in 1946, right after World War II. Production ended in 1951, after 7,664 were built in five years; the tricycle-gear Cessna 150 took their place in 1959.[1] In the U.S. there are 2,464 with a valid registration: 1,581 Cessna 140s, 652 Cessna 120s and 231 Cessna 140As.[2]
The three models
- Cessna 140: an 85 hp Continental C-85, with a 90 hp Continental or an aftermarket 108 hp Lycoming O-235 approved as options. Metal fuselage, fabric-covered wings and metal control surfaces.[1]
- Cessna 120: the economy version built alongside the 140, with the same engine but no wing flaps.[1]
- Cessna 140A: the later version of the 140.[1]
The four-seat Cessna 170 was a larger development of the 140 with a more powerful engine.[1]
Registered in the United States
The FAA register lists 2,464 of these airplanes with a valid U.S. registration. Here they are by the model name the FAA uses.[2]
| FAA model name | Registered |
|---|---|
| 140 | 1,581 |
| 120 | 652 |
| 140A | 231 |
Specifications (Cessna 140)
| Item | Cessna 140 |
|---|---|
| Crew | one |
| Passengers / capacity | one passenger |
| Length | 21 ft 6 in |
| Wingspan | 33 ft 4 in |
| Height | 6 ft 3 in |
| Wing area | 159.3 sq ft |
| Empty weight | 890 lb |
| Maximum takeoff weight | 1,450 lb |
| Fuel | 25 US gallons (95 liters), of which 21 US gallons (79.5 liters) are useable |
| Engine | Continental C-85, 85 hp (four cylinder, four stroke, horizontally opposed aircraft engine) |
| Propeller | Sensenich |
| Maximum speed | 125 mph |
| Cruise speed | 105 mph |
| Stall speed | 45 mph |
| Never-exceed speed | 140 mph |
| Range | 450 mi |
| Service ceiling | 15,500 ft |
| Rate of climb | 680 ft/min |
Figures as given in the Wikipedia article and its sources.[1]
Owner and mechanic notes: coming soon. What to check before you buy, common problems and what they cost to fix. Airplane Wiki is gathering this from owners and mechanics.
Photos
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Cessna 140 (NC89109) 03. Photo: Huhu Uet, CC BY 3.0 -
Restored 1946 Cessna 140 in California. Photo: Sdbuckerflight, CC BY-SA 3.0 -
G-BOCI Cessna Ce.140A. Photo: Aeroprints.com, CC BY-SA 3.0 -
1946Cessna120. Photo: Lzbn1r, CC BY-SA 4.0 -
G-BUHZ. Photo: Mike Burdett, CC BY-SA 2.0 -
CC-AKT (tail, cessna 140). Photo: Robert Motecinos Holda, CC BY-SA 4.0
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All photos are from Wikimedia Commons; click a photo for its full credit and license.
Buying a Cessna 120 and 140
For sale listings: coming soon. Airplane Wiki will list Cessna 120 and 140s for sale here, with the facts on this page beside every listing.
Sources
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Wikipedia, "Cessna 140", 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.