Cessna 177 Cardinal
 Cessna 177 Cardinal. Photo: Ahunt, usuario de la Wikipedia en inglés, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
| |
| Make | Cessna |
|---|---|
| Model | Cessna 177 Cardinal |
| Type | Light utility aircraft |
| Country |  United States
|
| First flight | July 15, 1966 |
| Built | 1968–1978 |
| Number built | 4,295 |
| Registered in the US | 2,132 (FAA register, October 30, 2026) |
| Seats | 1, 3 passengers |
| Engine | Lycoming O-360-A1F6D, 180 hp |
| Cruise speed | 124 kn (Cessna 177B) |
| Range | 604 nmi (Cessna 177B) |
| Service ceiling | 14,600 ft (Cessna 177B) |
| Max weight | 2,500 lb (Cessna 177B)
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The Cessna 177 Cardinal is a four-seat, single-engine, high-wing airplane that Cessna built from 1968 to 1978. It was meant to replace the Cessna 172: announced in 1967, it was designed as a "futuristic 1970s successor" to the Skyhawk.[1] In the U.S. there are 2,132 with a valid registration, including 782 retractable-gear 177RGs.[2]
History
The Cardinal (first called the Model 341) brought newer technology to Cessna's singles: a cantilever wing with no lift struts and a new laminar-flow airfoil. It is the only production high-wing single-engine Cessna since the 190 and 195 to combine fixed landing gear with a strutless wing.[1]
The 1968 model 177 came out in late 1967 with a 150 hp engine, alongside a deluxe version called the Cardinal. It was followed by the 177A, the 177B, and the 177RG with retractable landing gear.[1] In the end the 172 outlived it: the Cardinal ended in 1978, while the 172 is still built.[1]
Registered in the United States
The FAA register lists 2,132 of these airplanes with a valid U.S. registration. Here they are by the model name the FAA uses.[2]
| FAA model name | Registered |
|---|---|
| 177B | 835 |
| 177RG | 782 |
| 177 | 436 |
| 177A | 79 |
Specifications (Cessna 177B)
| Item | Cessna 177B |
|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
| Passengers / capacity | 3 passengers |
| Length | 27 ft 8 in |
| Wingspan | 35 ft 6 in |
| Height | 8 ft 7 in |
| Wing area | 174 sq ft |
| Empty weight | 1,495 lb |
| Maximum takeoff weight | 2,500 lb |
| Engine | Lycoming O-360-A1F6D, 180 hp (air-cooled flat-4 engine) |
| Maximum speed | 136 kn |
| Cruise speed | 124 kn |
| Range | 604 nmi |
| Service ceiling | 14,600 ft |
| Rate of climb | 840 ft/min |
Figures as given in the Wikipedia article and its sources.[1]
Photos
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Cessna 177B Cardinal (C-GREO). Photo: Ahunt at English Wikipedia, Public domain -
Cessna 177RG Cardinal RG at the COPA Flight 33 Arnprior, Ontario Fly-in 10 July 2005. Photo: Ahunt at English Wikipedia, Public domain -
Photo of an original 1968 model Cessna 177 Cardinal (C-FQEK). Photo: Ahunt at English Wikipedia, Public domain
All photos are from Wikimedia Commons; click a photo for its full credit and license.
Buying a Cessna 177 Cardinal
Sources
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Wikipedia, "Cessna 177 Cardinal", 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.