Cessna

Cessna is now part of Textron Aviation, which can be told from their offcial website address (https://cessna.txtav.com/). Beechcraft shares the same parent with Cessna.

Cessna produce piston, turboprop, and jet planes. The charts below are based on FAA registry.

Piston

Only 3 models are still in production: 172 Skyhawk, 182 Skylane, and 206 Stationair.

Top 1: Cessna 172 Skyhawk

More 172s have been built than any other aircraft. 4-seat, high-wing, piston. Very likely to be your trainer for Private Pilot License.

Cessna 172S (marketed as Skyhawk SP), introduced in 1998 is the only in production model right now. There are still many 172R in service, which was introduced in 1996 and slightly older than 172S. S and R use the same engine, the primary difference is that R has a maximum of 160 horsepower (120 kW) at just 2,400 rpm. while S is 180 hp at 2,700 rpm.

Top 2: Cessna 182 Skylane

Cessna 182 Skylane (including 182T Turbo Skylane) is the second most popular Cessna model still in production, after the 172.

Top 3: Cessna 150/152/162

All 3 series are 2-seat trainers. ALl ceased production.

  • Cessna 150 was produced between 1958 and 1977. 23,000+ produced. Continental O-200-A. 100 hp (75 kW).
  • Cessna 152 was produced between 1977 and 1985. 7,500+ produced. Lycoming O-235. 110 hp (82 kW).
  • Cessna 162 Skycatcher was produced between 2009 and 2013. Only 275 produced. Continental O-200D. 100 hp (75 kW). Much lighter than 150/152.

Others

There's a clear cliff after the top 3.

  • Cessna 421 Golden Eagle was a pressurized version of the earlier Cessna 411.
  • Cessna 401 / 402 are two generally similar but lower-cost versions comparing to 411.
  • Cessna 404 Titan was developped from 402.
  • Cessna 411 was developed from 310; 320 Skyknight was the turbocharged 310.
  • Cessna 335 (unpressurized) / 340 (pressurized) were developed from 310, with wings from 414.
  • Cessna 350/400: models acquired from Columbia Aircraft, which were from the certified Lancair models; composite, fast, competing (but not so successfully) with Cirrus SR-22, ceased production in 2018.
    • LC40-550FG: Columbia 300.
    • LC42-550FG: Columbia 350 / Cessna 350 (LC42-550FG = Lancair Certified, Model 42, Continental 550 engine, Fixed Gear).
    • LC41-550FG: Columbia 400 / Cessna 400.
    • T240: Cessna TTx Model T240, Cessna improved 400 version.

Turboprop

Current Models

Cessna is still offering 208B Grand Caravan and 208 Caravan, though based on the chart only 208B is increasing by counts, in the US.

Cessna 408 SkyCourier, is specially designed to take 3 LD3 containers, which is used on wide-body aircraft, e.g. 77W/35K can take 44 LD3, 789/359 can take 36 LD3. Previously Cessna 208A Cargomaster and Cessna 208B Super Cargomaster were built for FedEx Express. FedEx owns both 208B and 408.

Historical Models

Both Cessna 425 Conquest I and Cessna 441 Conquest II stopped production in 1986.

  • Cessna 441 Conquest II was a pressurized turbine development of the Cessna 404 Titan.
  • Cessna 425 Conquest I was a turboprop development of the 421 Golden Eagle.

Jet

7 Models are in production:

  • 700 Citation Longitude: (4 PAX) 3,500 nm, 12 PAX max
  • 680 Citation Sovereign+: 3,200 nm, 12 PAX max
  • 680A Citation Latitude: (4 PAX) 2,700 nm, 9 PAX max
  • 560XL Citation XLS+: 2,100 nm, 12 PAX max
  • 525C Citation CJ4: 2,165 nm, 10 PAX max
  • 525B Citation CJ3+: 2,040 nm, 9 PAX max
  • 525 Citation M2: 1,550 nm, 7 PAX max

Citation II stopped production in 2006. It is still the most popular Citation by 2019, but looks like it will superseded by XLS+.

The chain of development: Citation I -> Citation II -> Citation V -> Citation Excel -> Citation XLS and XLS+ -> Citation Sovereign -> Citation Latitude -> Citation Longitude

Citation Mustang is a very light jet, it was produced between 2006 and 2017. After that Citation M2 became Cessna's entry level jet, and it is faster and larger than Mustang.

Systems

low pressure annunciator and the pressure gauge are driven by 2 different sensors.

The earliest Cessna 172s had the Continental O-300 engine with 145 horsepower. Later versions had Lycoming O-320 engines. Originally those had 150 horsepower, later upgraded to 160hp. Still later, the engine was changed to the IO-360 with 180 horsepower.

Cessna 150 vs 152

150 flap 20/30/40, 152 flap 10/20/30