The Cessna 172 is the one airplane that people have associated with the term “small airplanes” for the past five decades because it is most successful and best selling aircraft of all time.  More than 43,000 were built since 1955. It is used extensively in flight schools because of its easy and forgiving handling characteristics. The large wing flaps provide excellent low speed landing performance.  Private pilots love it too because used 172s are relatively inexpensive and parts are plentiful.  Cessna added improvements nearly every year and distinguished the versions by a letter suffix.  In 1976 Cessna began marketing the 172 as the Skyhawk; until then Skyhawk was simply an upgrade option on new 172s.  Numerous FAA approved aftermarket modifications are available for special use such as skis, floats, bush tires, and higher engine power. The chart below provides a general overview and timeline of the many variants.

Cessna designed the 172 as a four seat high-wing successor to the model 170 with the main difference being the tricycle-style landing gear. All models were powered by a Continental six cylinder, air-cooled engine producing 145 horsepower until 1968 when Cessna switched to Lycoming engines. The early models through 1960 can be identified by the straight square tail design and absence of a rear window. Cessna switched to a more streamlined rear fuselage and wrap-around back window with the 1963 model 172D. Production ended in 1986 because of liability laws that made insurance too expensive and sales plummeted.

The General Aviation Revitalization Act of 1994 provided some liability relief to manufacturers so Cessna restarted production of the 172 in 1996. This new version retained the same design but was the first Cessna single engine aircraft to feature a fuel injected engine. In 2007 a digital glass panel for the cockpit became standard. Today’s version of the Cessna 172 is called the Skyhawk SP.

Cessna 172 Skyhawk Specifications
First Flight	November, 1955
Number Built	43,000 (2015)
Length	27ft 2in
Wingspan	36ft 1in
Max Gross Weight	2,550lbs
Powerplant	1 Lycoming IO360 4 cylinder (180hp)
Maximum Cruising Speed	124kts
Maximum Range	640nm

Cessna 172 Skyhawk Model Timeline
Model	Years	Notable Features
172	1956-59	Straight tail; base price $8,995; 4,195 built
172A	1960	Swept tail; 1,015 built
172B	1961	Shorter landing gear; Skyhawk deluxe option package
172C	1962	Autopilot was optional; 889 built
172D	1963	Wrap-around rear window & one piece windshield; 1,146 built
172E	1964	Electric fuses replaced by circuit breakers; 1,401 built
172F	1965	1,436 built. Used in modified form by the U.S. Air Force as the T-41 primary trainer. Also built under license in France by Reims Aviation as the F172 until 1971.
172G	1966	1,597 built
172H	1967	1,586 built
172I	1968	First Cessna 172 to use the Lycoming engine; 1,206 built
172K	1969-70	Larger side windows & fiberglass curved wingtips; 759 built
172L	1971-72	Tubular steel landing gear legs & wheel fairings; 1,811 built
172M	1973-76	Drooped wing leading edges to improve slow speed handling; marketed as Skyhawk starting in 1976; 7,306 built
172N	1977-80	Base price started at $22,300.
172RG	1980-84	Also called the Cutlass; retractable landing gear and 180hp version of the engine.
172P	1981-86	Production of the Skyhawk ended in 1986.
172R	1996-2008	New interior design and soundproofing; fuel injected engine
172S	1998 – present	Marketed as the Skyhawk SP; digital instruments became standard in 2007.

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