By:     Norm Goyer

Of course we are talking about the Cessna 172. Not only does it have the title of “Most Popular Aircraft Ever” title, it is also considered to be one of the safest small aircraft ever designed. As much as I prefer low-wing aircraft, I often turn to the good, old reliable Skyhawk to accomplish a special job. If you need an airplane in which to give a first timer a ride, or just a simple everyday sightseeing trip, you can’t beat the high-wing Cessna four-seater. I have even towed surplus all-wood TG-2 gliders with a 145 hp Cessna 172. I have also broken the control wheel on takeoff and had to reach over and use the passenger’s controls while on takeoff with a glider in tow. Didn’t bother the old straight tail 172, nor its six-cylinder Continental O-300 engine, not the worlds best or most powerful engine, but it certainly worked for many years in the 172.

I would like to have a dime for every hour I spent in a 172 orbiting at low speed and low rpm over herds of wild horses and burros. I even watched semi-tame coyotes wander from the rear of the local donut shop with a bag full of yesterday’s Krispy Kremes left for it by an animal loving employee. One of our companies did survey work for the Bureau of Land Management, and counting wild critters and not-so-wild coyotes was part of the job. Our donut-loving coyote would make the two-mile trip down the mountain near 29 Palms, pick up his bag of goodies, carry them back up the mountain to share with his family. Hey, it was a lot easier than chasing jackrabbits for dinner, and one thing you can be sure of is that coyotes aren’t dumb.

The 172 was first flown in 1955 and became available to the flying public in 1956. It evolved from the very popular Cessna 170 four-passenger tail dragger with pretty round tail it shared with the Cessna 195. The C-170 B had an all metal wing, single strut and was a very nice family aircraft. Aircraft and pilots were changing in 1956, as were the type of airports they were flying from. In other words, hard-top runways and taildraggers are not exactly soul mates.  Beech’s Bonanza had tricycle gear as did the Bellanca four-passenger retracts. Ercoupe and Yankees also had the training wheel in front and the pilots seemed to love them. With this knowledge in mind, Cessna decided to redesign the C-170 to meet the challenge head on. They kept the O-300 Continental engine and the spring steel landing gear, but added a nose gear. To give the impression of a brand new airplane, they also removed the round tail and installed a square tail. They used the wing and flaps from the Cessna 170-B. The new Cessna 172 was an instant sales success and its 60 year production run was off and flying.

The first C-172 sold for only $8995, and 4,195 were sold in the next five years. Cessna wanted to keep the C-172 in the news so in 1960, they released the first variation, the Cessna 172-A. The straight-tail was discontinued in favor of a more esthetic swept tail. Float fittings were added. The price was increased to $9,450. Only 1,015 were built before the 172-B was introduced later that year. The subsequent “B” model only had minor changes.

Cessna held with the basic design until 1963, when the C-172 D was introduced, featuring a lowered fuselage and an Omni Vision rear window along with a one-piece windshield. A new rudder and brake pedal were added. This first “deluxe” model was referred to as the Skyhawk. In 1963, Cessna also tried to market a faster 172 by using the GO-300E 175 hp engine that had been installed in the non popular C-175. This new C-172D Powermatic was a sales flop and was discontinued almost before it was introduced. Pilots did not like the geared Continental.

The 1969 Cessna 172F introduced electric flaps, which replaced the Johnson bar activated ones. The 172F was also the basis for the T-41A Mescalero military primary trainer. The 1967 C-172 H was the last Cessna powered with the Continental O-300 six-cylinder engine. The minor changes to the “F” model included a new stall warning device, new cowling and a shorter nose gear. The deluxe Skyhawk version sold for $12,750, but only 839 were sold. Most aviation folks knew about the upcoming engine change and many decided to wait.

Next week we will discuss the four decades of changes and options, such as more power in the Cessna 172 XP, retractable C-172R gear versions,   and the change to a 28 volt system. Why was the C-172 so popular? It could be safely flown by average pilots, and it made them look good.

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