Cessna 172 4-seater. Interruptions or loss of engine power

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The Cessna 172 and Cessna 182 aircraft are the most popular aircraft in the “light” class. Today, all the leading aviation schools in the world use them to train cadets. Both aircraft are most widely accepted as the "first" personal aircraft for aspiring private owner-pilots.

Main characteristics of the Cessna 172S aircraft:

In addition to the offer, if necessary, we will send you useful materials, such as aircraft specifications, list additional equipment, calculation of the cost of a flight hour and other interesting information about the aircraft.

The Cessna 172 Skyhawk is a modern variation of the world's most popular light multi-role aircraft. Its production began in 1956, and already in 1958 the 172nd model set a world record for flight duration. It was 64 days and 22 hours and has not yet been beaten.

To date, more than 43,000 copies have been produced, with more than 25 variations. The Cessna 172 Skyhawk aircraft is recommended by industry experts for both experienced pilots and students. It is believed that more than half of professional aviators began their careers with this aircraft.

The Cessna 172 Skyhawk aircraft are distinguished by their lightness, maneuverability, combination of stability and ease of control, as well as high reliability and safety. Another important advantage is their cost-effectiveness.

Technical characteristics of the Cessna 172 S Skyhawk SP aircraft:

Advantages of the Cessna 172 S Skyhawk SP:

• the cockpit is equipped with Garmin 1000H avionics;
• classic braced high-wing wing, providing excellent stability and controllability;
• significant cost savings thanks to the new diesel engine;
• opportunity to purchase a free copy of the Cessna 172 Skyhawk reference manual.

If you are interested in the price of a Cessna 172 and want to buy this aircraft in Russia, contact us.

Cessna C172S SKYHAWK is not just an unsurpassed classic of small aviation, which has established itself as one of the most reliable and popular aircraft, but also an ultra-modern aircraft of the new generation thanks to installed system Garmin g1000. The Cessna C172S SKYHAWK aircraft is designed not only for training and recreational pleasure flights, but is also capable of performing commercial flights for transporting passengers in automatic mode according to instrument flight rules, on par with large airliners. Because this aircraft is capable of not only performing automatic flight along the route, but is also capable of landing on its own with virtually no pilot assistance. Cessna C172S SKYHAWK– this is a classic with a modern twist!

Cessna C172 is a comfortable, reliable four-seater aircraft, the most popular in the history of aviation (more than 43,000 units built). The reliability of the 172nd Cessna is evidenced by the fact that one of its first versions once spent 64 days in the air without turning off the engine. Fuel, food and water were supplied to the plane from a truck while it was moving.

If the Yak-52 is a “flying desk” for future virtuoso pilots, then Cessna C172 S- this is a real center for training in working with modern navigation equipment. Model S is the most modern modification of the aircraft, released in 1998. It is almost no different from the Cessna 150 in its behavior in the air - it is an equally “calm” and comfortable aircraft to pilot, economical and safe. The radical difference between the C172S is its electronic content.

This model is equipped with a so-called “glass cockpit”, that is, a system of screens that can completely replace all instruments. With them, the pilot doesn’t have to look out the window at all! This means that the aircraft is fully adapted for night flights and sorties in difficult weather conditions. Training on the Cessna C172 S allows you to master the navigation systems that are used in more advanced and heavier aircraft, and learn how to move around the country in any weather and time of day.

The aircraft is equipped with a GARMIN 1000 navigation system, designed for comprehensive display of flight and navigation information. It is so modern that some of its more “advanced” functions are not yet fully supported in Russia.

Like the Cessna 150, it is a low-pilot, stable aircraft. Of course, it is less sensitive to controls, and you can forget about aerial acrobatics on it. Nevertheless, it was on such a Cessna that young Matthias Rust crossed the state border in 1987 under the stunned silence of Soviet air defense and landed in Moscow, on Vasilyevsky Spusk. The Cessna did not disappoint - although Rust had only flown 50 hours before.

Flight characteristics of the Cessna C172

Maximum permissible speed 261 km/h (162 MPH), level cruising speed 193 km/h (120 MPH). Maximum permissible overloads at maximum take-off weight with flaps retracted +4.4/-1.76.

Practical range and endurance at 75% power at 2,100 m (7,000 ft) s fuel tanks 85 l (22.5 gal) - 765 km, flight time 4.1 hours. The maximum range when flying at an altitude of 3000 m (10,000 ft) in the extended range version with fuel tanks of 132.5 liters (35 gal) is 1416 km, time 9.4 hours. Service ceiling 3855 m (12650 ft).

The combination of simplicity of design with high strength, reliability and ease of operation makes flying the Cessna C172 S enjoyable and safe, even for pilots with little experience.

Performance characteristics

Cessna: 172S Skyhawk
Height: parked 2.63 m
Length: 7.24 m
Wingspan: 10.11 m
Empty weight: 736 kg
Maximum take-off weight: 1156 kg
Refill capacity fuel system 85 l with standard tanks; 132.5 l with enlarged tanks
Fuel: aviation gasoline with an OC of at least 80/87 or 100L gasoline
Applicable SAE oil 40 at temperatures above 5°C, SAE 10W30 or SAE 20 (at temperatures below 5°C)

The most popular, the most reliable, the most popular, the most famous - all this is the Cessna 172 Skyhawk

There is such a unique genre of cinema - African adventures. In these films main character- as a rule, a defender of wildlife - bravely and inventively disperses gangs of greedy armed poachers, defending the right of elephants and rhinoceroses to graze freely in the vast expanses of the savannah. The hero is usually thin, tanned, wears a khaki shirt, shorts and a wide-brimmed hat, and drives a Landrover Defender. He also flies a lot and spectacularly on a Cessna 172. The hero’s friends also fly on a Cessna 172. It seems that other aircraft simply do not exist. What is this - the whims of directors? No, dear reader, this is a fact of life.

In the footsteps of Henry Ford

By the way, the recognizable silhouette of the Cessna 172 is familiar to us not only from “African” films, but also from events in recent Russian history. Who doesn’t remember the dashing landing of a small plane on Vasilievsky Spusk, right next to the Kremlin’s Spassky Gate? It’s worth thinking about why Matthias Rust chose a Cessna 172 for his record-breaking flight (and that’s what it was, in fact). And not only Rust. Anyone who comes for the first time to get a taste of the sky at some flying club near Moscow will be advised with pathos: “What do you need these pepelats? The Yak-52 is a beast of a machine!” But there will certainly be a man in a modest flight suit who, taking you by the elbow, will calmly say without unnecessary aplomb: “First, fly on a Cessna, you won’t regret it.” About the same thing happened to me once. Having tried many winged aircraft by that time, I fell in love with the Cessna 172 from the very first flight and now I fly only on it. So, although I am not Mathias Rust or a fighter for the rights of hippos, I am ready to justify my choice. To be convincing, let's start with history.

The finest hour of the American company Cessna Aircraft struck on June 28, 1945, when the two-seat Cessna 120 took to the skies - the world's first “people's aircraft”, adapted for mass “stamping” and mass consumption, costing only $2,495. In 1948, the Cessna 170 took off - a four-seat version with an engine of increased power. The basis for worldwide popularity was already laid then, and before the successful aircraft turned into a best-selling aircraft, very little remained to be done - replace the traditional tail-mounted landing gear of those years with a new, three-post one with a nose gear. Such a chassis, much safer, simplifying landing on unprepared sites, distinguished new model Cessna 172, which appeared in 1955. The car has a Continental engine with 145 hp. cost $8995 and had everything a reliable, safe aircraft for amateur pilots should have: a three-post landing gear, simple and effective Fowler flaps, a completely comfortable four-seat cabin and a set of instruments for visual flight. The winged car is a symbol of America. Over half a century, Cessna Aircraft and the French company Reims produced over 43,000 Cessna 172 aircraft different modifications- an absolute world record.

Before continuing the story, let's agree to call the Cessna 172 simply “Cessna”. For if there is an aircraft of this brand that is worthy of being collectively called, it is the “172”. So, what is the secret of the Cessna’s worldwide popularity? Why is this small plane known all over the planet from the African savannah to frosty Alaska, from the deserts of Arabia to prosperous Europe? The secret is in the combination of all qualities and characteristics, the optimal price-quality ratio.
First of all, the Cessna is truly charming with its ease of piloting and the proportionality of the effort applied to the maneuver performed. It is literally in the hands of the pilot, you feel it with your whole being in all modes, which is by no means typical of every aircraft. The Cessna is obedient and flexible from the first minutes, starting with starting the engine and taxiing to the start. And take off! I can’t say that the plane impresses with its powerful leap into the sky – its thrust-to-weight ratio is modest, but when climbing, the “172” is light and picks up speed quite quickly.

Maybe they will tell you that the Cessna takes off sluggishly, not like the Yak-18T. But the Yak has an excessively powerful engine and a variable pitch propeller, while the Cessna engine has exactly the power that a light non-aerobatic machine needs, while the propeller is simple, constant pitch - cheap and reliable. Of course, a controlled propeller with a variable blade angle (pitch) would allow more power to be removed from the engine on takeoff (analogous to driving in 1st gear) and would provide a more economical cruising mode (analogous to driving in 5th gear). But, to be honest, flying with a constant pitch propeller is easier and hassle less. Not a fighter! And it’s much cheaper, it’s worth noting.

Another remarkable character trait of the Cessna is the combination of stability and controllability. According to the design, the aircraft is a braced high-wing aircraft, and high-wing aircraft are characterized by excessive roll stability and some inertia in the transverse channel. While flying the Yak-12M at one time, I encountered this: when entering a roll and especially exiting a roll, I had to help with the pedals; sometimes the control stick travel was not enough. The Cessna pleased us here too; even in rough conditions, the steering wheel costs turned out to be moderate, and the ailerons were quite effective. When landing with a crosswind, you can safely land with a roll, touching the runway with one wheel: thanks to the upper position of the wing, you do not risk touching the ground with it, and controllability is completely sufficient even at low speeds in gusty winds. The situation will always be under control.

In general, landing on a Cessna is so remarkably simple that it even provokes you to take liberties; you don’t want to watch the speed - the plane is very informative in itself. In addition, it has excellent flaps, which, when released to the maximum angle, can be approached along a rather steep glide path onto a short landing. It’s somehow embarrassing to fly a Cessna from reputable runways, your own best qualities the machine demonstrates its effectiveness at “partisan” airfields and even unprepared sites. There have been so many cases when Cessnas landed from a route on collective farm fields and country roads, once not even on an important matter, but simply to the store for kvass - I wanted to drink. This is where “172nd” is in its natural element! (No, not in the store, of course.)

One more point is important for those who will learn to fly. “Cessna” forgives such gross cadet mistakes that you are simply amazed. This is not a call for sloppiness (the sky does not like half-educated people), but I can say this about the plane that once saved my life.

Summarizing subjective reasoning about pilot sensations, the following summary could be derived. There are large, small and very small planes. This is always noticeable in the manner of their flight. When you fly on a Yak-18T or Yak-12, you feel that in your hands, although small, it is still an airship. A different feeling arises in the cabin of some “ultralight” like Eurostar: a toy. Of course, the attitude towards flying should always be serious, but subjectively this is the case. So, the Cessna is perhaps the smallest and lightest of all the aircraft I know, which at the same time pleases with the ease of being, but does not give the impression of being a wind toy. An absolutely serious device, hard-working, reliable and practical. In fact, half a century in production and worldwide recognition is not a joke or an accident.

And instead of a brain, the right Garmin

So, to buy or not to buy? Before making a decision, it is worth realistically assessing the capabilities of the aircraft. The Cessna 172 is designed to fly to a maximum range of about 1000 km with a cruising speed of 200-230 km/h. These numbers should be understood as follows: you should not fly further than 500 km. That is, if you wish, you can, of course, and there are many examples of this. But not every romantic, let alone pragmatists, would agree to spend more than two hours in a small salon without a toilet. Although the Cessna 172 is equipped for instrument flights in simple and difficult weather conditions, it is still not a Boeing, and it is possible to calculate an extended route at altitudes of no more than 4000 m (in Russian conditions, realistically - 200-600 meters) without the risk of unexpectedly getting into a low cloudiness, fog or rain... It's not obvious, let's put it this way.
You should also take care of the base for your Cessna: even a dirt strip 450-500 m long (chemical site) will suit it, and the main concern will be the delivery of gasoline. The Lycoming engine loves aviation gasoline, and the highest quality, most accessible and cheapest is imported 100LL. In principle, you can fly on high-octane gasoline, but here you need to monitor the temperature of the cylinder heads and exhaust gases, especially in the heat.
Choosing the right Cessna is complicated by a huge range of offers, which is by no means easy to understand. Prices for used cars range from $50 thousand to $150-200 thousand or more, depending on the mileage and modification. And a great many modifications have been released over the decades. Let's start with the fact that there are still old cars from the 1950s on sale with a “thick” rear fuselage and a characteristic trapezoidal keel. Sometimes it seems that no two 172s are the same: there are cars with Continental and Lycoming engines, with anti-icing systems, variable pitch propellers, retractable wheel landing gear and amphibious float, manual flap drive instead of electric and, of course, a wide variety of instrument combinations and radio-electronic equipment.
If you choose a used car, it will almost certainly have some individual features, and we simply cannot take them all into account. Obviously, the main selection criterion should be the airframe and propeller group, and the rest will be advised by specialists. An airplane that is 30-40 years old is common in private aviation, but it is a good idea to check the airframe for corrosion. Although in this regard, Cessnas are very tenacious and durable, especially the French Reims.
Planes produced since 1996, when Cessna Aircraft resumed production of piston aircraft after a hiatus in the 1980s, are much easier to understand. There are only two basic modifications - Skyhawk with a 160 hp engine. and Skyhawk SP with a 180-horsepower engine. Since last year, “172s” have been produced only with “TVs” - a Garmin 1000 digital avionics complex with data display on two liquid crystal monitors. These cars are worth special mention.

The appearance of fundamentally new avionics on light aircraft was considered inevitable by many, but as soon as such aircraft went into mass production, skepticism arose. Suspiciousness can be treated very simply - with a test flight. Of course, Garmin 1000 does not replace a pilot’s brain, but it does many, many things better and faster than a human. On a Cessna with analog avionics, there is simply nowhere to get so much information about the route, air and ground conditions, and weather. Garmin will tell you the optimal operating mode of the engine, help you bypass the rain charge, and, if necessary, give you directions to an alternate airfield. In principle, part of this work is done well by a regular GPS receiver, but “in one bottle” is much more convenient, you need to try it to appreciate it. And if they tell you that liquid crystal indicators go blind in the cold, think logically. Before starting the engine in frosty weather, you will still warm up the engine compartment with a heat gun, and at the same time the instrument panel in the cabin will warm up. Elementary. In any case, “TVs” are the future.

But I would be wrong and short-sighted if I did not mention the latest modification - the Cessna 172 Skyhawk TD with diesel engine Centurion 2.0 manufactured by the German company Thielert Aircraft Engines Gmbh. Diesel power 155 hp. - it doesn’t seem like much, but the “heart” runs on ordinary jet fuel, which, unlike scarce aviation gasoline, is available literally everywhere. This radically solves the problem of fuel supply, and the question: “Where will I get gasoline?” the pilot of a diesel Cessna will no longer be tormented. By the way, this is a good solution for flight schools and civil aviation schools, which also do not like the hassle of expensive gasoline.

Sorry, it’s time to wrap up, and so much has happened (but you can’t erase a word from the song). For half a century, the world has been flying a Cessna 172 as habitually as in the USSR they drove Zhiguli cars. Skyhawk is not only the most popular, but also the most reliable aircraft in the history of aviation. A flight hour costs 150-170 dollars. So what else do you need, Russia?

Illustration copyright Getty Images Image caption In September 1988, in a Soviet court, German Matthias Rust said that his flight on a Cessna 172 was a call for peace. He was sentenced to four years in prison, but a year later he was amnestied and returned to Germany

30 years ago nGerman youth Matthias Rust, deceiving Soviet air defense radars, landed in the center of Moscow on a Cessna 172.ButThis is not the only episode that glorified the aircraft, which is still produced in the USA, the correspondent says .

In 1956, the American aircraft manufacturer Cessna began producing the single-engine Cessna 172 aircraft. More than 60 years have passed since then, and production of this model is still ongoing.

Its cabin can accommodate up to four people, and its weight (without fuel and passengers) is just under 800 kg.

Cessna 172 develops maximum speed at 226 km/h, and although it can be accelerated to 297 km/h, however, the manufacturer does not recommend doing this.

The flight range when fully refueled under certain conditions can reach 1290 km (which corresponds to the distance between Berlin and Belfast, or between Moscow and Neftekamsk. - Note translator).

If you look at the numbers alone, you might think that we are talking about a car with high technical characteristics and a little more spacious interior than cars of a similar class. But we're talking about an airplane.

Production of the light-engine Cessna 172 (also known as the Skyhawk) began in 1956. On at the moment Over 43 thousand copies were built.

More pilots around the world have learned to fly the Cessna 172 than any other type of aircraft. Doug May, Textron Aviation

And although countless improvements have been made to the aircraft's design over the past 60-plus years, it still looks exactly the same as the very first aircraft built in the 1950s.

The Cessna 172 remains the most common type of trainer aircraft in civilian flight schools around the world.

It was on it that many current pilots made their first independent flights, and for good reason - it is easy to control and is able to withstand less than ideal landings of novice aviators.

"Forgives piloting mistakes"

"More pilots around the world have learned to fly the Cessna 172 than any other type of aircraft," says Doug May, co-vice president of Textron Aviation (Cessna's parent company).

“The Cessna 172 is very forgiving, making it an ideal trainer aircraft,” May adds.

Illustration copyright iStock

Illustration copyright iStock

Although light aircraft are not modified as often as cars, not every model manages to survive 60 years in almost pristine condition.

Production of the Cessna 172 was interrupted for a relatively long period only in the late 1980s, when the introduction of more stringent aircraft design requirements in the United States led to restrictions on the production of all types of light-engine aircraft.

The design of the Cessna 172 is based on an earlier model, the Cessna 150. After the end of World War II, the Cessna 150 was in great demand due to increased interest in light-engine aircraft - many companies that produced tens of thousands of military aircraft during the war years then refocused on the civilian market .

The design of the Cessna 150 turned out to be very successful: its production lasted 19 years, and almost 24 thousand copies were produced in total.

However, there was barely enough room in the plane's cabin for two people - the pilot and the only passenger. The manufacturer saw a market opportunity for a larger aircraft that could carry twice as many people.

The structure of the Cessna 172 was made more durable: instead of fabric covering stretched over the power frame, duralumin was used.

The resulting aircraft was so easy to fly that Cessna's sales department used the term land-o-matic (capable of automatic landing) in its advertising campaign.

Illustration copyright iStock

"In my opinion, the strength of the aircraft is the reason for its success," says May. "It can withstand up to 10 landings per hour, and so on, hour after hour."

According to him, many novice pilots make their first solo flight on the Cessna 172, and often receive a license on it after completing the flight training course.

“The Cessna 172 is designed with a lot of durability,” May continues. “The designers did a great job: they analyzed the nature of the missions that the aircraft would perform and created a design that was much more robust.” high performance than was minimally necessary."

64 days in the air without landing

Thanks to its ease of operation and reliability, the Cessna 172 has made history more than once.

On December 4, 1958, two pilots, Robert Timm and John Cook, took off in a Cessna 172 from McCarran Airfield in Las Vegas. Their goal was to break the world record for the duration of a non-stop flight.

The task ahead was not an easy one. The previous record, set in 1949, was a huge achievement when a similarly classed aircraft with a crew of two spent 46 days in the air while participating in a fundraising campaign for a cancer foundation.

Illustration copyright iStock

To set a new record, Timm and Cook had to spend almost seven weeks in the air without ever landing.

As one of the authors of the website Jalopnik writes, it took a year to prepare the plane for the record flight. Modifications included a small sink that the crew could use for brushing their teeth and washing their faces.

To place a sleeping mattress in the cabin, the rear passenger seats had to be removed.

While one of the pilots was flying the plane, the other was sleeping. And in order to wash, a small removable platform was provided, which was placed between the open cockpit and the wing brace - the crew member free from piloting washed himself right overboard.

A more serious difficulty was refueling the aircraft and transferring water and food on board.

A crew member free from piloting washed himself right overboard

The pilot had to fly the plane very low to the ground and maintain speed in such a way that it matched the speed of the supply truck traveling along the road. The second crew member lowered a basket for food and water to the car, and then lifted it, full, back into the cabin.

There was a meeting with the tanker twice a day. The fuel hose was connected to an auxiliary tank mounted under the fuselage, from which fuel was pumped to standard tanks inside the wings (after which the auxiliary tank was refilled).

It wasn’t easy for the two tanker drivers either - while one was taxiing, the other was maintaining speed, watching the plane out the window and keeping his foot on the gas pedal (the flight took place over desert areas of Nevada, outside urban areas).

A week passed, then another, then a month, and then a month and a half. Seven weeks later, when the pilots broke the previous record, they decided to make the task as difficult as possible for anyone who would undertake to break their own.

They remained in the air for more than two weeks, and when they finally landed on February 4, 1959, it turned out that the flight lasted 64 days, 22 hours, 19 minutes and 5 seconds - no one has yet managed to improve this record.

The plane, which the pilots named "Hacienda", now flaunts under the ceiling of the McCarran International Airport terminal.

Landing at St. Basil's Cathedral

The Cessna 172 also made headlines in 1987, when West German youth Matthias Rust flew the type to the USSR and landed in the very center of Moscow. The 18-year-old amateur pilot said his flight was a call for peace.

Rust managed to overcome the most powerful air defense system in the world, with its thousands of interceptors and missile launchers, and land not far from Red Square, on Vasilyevsky Spusk. (Ironically, this happened on May 28, the Day of the USSR Border Troops - Note translator)

Illustration copyright Getty Images

Rust's Cessna 172, which flew at low altitude to avoid detection by Soviet air defense radars, was initially mistaken for a Soviet trainer aircraft.

And when the pilots of jet interceptors made sure that they were dealing with a Western-style aircraft, they were unable to equalize the speed of their machines with the speed of a low-speed piston engine. (They did not receive an order to destroy the unknown aircraft - Note translator.)

Rust continued his flight and made a historic landing at St. Basil's Cathedral in front of amazed passers-by and tourists.

The French-built aircraft was later sold to Japan, but was then returned to Germany and is now on display at the German Technical Museum in Berlin.

Time-tested motor

The Cessna 172 is still built at Textron Aviation's American facility in Wichita, Kansas, so if you want one, you don't have to buy a used one.

Residents of the UK or other European countries have two delivery options: partially disassemble the aircraft in the US and ship it home by sea, or book a ferry flight across the Atlantic.

In the second case, the services of a professional pilot, such as Sam Rutherford, will be required.

Rutherford works for the company Prepare2go, which, among other things, is engaged in ferrying aircraft from factory airfields for the benefit of buyers. He regularly flies across the Atlantic, including in a Cessna 172.

According to Rutherford, the services of a pilot to carry out a ferry flight will cost about the same as sending an aircraft by sea: “But in the second case, you will have to first remove the wing and then put it in place - and this is much more difficult, because such an operation will have to be coordinated with aviation specialist."

He continues: “I’ve probably flown equipment across the Atlantic 12 times already, including a helicopter and an ultralight aircraft. Compared to them, flying on a Cessna 172 is as comfortable as flying as a passenger on a commercial airliner!”

Illustration copyright iStock

Even with a full refueling, the Cessna 172 will not be able to fly across the Atlantic without an intermediate landing - the distance from Newfoundland on the east coast of Canada to the west of Ireland is at least 3,100 km.

Therefore, pilots take a circuitous route - flying over the deserted Canadian north, crossing the Baffin Sea, reaching Greenland, from there heading for Iceland, and then to the British Isles.

Flying such a flight in a single-engine aircraft is not a job for the faint of heart. “Greenland is stunningly beautiful, but I wouldn’t want to make an emergency landing there,” explains Rutherford. “Just imagine the waves crashing against the tall cliffs...”

A pilot's services to ferry a Cessna 172 across the Atlantic will cost about the same as sending an aircraft by sea

Fortunately, the Lycoming 360 engine is one of the most reliable in the aviation world. “The engine model on this aircraft has not changed for 60 years,” says Rutherford. “It is unlikely that there is a more tried and tested engine.”

A used Cessna 172 - several decades old, with a far from new paint job, and absolutely safe to use - can be purchased for as little as £25,000, or even less.

"If you can afford a BMW or Mercedes, then a Cessna 172 is certainly within your budget," Rutherford says.

If you prefer a plane that has just rolled off the assembly line, no problem. According to Doug May, "we have no intention of stopping production of this model."