Cessna 172

Description

The Cessna 172 Skyhawk is an American four-seat, single-engine, high wing, fixed-wing aircraft made by the Cessna Aircraft Company. First flown in 1955, more 172s have been built than any other aircraft. It was developed from the 1948 Cessna 170 but with tricycle landing gear rather than conventional landing gear. The Skyhawk name was originally used for a trim package, but was later applied to all standard-production 172 aircraft, while some upgraded versions were marketed as the Cutlass, Powermatic, and Hawk XP. The aircraft was also produced under license in France by Reims Aviation, which marketed upgraded versions as the Reims Rocket.

Measured by its longevity and popularity, the Cessna 172 is the most successful aircraft in history. Cessna delivered the first production model in 1956, and as of 2015, the company and its partners had built more than 44,000 units. With a break from 1986–96, the aircraft remains in production today.

A light general aviation airplane, the Skyhawk’s main competitors throughout its lifetime have been the Beechcraft Musketeer and Grumman American AA-5 series (neither currently in production), the Piper PA-28 Cherokee, and, more recently, the Diamond DA40 Star and Cirrus SR20.