Aircraft overview
The Cessna 172 Skyhawk is a single-engined light aircraft used for training and personal flying. Its high wing, four-place cabin and fixed tricycle landing gear form a familiar configuration, but engine and equipment specifications differ across the many versions.
The 172R has a fuel-injected Lycoming IO-360-L2A engine rated at 160 hp. It retains a fixed-pitch propeller. The related 172S develops 180 hp, while a separately approved modification can also raise a 172R’s rating.
Photograph: Alan Wilson · 8 July 2017 · Photo source: Cessna 172S Skyhawk ‘G-JMKE’ (45077563364) · CC BY-SA 2.0
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At a glance
Cessna 172R · unmodified 160 hp aircraft; normal-category limits; dimensional specification dated March 2003
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A · 160 hp at 2,400 rpmUnmodified 172R; not the 180 hp kit or 172S.
- Propeller
- McCauley 1C235/LFA7570172R approved installation.
- Seating / minimum flight crew
- Four people / one pilotTotal seating includes the pilot.
- Wingspan / length
- 36 ft 1 in / 27 ft 2 inManufacturer drawing; strobe lights installed.
- Maximum height
- 8 ft 11 inDrawing’s normal ground attitude; nose strut showing about 2 in.
- Maximum take-off / landing weight
- 2,450 lb / 2,450 lbNormal category, without the weight-increase modification.
- Fuel · total / usable
- 56 / 53 US galTwo wing tanks.
In Air Defender
Role guidance · v0.8.16.0
The v0.8.16.0 catalogue lists the general Cessna 172 Skyhawk as General Aviation. Its game engine and performance fields remain separate from this fuel-injected 172R reference.
Compare the two-seat 152 and the more powerful Skylane. Use Aircraft Data and flight-plan information for the contact rather than treating a family specification as a live passenger or fuel report.
Game catalogue values · v0.8.16.0
In-game specifications
These figures come from the game’s general aircraft reference. A matching civilian register entry can supply different fields in Aircraft Data. How to read the two layouts →
- Role
- General Aviation
- Category
- Light Aircraft
- Service ceiling
- 14,000 ftA reference upper height. Read Flight Info for the contact’s present height.
- Maximum speed
- 140 knotsA reference maximum, not the speed the aircraft is flying now.
- Cruise speed
- 110 knotsA typical speed for the main part of a flight, not a guaranteed commanded speed.
- Stall speed
- 47 knotsA reference for specified conditions. Stalling means the wing loses lift, not that an engine stops.
- Typical crew
- 1
- Powerplant
- Single piston engine (Lycoming O-320, 160 HP) Compare engine types →
- Manufacturer
- Cessna Aircraft Company (USA)
Use the right procedure
In depth
Airframe and cabin
The 172R has an all-metal airframe with a high wing and fixed tricycle landing gear. Its four seating positions comprise two front and two rear positions. A single pilot is the type-certificate minimum flight crew.
The cabin’s baggage limit is 120 lb. This is a compartment limit, separate from the permitted total aircraft weight and centre-of-gravity range.
The 160 hp installation
The IO-360-L2A is rated at 160 hp with a 2,400 rpm operating limit in the unmodified R. The approved MK172-72-01 kit raises the rating to 180 hp and changes relevant weight and operating limits.
The 172S also uses the IO-360-L2A, rated at 180 hp and 2,700 rpm. A shared engine designation therefore does not make the R and S installations identical.
Wing tanks
Each wing tank holds 28 US gallons in total, of which 26.5 are usable. Together they provide 53 usable gallons. The remaining three gallons are unusable fuel, rather than an extra reserve available to burn.
Weight categories and modifications
The unmodified 160 hp 172R has a normal-category take-off and landing limit of 2,450 lb. The 180 hp modification permits a different 2,550 lb limit. Utility-category operation has lower limits tied to the applicable handbook and configuration.
These are aircraft limits, not payload figures. Fuel, people, baggage and the aircraft itself all contribute to the loaded weight.
Dimensions and ground attitude
The manufacturer’s three-view gives a span of 36 ft 1 in with strobe lights, a length of 27 ft 2 in and a maximum height of 8 ft 11 in. The drawing specifies wings level and approximately two inches of exposed nose strut. These conditions belong with the height measurement.
Variants
172R
Fuel-injected 160 hp model; a separately approved 180 hp modification changes its limits.
172S
180 hp model with a 2,700 rpm limit and a different propeller installation.
After 1998
2024 · Skyhawk avionics
The 2024 Skyhawk specification includes Garmin G1000 NXi displays, with a digital autopilot offered as an option. These later avionics differ from the equipment of a 1998 aircraft.