Cessna 140
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The Cessna 120, 140, and 140A, are single-engine, two-seat,
conventional landing gear Conventional landing gear, or tailwheel-type landing gear, is an aircraft undercarriage consisting of two main wheels forward of the center of gravity and a small wheel or skid to support the tail.Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Term ...
(tailwheel), light
general aviation General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations with the exception of commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services ...
aircraft An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air. It counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines ...
that were first produced in 1946, immediately following the end of
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. Production ended in 1951, and was succeeded in 1959 by the
Cessna 150 The Cessna 150 is a two-seat tricycle gear general aviation airplane that was designed for flight training, touring and personal use.Plane and Pilot: ''1978 Aircraft Directory'', pages 22-23. Werner & Werner Corp, Santa Monica CA, 1977. In 19 ...
, a similar two-seat trainer which introduced
tricycle gear Tricycle gear is a type of aircraft undercarriage, or ''landing gear'', arranged in a tricycle fashion. The tricycle arrangement has a single nose wheel in the front, and two or more main wheels slightly aft of the center of gravity. Tricycle g ...
. Combined production of the 120, 140, and 140A was 7,664 units in five years.Christy, Joe: ''The Complete Guide to the Single-Engine Cessnas - 3rd Edition'', pages 12-17. TAB Books, 1979. Plane and Pilot: ''1978 Aircraft Directory'', page 22. Werner & Werner Corp Publishing, 1978.


Development


Cessna 140

The Cessna 140 was originally equipped with a Continental C-85-12 or C-85-12F horizontally opposed, air-cooled, four-cylinder
piston engine A reciprocating engine, also often known as a piston engine, is typically a heat engine that uses one or more reciprocating pistons to convert high temperature and high pressure into a rotating motion. This article describes the common featu ...
of . The Continental C-90-12F or C-90-14F of was optional, as was the
Lycoming O-235-C1 The Lycoming O-235 is a family of four-cylinder, air-cooled, horizontally opposed piston aircraft engines that produce , derived from the earlier O-233 engine.Textron Lycoming: ''Operator's Manual, Textron Lycoming Aircraft Engines, Series O-23 ...
engine, an aftermarket installation authorized in the
type certificate A type certificate signifies the airworthiness of a particular category of aircraft, according to its manufacturing design (''type design''). It confirms that the aircraft of a new type intended for serial production, is in compliance with applica ...
. This model had a metal
fuselage The fuselage (; from the French ''fuselé'' "spindle-shaped") is an aircraft's main body section. It holds crew, passengers, or cargo. In single-engine aircraft, it will usually contain an engine as well, although in some amphibious aircraft t ...
and fabric
wing A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is expres ...
s with metal control surfaces. The larger
Cessna 170 The Cessna 170 is an American light, single-engined, general aviation aircraft produced by the Cessna Aircraft Company between 1948 and 1956. It is the predecessor of the Cessna 172, the most produced aircraft in history, which replaced ...
was a four-seat 140 with a more powerful engine.


Cessna 120

The Cessna 120 was an economy version of the 140 produced at the same time. It had the same engine as the 140, but lacked wing flaps. The rear-cabin "D" side windows and electrical system (radios, lights, battery and starter) were optional. A 120 outfitted with every factory option would be nearly equivalent to a 140, but the International Cessna 120/140 Association believes that no 120s were originally built this way. Despite this, many decades' worth of owner-added options have rendered many 120s almost indistinguishable from a 140 aside from the absence of wing flaps. The 120 was dropped from production upon introduction of the 140A in 1949.


Cessna 140A

In 1949, Cessna introduced the 140A, a new variant with aluminum-covered wings and single wing struts instead of the fabric wing covering, dual "V" struts, and
jury strut In aeronautics, bracing comprises additional structural members which stiffen the functional airframe to give it rigidity and strength under load. Bracing may be applied both internally and externally, and may take the form of strut, which act in ...
s fitted on earlier models. Standard engines were the Continental C-90-12F or C-90-14F of , with the Continental C-85-12, C-85-12F, or C-85-14F engines optional. The spring-steel gear had been swept forward on 120 and 140 models in late 1947 so wheel extenders were no longer necessary to counter nose-over tendencies during heavy application of brakes; all 140A models had the improved gear legs.International Cessna 120-140 Association
Landing Gear Legs and Extenders for the Cessna 120/140/140A Planes
Phillips, Edward H., : ''Wings of Cessna, Model 120 to the Citation III'', Flying Books, 1986. Despite these improvements, sales of the 140 lineup faltered, and the 140A comprised only seven percent of overall 120/140 production.


Modifications

Common modifications to the Cessna 120 and 140 include: *"Metalized" wings, where the fabric is replaced with light-gauge sheet aluminum, eliminating the need to periodically replace the wing fabric. *The installation of
landing gear extender Landing gear extenders are devices used on conventional or tailwheel-equipped aircraft. They move the wheels forward of the landing gear leg by 2-3 inches (5–8 cm). The installation of landing gear extenders is almost always the result of ...
s to reduce the tendency of the aircraft to nose over on application of heavy braking. These were factory-optional equipment. *Installation of rear-cabin "D" side windows on 120s that were not originally so equipped. *Installation of electrical systems on 120s that were not originally so equipped, allowing owners to install an electric starter, more sophisticated
avionics Avionics (a blend word, blend of ''aviation'' and ''electronics'') are the Electronics, electronic systems used on aircraft. Avionic systems include communications, Air navigation, navigation, the display and management of multiple systems, ...
and/or lights for night flying. *Installation of a more powerful engine. A popular conversion today is to replace the original C-85 or C-90 with a 100 hp (75 kW)
Continental O-200 The Continental C90 and O-200 are a family of air-cooled, horizontally opposed, four-cylinder, direct-drive aircraft engines of 201 in³ (3.29 L) displacement, producing between 90 and 100 horsepower (67 and 75 kW).''Federal Aviation Admini ...
. A kit is available to install a
Lycoming O-320 The Lycoming O-320 is a large family of naturally aspirated, air-cooled, four-cylinder, direct-drive engines produced by Lycoming Engines. They are commonly used on light aircraft such as the Cessna 172 and Piper Cherokee. Different variants ...
but this conversion is less prevalent due to a roughly 100 lb (45 kg) weight penalty and a sharp increase in fuel consumption.


Operators


Military

; *
Guatemalan Air Force The Guatemalan Air Force ( es, Fuerza Aérea Guatemalteca or ''FAG'') is a small air force composed mostly of U.S.-made aircraft throughout its history. The FAG is a subordinate to the Guatemalan Military and its commanding officer reports to th ...
; *
Nicaraguan Air Force The Nicaraguan Air Force ( es, Fuerza Aérea Nicaragüense) is the air defense branch of the armed forces of Nicaragua. It continues the former Sandinista air units. Before 1979 the Nicaraguan National Guard had some air units (). Air force In 19 ...
Hagedorn 1993, p. 38.


Specifications (Cessna 140)


See also


References

*


External links

* AVweb'
Cessna 120/140 Review
an extensive article on the history and features of the type {{Cessna
140 140 may refer to: * 140 (number), an integer * AD 140, a year of the Julian calendar * 140 BC, a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar * ''140'' (video game), a 2013 platform game * Tin King stop Tin King () is an at-grade MTR Light Rail stop ...
High-wing aircraft Single-engined tractor aircraft 1940s United States civil utility aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1945