All You Need To Know About The Cessna 170

Between the years 1948 and 1956, the Cessna Aircraft Company manufactured one of the most unique aircrafts that are still in circulation today ( of the five thousand produced, more than two thousand remain air worthy ) , the Cessna 170. The Cessna 170 is one of the most reliable single engine, light aircrafts ever made and up to now, this aircraft is still being used a standard for other light single engine aircrafts being flown in terms of maneuverability and ease of take off and landing.

The earliest Cessna 170s began to hit the flying market towards the latter part of the year 1948 and the initial models that went out of the Cessna production plants were built with fabric-covered wings and metal tails and fuselage. The very first Cessna 170s were just like the previous Cessna 140s, in fact when you park them side by side you would have a hard time telling them apart except when you look intently and closely because the Cessna 170 is designed with four seats and the engines installed were more powerful using the Continental O-300 145 horsepower motors. And even the support for the wings of the 170s, the “v” strut, were the same ones that you will find on the 140s. A year later, new revisions were made on the 170 and the Cessna 170A was born. Instead of the fabric-covered wings that you will find on the 140s and the early 170s, the Cessna 170A had an all metal tail, fuselage, and the zero-dihedral wings. And what is more noticeable on the new Cessna 170A is the single strut wing support which replaced the old “v” strut found on the older models. And in the 170A is where you will find the oddly shaped rudder/fin that you will also see on the succeeding Cessna models – the Cessna 190 and the Cessna 195 bigger models.

A few years later, in 1952, the new and improved 170 came out with as the Cessna 170B, reinforced with Fowler wings that are slotted and rearward-traveling. The fowler wing flaps can deflect up to forty degrees giving it more maneuverability. Some of the other parts of the Cessna 170B include the larger rear windows for better visibility anywhere you look, the new tailplane, and a few other refinements that are offshoots from the recent 170 and 170A. Three years later, the square designed rear side windows came out replacing its former elliptical design.

The only setback with the original Cessna 170 is its traditional landing gear which is quite a challenge to land, and that is the reason why in 1956, a replacement to the taxing Cessna 170 was made which is what we know now as the Cessna 172. At the onset of the production of the 172, the 170 production was ceased.

By: A. James David

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James David teaches people how to buy single engine airplanes & has a passion for the Cessna 170 For Sale