Cessna 140

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The Cessna 120, 140, and 140A, are single-engine, two-seat, conventional landing gear (tailwheel), light general aviation aircraft that were first produced in 1946, immediately following the end of World War II. Production ended in 1951, and was succeeded in 1959 by the Cessna 150, a similar two-seat trainer which introduced tricycle gear. Combined production of the 120, 140, and 140A was 7,664 units in five years.<ref name="Christy">Christy, Joe: The Complete Guide to the Single-Engine Cessnas - 3rd Edition, pages 12-17. TAB Books, 1979. Template:ISBN</ref><ref name="PlaneAndPilot">Plane and Pilot: 1978 Aircraft Directory, page 22. Werner & Werner Corp Publishing, 1978. Template:ISBN</ref>

DevelopmentEdit

Cessna 140Edit

File:Cessna 140 (NC89109) 03.jpg

Cessna 140 taxiing

The Cessna 140 was originally equipped with a Continental C-85-12 or C-85-12F horizontally opposed, air-cooled, four-cylinder piston engine of Template:Convert. The Continental C-90-12F or C-90-14F of Template:Convert was optional, as was the Template:Convert Lycoming O-235-C1 engine, an aftermarket installation authorized in the type certificate. This model had a metal fuselage and fabric wings with metal control surfaces. The Cessna 170 was a larger four-seat development of the 140, sporting a more powerful engine.<ref name="Christy"/><ref name="PlaneAndPilot"/><ref name="A768">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

File:Restored 1946 Cessna 140 in California.JPG

Restored 1946 Cessna 140

Cessna 120Edit

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Cessna 120, built 1948, showing the smooth underside of the inboard wing, without flaps.

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.<ref name="Christy"/><ref name="PlaneAndPilot"/><ref name="A768" /> 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.<ref name="aopa_budget">Template:Cite journal</ref> The 120 was dropped from production upon introduction of the 140A in 1949.<ref name="aopa_budget"/>

File:1946Cessna120.jpg

1946 Cessna 120, in Nebraska, 1964

Cessna 140AEdit

File:G-BOCI Cessna Ce.140A (8650894675).jpg

Cessna 140A with the single wing strut

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 struts fitted on earlier models. Standard engines were the Continental C-90-12F or C-90-14F of Template:Convert, with the Template:Convert Continental C-85-12, C-85-12F, or C-85-14F engines optional. The spring-steel gear had been swept Template:Convert forward on 120 and 140 models in late 1947 so landing gear extenders were no longer necessary to counter nose-over tendencies during heavy application of brakes; all 140A models had the improved gear legs.<ref name="Christy"/><ref name="PlaneAndPilot"/><ref name="GearLegs">International Cessna 120-140 Association, Landing Gear Legs and Extenders for the Cessna 120/140/140A Planes Template:Webarchive</ref><ref name="Phillips">Phillips, Edward H., : Wings of Cessna, Model 120 to the Citation III, Flying Books, 1986. Template:ISBN</ref><ref name="5A2">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Despite these improvements, sales of the 140 lineup faltered, and the 140A comprised only seven percent of overall 120/140 production.<ref name="aopa_budget"/>

ModificationsEdit

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.<ref name="Christy"/><ref name="aopa_budget"/>
The installation of landing gear extenders to reduce the tendency of the aircraft to nose over on application of heavy braking. These were factory-optional equipment.<ref name="aopa_budget"/><ref name="Cessan120-140PM">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Installation of rear-cabin "D" side windows on 120s that were not originally so equipped.<ref name="aopa_budget"/>
Installation of electrical systems on 120s that were not originally so equipped, allowing owners to install an electric starter, more sophisticated avionics and/or lights for night flying.<ref name="Christy"/><ref name="aopa_budget"/>
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. A kit is available to install a Lycoming O-320 but this conversion is less prevalent due to a roughly 100 lb (45 kg) weight penalty and a sharp increase in fuel consumption.<ref name="aopa_budget"/>