Inside The $400,000 Cessna 172 Skyhawk

Inside The $400,000 Cessna 172 Skyhawk Plane

0:00 - Intro
This is the Cessna 172 Skyhawk, a legendary aircraft that has become a household name in the aviation community, and since its inception in 1956, the Cessna 172 quickly earned its stripes in becoming the most-produced aircraft in history. Today we’re going inside the Cessna 172 Skyhawk to talk about everything you need to know about this legendary aircraft.

0:51 - Cabin
Cessna hasn’t changed the Cessna 172’s dimensions much over the years. The cabin is 39.5 inches across by 48 inches high, or 100 by 122 centimeters. While the old 172s were notorious for having shabby interiors, with plastic panels separating, fading paint, and fabric wearing out, even after a few years in the field, Cessna completely re-engineered the interior.
New 172s boast better-looking interiors, which add to the value of the airplane at both ends of the sales equation: when customers take delivery and when they want to sell the airplane. Another significant improvement is the quality of the seats, seat tracks, and restraints. The new seats are extremely strong, solid-feeling, nicely adjustable, and durable. The seat belts attach with a single snap and feature built-in airbags.
One of the great strengths of the 172’s interior is its comfort. While its dimensions aren’t generous, for all but the longest or widest of pilots and passengers, it’s comfortable. For sightseers, the backseat of a 172 is one of the best places to be, especially with the added rear visibility from the Omni-Vision.
For shorter people, the tall panel presents a bit of a challenge, but at least both front seats are vertically adjustable as partial compensation. Although produced under the same type certificate, the Skyhawk has a long list of improvements, including a metal panel, refined seats, better seatbelts, better ventilation, and improved anti-corrosion treatment.

2:50 - Cockpit
Avionics today are also a huge improvement over earlier 172s. Textron Aviation installed the G1000 avionics suite in 2005. This contained early implementations of an optional autopilot as well as XM weather, topography, and traffic. The yoke has also been repositioned lower to improve accessibility and visibility.
Standard today is the Garmin G1000 glass cockpit with synthetic vision technology, which displays the aircraft's position as a real-time 3D picture. The Skyhawk has as standard the GFC 700 fully integrated flight control system, which includes airspeed hold, overspeed protection, pitch hold, and linked vertical navigation. The system offers accurate lateral and vertical direction, as well as capabilities.
Options include synthetic vision, Enhanced Vision System, and the Garmin GTS 800 ADS-B upgradable active traffic advisory system.
For laptops and other electrical devices, the plane also incorporates a standard 12V power converter. It has on-demand cabin illumination as well as tinted Rosen sun visors to reduce cockpit glare and eye strain.

5:36 - Engine and Performance
The 172 Skyhawk is powered by a 180 horsepower Lycoming IO-360-L2A engine with a TBO of 2,000 hours, and a McCauley fixed-pitch two-blade metal propeller. This combination is able to push the aircraft to a maximum cruise speed of 124 knots and up to a maximum cruising altitude of 14,000 feet or 4,267 meters, with an average hourly fuel burn of 9 gallons or 34 liters per hour.
The 172 has a maximum range of 640 nautical miles, which is 736 miles or 1,185 kilometers. The plane can take off in 1,630 feet or 497 meters, has a maximum rate of climb of 730 feet or 223 meters per minute, and a minimum landing distance of 1,335 feet or 407 meters, all while maintaining a maximum net payload of 870 lbs or 395 kg, and a full-fuel payload of 560 lbs or 254 kg.

7:30 - A Legendary Aircraft
The Cessna 172 was arguably the most elegant compromise in the history of aviation. It might not have been the best airplane at doing any one thing, but it was clearly the best at giving its owners a satisfying taste of everything they wanted in a personal airplane.

8:38 - Purchase and Charter Price
Talking about price, used Cessna 172s sell for $30,000 to $50,000. The Skyhawk is priced between $350,000 and $450,000, depending on extras like the Garmin G1000 NXi. However, despite their gleaming rivets, these planes are totally contemporary, highly developed versions of the four-seat, entry-level general aviation airplane.

9:08 - Operating Cost
While the total fixed cost is roughly $20,000 to $30,000 per year, the average hourly operating cost is estimated at $100 to $150.

9:18 - Outro

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