When was the Cessna 140 built?

The Cessna 140 family — 120, 140, and 140A — was built from 1946 to 1951. Total production across the three variants was approximately 7,664 airframes, making it one of the largest post-war US light-aircraft programmes. The 140A in 1949 introduced all-metal wings and the uprated 90 hp Continental C-90; production ended in 1951.

What is the difference between the Cessna 120 and the Cessna 140?

The 120 is the economy sibling — same airframe and Continental C-85 engine as the original 140 but without the electrical system, flaps, or rear side windows. The 140 added the electrical system, manually-operated flaps, two-piece windshield, and full instrument panel. Both share FAA TCDS A-768 and the same type-club community; the 120 commands a lower price than the 140 today.

Is the Cessna 140 a Light Sport Aircraft?

Some specific 140 airframes are eligible to be flown by a sport-pilot certificate holder under the legacy LSA weight envelope (1,320 lb MTOW), but eligibility is airframe-specific. The published MTOW for the 120 / 140 is 1,450 lb and the 140A is 1,500 lb — above the LSA limit on paper. Operators planning to fly the type under sport-pilot privileges should review the specific airframe's weight history and any LSA-eligible weight-restriction STCs before assuming the type qualifies.

How much does a Cessna 140 cost?

Used-market prices commonly range from roughly 22,000 USD for an honest Cessna 120 through 55,000 USD or more for a sorted 140A with recent overhauls and a modern panel. Pricing varies substantially with engine time, fabric vs. metal wing variant, paint, and condition. The 140A typically carries the highest valuations within the family.

Cessna (Textron Aviation)

140

Single-engine piston · Trainer and personal aircraft · Pre-1980 classic

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Photo: Tomás Del Coro from Fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada, USA via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0

Power: 85 hp
Cruise: 90 kt
MTOW: 1,500 lb
Range: 380 nm
Fuel: 100LL avgas

🇺🇸Specs shown in Imperial.

Performance

Cruise speed (Vc)90 kt
Never-exceed speed (Vne)130 kt
Stall (landing config) (Vs0)38 kt
Climb rate680 fpm
Service ceiling15,500 ft
Range380 nm
Endurance4 h
Takeoff roll670 ft
Landing roll460 ft

Weights

MTOW1,500 lb
Empty weight890 lb
Useful load610 lb
Baggage capacity80 lb

Dimensions

Wingspan33 ft
Length21.5 ft
Height6.3 ft
Cabin width36 in

Powerplant

EngineContinental C-85-12 / C-90 (variant-dependent) — 85 hp · 100LL · 4.5 gph
Total horsepower85 hp
Primary fuel100LL avgas
Unleaded pathLeaded only — needs G100UL or engine swap

Cockpit & avionics

Cockpit typeanalog
Autopilot commonly availableNo
Typical packages
- Six-pack analog (period-original)— 1946–1951 factory
- Garmin G5 / Aspen Evolution retrofit— common modern retrofit
Training note
Most 140s flying today carry a mix of period-original analog instruments and modern retrofits, often built around a Garmin G5 or Aspen Evolution PFD paired with a small VFR GPS. Schools using the 140 for tailwheel endorsements typically keep the panel simple so the syllabus focuses on conventional-gear technique rather than glass-panel familiarisation.

Certification

RegulatoryCAR 3 (FAA Part 23 predecessor)
Certified rolesNormal category · Utility category (within reduced weight envelope)
IFRNo
Spin approvedYes
Aerobatic-categoryNo
TailwheelYes
Complex (FAR 61.31)No
High-performance (FAR 61.31)No

Why is the 140 popular?

Structured popularity-driver evidence. Each axis below carries one factual statement; we don't grade, the facts speak.

Production volume

Approximately 7,664 Cessna 120 / 140 / 140A airframes were built between 1946 and 1951 — one of the largest post-war US light-aircraft production runs. The fleet remains material on the FAA registry.

Pedagogy and handling

Conventional gear, small-diameter wheels, light wing loading, and the low-power Continental C-85 / C-90 give the airframe a classic tailwheel-trainer pedagogy environment with forgiving ground-handling speeds; the type is widely used today for tailwheel endorsements and for sport-pilot training where the airframe meets the LSA weight limit.

Parts and MRO ecosystem

International Cessna 120/140 Association supports owners with shared maintenance practice, vendor referrals, and STC awareness; the Continental C-85 / C-90 / O-200 family has an active aftermarket parts ecosystem shared with the Cessna 150, 152, and Skycatcher fleets.

Fuel future-proofing

Continental C-85 and C-90 are leaded-fuel-only under current FAA EAGLE / California UNL94 transition guidance. Some operators on the 140A's later O-200 path can plan against the broader Continental O-200 aftermarket for unleaded-fuel STCs as those become available.

Before you buy more aircraft

The next airframe is rarely the highest-leverage move.

Flight school revenue is a function of three things — utilisation, dispatch reliability, and student progression — that multiply rather than add. Most schools running below 850 hours per aircraft per year have hidden capacity worth more than the next purchase, already paid for and sitting on the ramp.

Read: Why buying more aircraft probably won't grow your school

Operations

Record hours, no profit

Where margin actually leaks when the schedule looks full.

Strategy

The three hurdles to profitability

The structural barriers most expansion plans miss.

How flight schools track this aircraft in Aviatize

Schools or clubs operating a 140 typically configure it in Aviatize as a single-airframe vintage / tailwheel resource. The Continental C-85 or C-90 engine and propeller should be modelled as child components with overhaul-reserve tracking against the published TBO. Pilot-currency rules should gate the resource on a current tailwheel endorsement.

schedulingaircraft maintenancetraining management

Editorial confidence

Medium confidenceLast reviewed 2026-05-26

Variant timeline, engine, and certification path well-attributed to FAA TCDS A-768 and the type-club. Specific cruise / fuel-burn / weight figures are POH-typical bands rather than POH-confirmed for any specific airframe; treat numbers as illustrative.

Sources

Primary sources are POH / TCDS / manufacturer pages; derived sources record where Aviatize editorial synthesis is layered on top.

Primary sourceFAA TCDS·Retrieved 2026-05-14
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
https://drs.faa.gov/browse/TCDS
FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet A-768 covers the Cessna 120, 140, and 140A.
Primary sourceType Club·Retrieved 2026-05-14
International Cessna 120/140 Association
https://cessna120-140.org/
Type club covering ownership, maintenance, and operating practice for Cessna 120 / 140 / 140A owners.
Secondary sourceAviatize-internal·Retrieved 2026-05-26
Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cessna_140
Wikipedia article verified on 2026-05-26. Confirmed: 7,664 built; manufactured 1946-1951; first flight June 28, 1945 (140), 1946 (120); length 21 ft 6 in; wingspan 33 ft 4 in; height 6 ft 3 in; empty 890 lb; gross 1,450 lb (this is the 120/140 baseline; the 140A is 1,500 lb per FAA TCDS A-768); fuel 25 US gal (21 useable); Continental C-85-12/12F 85 hp (original) with optional C-90-12F/14F 90 hp; max speed 109 kn; cruise 91 kn; stall 39 kn (flaps down); Vne 120 kn; range 390 nm; service ceiling 15,500 ft; climb 680 fpm.
Editorial synthesisAviatize-internal·Retrieved 2026-05-14
Aviatize editorial
Entry authored by Aviatize from accumulated industry knowledge cross-referenced against the primary sources cited above.

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Discontinued

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