With a side-to-side sashay of the panel as the Jake turns over and comes to life, so does the Cessna 195. The conveyance of choice for legendary Cessna Aircraft Company president Dwane Wallace back in the 1950s, the 195 lives on through a persistent confluence of capability and flair, with a tinge of nostalgia thrown in. And throughout 2022, its aficionados have celebrated the 75 years since it first took flight in Wichita, Kansas.
Design
The Cessna 190 and 195 models were born from a desire to serve the business traveler of the post-World War II era with a moderately fast single that could take advantage of the state-of-the-art radial engines of the time—and carry a family or a couple of colleagues in comfort in a sedan-like cabin. The models were launched concurrently and shared a production line, but the 190s were produced with a 240 hp, seven-cylinder Continental W670-23, while the 195s came out of the factory with the 300 hp Jacobs R755-A2—and later the 275 hp Jacobs R755-B2—making use of war-surplus Jakes the company could readily obtain.
