One of the greatest aircraft compromises — in a good way — in history is Cessna’s franchise model, the 172 Skyhawk. The iconic Kansas-based airplane maker has turned out more than 40,000 of the sheet-metal birds since the model’s debut in 1956, and the utilitarian singles continue to roll down the line and out the hangar doors. While the 172 has changed in a thousand little ways over the years, with new tail shapes, engines, seat tracks, radios and countless other tweaks, the shape, performance and flying qualities of the bird have remained very much the same. The Skyhawk remains a frisky runabout, a trusty trainer and a passable short-haul transportation airplane, the same today as in the beginning.
Cessna 172 Skyhawks Reborn
Key Takeaways:
- The Cessna 172 Skyhawk remains an iconic and versatile aircraft, but the high price of new models (around $400,000) has created a demand for more affordable alternatives.
- A significant market has emerged for refurbishing older 172s, with companies like Redbird and Premier offering comprehensive overhauls often featuring turbodiesel engines that run on globally available and cheaper Jet-A fuel.
- These refurbished models aim to provide modern performance, avionics, and reduced operating costs at a fraction of the price of a new factory-built Skyhawk.
- Other refurbishment approaches include offering less expensive replacement avgas engines (Superior Air Parts) or stripped-down, basic trainers for flight schools to keep costs extremely low (Sporty's 172LITE).
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