The Cessna 172 was based on the Cessna 170 taildragger, and in 1956 the most notable difference between the airplanes was the gear. The tricycle gear that helped make the Cessna 172 an excellent training airplane was named Land-O-Matic by the marketing department. Cessna’s idea to change the gear configuration most likely came from the popular tricycle gear STC for the 172 developed by Met-Co-Air in Fullerton, California. Another distinguishing feature that sets the early 172 apart from the 170 is the straight, finlike vertical stabilizer. The 1956 version of the 172 came out of the factory with a price tag of $8,295.
The instrument panel’s shape on early 172s was very similar to the Cessna 170’s, but in 1959 the panel shape began to morph into what we’ve become accustomed to in the 172. However, the control wheel placement remained in a higher position in those days, which disturbed the visual access to the instruments. Therefore, the control wheel later moved to a lower position on the panel, which not only improved the visibility to the instruments but also made its position more ergonomic.
