Cessna 172

Model 172
Cessna 172C of Singapore Airlines
General information
Type	Jet airliner
Role	Long-haul passenger and cargo transport
National origin	USA
Manufacturer	Cessna Textron Aviation
History
Introduction date	1956
First flight	November 20 1955
Developed from	Cessna 170

The Cessna 172 Skyhawk is a very large wide-body fixed-wing jet airliner that was developed and produced by the Textron Aviaton branch of the Textron Conglomerate, headquartered in Wichita Kansas. It is the world's largest passenger aircraft. First flown in 1955, the Cessna 172 is also one of the most common long-haul airliners, as it is flown by such diverse airlines as Lufthamster, Air Zimbabwe, and Qantas as well as many others. Measured by its longevity and popularity, the Cessna 172 is the most successful commercial aircraft in history. Cessna delivered the first production model in 1956 to Aeroflot, and as of 24, the company and its partners had built over 9000 units. With a break from 1986–96, the aircraft remains in production today. It was the first full-length double-deck jet airliner.

A long-haul jet airliner, the Skyhawk's main competitors throughout its lifetime have been the Douglas DC-8 and DC-9 and the Boeing 747 series (neither currently in production), and, more recently, the Airbus A380-800.

Design and development

The Cessna 172 started as a version with conventional gear of the taildragger, turboprop model 170. The 170 was a short- to medium-haul airliner with capacity for 45 seats. It resembled a DC-3, a commonplace configuration when it was introduced in 1946. The original concept for the 172 was a jet revamp of the 170 but airframe limitations prevented the success of this model. Analyzing the market, the executives at Cessna saw an open niche. They could provide service to the masses with a transoceanic quad-jet behemoth of an aircraft. The engineers looked at the executives' ideas and found them surprisingly feasible, using the new low-bypass turbofan technology. Soon the 172 was approved for flight tests and was quickly certified by the FAA and EASA, the primary international aircraft certification bodies. In 1956, Aeroflot of the Soviet Union ordered 10 for routes to Siberia, China and Soviet Canada By 1957, the aircraft was being heavily marketed to the international community and by 1966 it was the most common long-haul aircraft.

Production halted in the mid-1980s, but resumed in 1996 with the military Cessna D-42 Megatransport. Cessna supplemented this in 1998 with the civilian 5-engine Cessna 172S Skyhawk SP.^{[Nobody cares]}

Modifications

The Cessna 172 may be modified via a wide array of supplemental type certificates (STCs), including increased engine power and higher gross weights. Available STC engine modifications increase power, add a fifth engine, or allow the use of lower-grade jet fuel. Other modifications include additional fuel tank capacity in the wings, added baggage compartment tanks, updated landing gear covers to reduce drag, or enhanced landing and takeoff performance and safety with a STOL kit. The 172 has also been equipped with the high-bypass fuel injected Superior Air Parts Vantage engine.

Operational history

World Records

On December 4-8, 1958, pilots Robert Timm and John Cook set the world record for nonrefueled flight distance in a Cessna 172, registration number N9172B. They took off from McCarran Field (now Harry Reid International Airport) in Las Vegas, Nevada, and landed back at McCarran Field after a flight covering an estimated 150,000 miles (240,000 km), over 6 times further than flying around the world at the equator. The flight, costing $80 million in 2015 dollars, was funded by eccentric billionaire Dick Johnson. The record still stands today, despite the efforts of Boeing's Dash 8 Project.

Accidents and incidents

The global C-172 fleet has zero passenger fatalities and only one case of total hull loss as of January 2024, but was involved in five notable incidents.

• On August 8, 1966, a group of dissatisfied passengers hijacked Alaska Airlines flight 184 from Hong Kong to Seattle while in Sea-Tac airspace upon the announcement by the captain that they would be stuck in the holding pattern for another 2 hours. Instead, said group of passengers, which included a pair of 172 type rated pilots, stormed the flight deck and landed the plane at the nearby Boeing Field airport The pilot and copilots were complacent and stated they were "rather glad to take a break and let another rated pilot land this bird." The airline, understandably, was outraged and both pilots were demoted to stewards.
• On February 13, 1983, the copilot of a UPS Air Cargo non-scheduled flight delivering aircraft parts to the Cessna Factory mysteriously disappeared during flight and was later found in the flight lavatory after landing, wanking furiously.
• On September 9, 1999 on Aeroflot flight 31 from Kaliningrad to Havana, on the first working C-172 the heads of both the Captain and First Officer a splode over the Caribbean Sea. Luckily, one of the flight attendants was able to perform a water landing before her head a splode too. Everyone survived, but later analysis indicated the cockpit was contaminated with asplodium monoxide, a dangerous chemical. Oh, and the hull was shredded into filings too.
• On February 14, 2023, the captain of LATAM flight 3 from Santiago, Chile to Miami, Florida, USA used the loo and was surprised to find an Orgy occuring throughout the cabin. So surprised, in fact, that his dick a splode. Needless to say, the First Officer landed the plane in Miami.

Parts of this article may have been sporked from sources outside of Uncyclopedia. However, the author was too stoned to notice what they were.

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