Cessna 120
The Cessna 120 was a simple post-war two-seat taildragger built to make private flying affordable. It used fabric-covered wings and a basic cabin without flaps or electrical system in early versions. Its success helped establish Cessna’s post-war light-aircraft business.

Did you know?
Early Cessna 120s had no flaps and no electrical system at all, keeping this fabric-winged taildragger simple and affordable.
Specifications
| Length | 6.9 m (23 ft) |
|---|---|
| Wingspan | 11 m (36 ft) |
| Height | 2 m (7 ft) |
| Maximum passengers | 1 |
| Persons on board | 2 |
| Crew | 1 |
| Maximum take-off weight | 0.6 t |
| Range | 400 NM (741 km) |
| Maximum speed | 95 kt (176 km/h) |
| Stall speed | 32 kt (59 km/h) |
| Service ceiling | 12,000 ft (3,658 m) |
| Optimum ceiling | 10,000 ft (3,048 m) |
| Rate of climb | 640 ft/min (3.3 m/s) |
| Take-off distance | 198 m (650 ft) |
| Landing distance | 450 m (1,476 ft) |
| Fuel capacity | 100 l |
| Engines | 1x Continental C-85 |
Curated by CatchFlights from manufacturer documents, ICAO Doc 8643 and reference works; values are left out where no source could confirm them. Sources are listed on our credits page.
In CatchFlights
In CatchFlights the Cessna 120 starts as a Uncommon catch. The tier is an editorial judgement of how special a sighting of this type is. The more often you catch it, the closer it moves to Common for you.
A catch counts for the manufacturer Cessna, the 120 family and the model in your collection, and the daily Type Rating quiz asks about the types of each family.
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