Cessna 177 Cardinal
The Cessna Cardinal was designed as a more modern, streamlined replacement for the Cessna 172, with its wing strut moved forward and a lower, sleeker cabin profile for better visibility and speed. Early models were underpowered relative to their weight, and Cessna quickly upgraded the engine on later production aircraft to fix the shortfall. Despite its aerodynamic improvements, it never displaced the simpler, cheaper 172 in Cessna's own lineup and eventually went out of production while the 172 continued. It retains a dedicated following today among pilots who prefer its sleeker looks and roomier cabin.
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Did you know?
Look for the missing wing strut: the Cardinal's wing is fully cantilevered, a deliberate break from the strut-braced 172 it was meant to replace.
Specifications
| Length | 7.4 m (24 ft) |
|---|---|
| Wingspan | 10.8 m (35 ft) |
| Height | 2.6 m (9 ft) |
| Maximum passengers | 3 |
| Persons on board | 4 |
| Maximum take-off weight | 1.1 t |
| Range | 560 NM (1,037 km) |
| Maximum speed | 148 kt (274 km/h) |
| Service ceiling | 14,500 ft (4,420 m) |
| Optimum ceiling | 12,000 ft (3,658 m) |
| Rate of climb | 850 ft/min (4.3 m/s) |
| Take-off distance | 500 m (1,640 ft) |
| Landing distance | 400 m (1,312 ft) |
| Fuel capacity | 160 l |
| Engines | 1x Lycoming O-360/IO-360 |
| Units built | 4,295 |
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
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