Replacing The Cessna Skyhawk? A Look At The Cessna Cardinal
The Cessna Cardinal was designed to replace the Cessna Skyhawk, which was already a popular training aircraft. So what went wrong and what happened to the Cessna Cardinal?
The Cessna Skyhawk, also known as the Cessna 172, is a four-seat high-wing aircraft with tricycle landing gear. It was first flown on June 12, 1955, and entered the aircraft market in 1956. It was derived from the Cessna 170 but a new Continental O-300-A engine was added along with larger elevators, the tricycle landing gear and an angled tail fin. It was originally added to the 170 type certificate, saving time and money but later gained its own certification outright.
Photo: Lithium366 | Shutterstock
The aircraft became an overnight success in the first year alone; 1,400 of the Cessna 172 were produced. Between its introduction up until 1960, 3,757 were built. Modifications were continually made over the years with slightly different variants. The landing gear was revised in 1960 and the aircraft featured a swept-back tail fin, the basic design remaining the same today.
In 1963, a lower rear deck and rear window were added and named 'Omni-Vision' to improve the pilots' visibility. Newer engines were added over the years with increasing horsepower, although the basic design stayed the same. Constant-speed propellers could also be an additional touch. Additional fuel tanks could be added in the wing tips. Over its production, there were more than 20 variants of the aircraft.
General characteristics
Performance
Avionics
Since its humble beginnings and first flight in 1955, the Cessna Skyhawk has been built more than any other aircraft type. The aircraft is still in production today and over 44,000 have been built. Most well known as a pilot training aircraft, it is the most successful aircraft in history despite a 10-year break in production between 1986 and 1996. The light general aviation aircraft's only competitors today are the Diamond DA40 Star, the Piper PA-28 Cherokee and the Cirrus SR20.
Photo: mountainpix | Shutterstock
In 1968, Cessna decided they wanted to replace the Skyhawk and worked on model 172J, a new modified version of the 172, which had gone through modification models A to I. The new model had the same configuration but with a sloping windshield and a strutless cantilever wing. The interior was improved and small improvements were made. Only one prototype was made.
However, the Cessna Skyhawk was very popular with aircraft dealers and flight schools alike and the marketing division at Cessna were resistant to replacing the aircraft. The replacement program was then canceled. The model 172J was renamed the 177 and sold alongside the 172 instead of replacing it.
Photo: Ceri Breeze | Shutterstock
The aircraft was announced in 1967 and first flew in 1966. It was supposed to be a futuristic successor for the 1970s to the 172. The aircraft had newer technology; a cantilever wing, a new laminar flow airfoil and newer 150 horsepower engines. The deluxe version of the 177 was introduced and renamed the Cessna Cardinal. It had interior and avionics upgrades fitted as standard. There were four variants of the Cardinal, including one with retractable landing gear.
General characteristics
Performance
Photo: Ryan Fletcher | Shutterstock
The design was supposed to allow for pilots to have an unobstructed view when making turns. The pilots were placed just forward of the wing, which affected the aircraft's center of gravity. The lighter Lycoming O-320 engines counteracted this, so a stabilator was fitted to provide better elevator control at low air speeds. There were also reports after the first few deliveries of pilot-induced oscillations. Cessna applied Operation Cardinal Rule at no extra cost to provide inspection, installation, and modification advice to owners.
Although originally built to replace the Cessna Skyhawk, the Cardinal was never going to be as successful as the Skyhawk. Although it had better visibility than the Skyhawk, pilots didn't like that the Cardinal didn't fly like the Skyhawk. The Cessna Cardinal was produced over ten years, and just 4,295 were built. In turn, the Cessna Skyhawk is still produced today.