Cessna 172

The Cessna 172 Skyhawk is an American four-seat, single-engine, high wing, fixed-wing aircraft made by the Cessna Aircraft Company. First flown in 1955, more 172s have been built than any other aircraft. It was developed from the Cessna 170, which was first manufactured in 1948, but with tricycle landing gear rather than conventional landing gear. The Skyhawk name was originally used for a trim package, but was later applied to all standard-production 172 aircraft; in the 1980s, the 172 was briefly marketed as the Cutlass. The 172 was also produced under license in France by Reims Aviation. The 172 was developed into the more powerful but less successful Cessna 175; after that aircraft's discontinuation, Cessna and Reims used the 175 type certificate to develop the R172 series, which includes several aircraft marketed as 172 variants. Measured by its longevity and popularity, the Cessna 172 is the most successful aircraft in history. Cessna delivered the first production model in 1956, and as of 2015, the company and its partners had built more than 44,000 units. With a break from 1986 to 1996, the aircraft remains in production today. A light general aviation airplane, the Skyhawk's main competitors throughout much of its history were the Beechcraft Musketeer and Grumman American AA-5 series, though neither are currently in production. Other prominent competitors still in production include the Piper PA-28 Cherokee, and, more recently, the Diamond DA40 Diamond Star and Cirrus SR20.