Cessna 190 and 195

The Cessna 190 and 195 are considered classic airplanes occupying the aerial equivalent of classic ’57 Chevys or Harley Davidson motorcycles. To many, the 190/195 represent all that was good during the 50s, and these airplanes are highly coveted amongst collectors. A few can be seen flying the bush.

Like the 180/185, the difference between the 190/195 was most choice of engines, with the 195 offered with more power. The 190 featured a Continental radial engine that produced 240 hp and the 195 featured Jacob radials of 245-300 hp. While the Jacob radials were not bad engines, they have obtained the nickname of “shaky jakes” apparently because they are not the smoothest operating aero-engines. Some of the classic Cessnas have been modified to accept the Pratt &Whitney R-985 radial, but this is not a common modification.

In their heyday, 190/195s were used as executive transports and were marketed under the label of “businessliners.” The United States Air Force used the 195 in Alaska as a light transport plane. Floats and skis can be fitted to the classic Cessna. In the bush, 190s and 195s are not common and are getting rarer as they are bought by collectors. While the 190/195 are good airplanes in their own right, they can be a bit expensive to maintain in comparison to more contemporary aircraft.

Watch these Cessna 195s flying in formation over Mississippi, USA.

ADD TO YOUR SOCIAL BOOKMARKS: Blink Del.icio.us Digg
Furl Google Simpy Spurl Technorati Y! MyWeb