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The Cessna 150 is a two-seat tricycle gear general aviation airplane that was designed for flight training, touring and personal use.[2] In 1977, it was succeeded in production by the Cessna 152, a minor modification to the original design. The Cessna 150 is an all metal, two seat, high wing, single engine airplane equipped with tricycle landing gear, having a steerable nose wheel and two main wheels. Later, these configurations were joined by the top-end Commuter II and the aerobatic Aerobat models. Operators who wish to fly the Cessna 150 as a STOL plane has modified their landing gear arrangement to a taildragger configuration, incorporating reinforced main struts and larger low-pressure wheels that make it fit for bush flying.
Question: How much does a Cessna 150 cost today?
With a total of 33,000 units built, the 150 has remained a favorite among students, instructors, and joyriders, a testament to its timeless qualities. In 1976 the "M" gained a suite of electrical circuit breakers to replace the previous fuses used. It was also fitted with a fully articulated pilot seat as standard equipment (this seat had been optional on some earlier models). The 1973 "L" model brought in lower seats to provide more headroom for taller pilots.
Payload with full fuel
The Cessna 150’s original Vne (do not exceed speed) was 136 KCAS, which was improved to 141 KCAS on follow-up variants. Stall speeds are 48 knots clean and 42 knots in landing configuration, a stark difference from the Cessna 172 family, where it had significant changes over the years. All models from 1966 onwards have larger doors and increased baggage space. With the 1967 Model 150G, the doors were bowed outwards 1.5 inches (38 mm) on each side to provide more cabin elbow room.
Empty Weight
They had a gross weight of 1,500 lb (680 kg), and the flaps were actuated manually with a mechanically linked lever between the seats. Due to its longevity in service, the Cessna 150 family was the target of many supplemental type certificates (STC), modifications aimed at improving certain aspects of the aircraft either for flight safety, comfort, or specialist use. The most common found in aircraft available for sale concern improvements to the fuel management system, which in the original Cessna 150 was limited to an ON/OFF switch. While Cessna’s 172 families transitioned to Lycoming engines after its initial contract with Continental ran out, the 150 series were all equipped with Continental engines. Most models had the Continental O-200-A, a four-cylinder, air-cooled carbureted engine with 200 cubic inches of displacement capable of generating 100 horsepower. At the front of the aircraft is a 2-blade metal fixed-pitch propeller by McCauley.
New options were a map light under the control wheel and a ground power plug, and extra steps and handles were added to the floatplane version to make fueling easier.[23] 1714 "J" models were built,[1] plus 140 built by Reims as the F150J. In 1959, the ‘World’s Premier Trainer’ was introduced by Cessna as the Cessna 150. This small, but iconic, airplane has gone on to train over 250,0002 pilots- and counting. Its predecessor, the Cessna 140 tail-dragger, finished production in 1951, and Cessna went back to work designing an even better trainer and came up with the tricycle landing gear Cessna 150.
Wingspan
The 150D moved the heavy electrical battery from the previous rear location, behind the baggage compartment, to the front, just ahead of the engine firewall. It had a broader range for its center of gravity than earlier models, which allowed more flexibility in loading. The 150D also had more permissive airspeed limits for its never-exceed speed, its maneuvering speed, and particularly its maximum flaps-extended speed, which was raised from 85 mph (137 km/h; 74 kn) to 100 mph (161 km/h; 87 kn). Fuel is supplied to the engine from two 13-gallon tanks, one in each wing. From these tanks, fuel flows by gravity through a fuel shutoff valve and fuel strainer to the carburetor. Fuel capacity can be increased to 38 gallons total with the optional long-range system.
Over the years, the 150 experienced a number of modifications, some dramatic. In 1961, the main gear struts were moved aft two inches to improve tail-heavy tendencies on the ground, and tubular gear legs with a wider track were added in 1971. The baggage area was enlarged several times, and by the end of production, the 150 had more space than load capacity.
Popular Upgrades and Modifications for the Cessna 150
The Cessna 150 was the first flight experience for many pilots who learned to fly anytime after 1959. It’s an all-metal tricycle gear high wing airplane with two side-by-side seats. The Cessna 150 had limited visibility, because it didn’t have a rear window (in the original model), and high wing aircraft have essentially no upward visibility anyway due to the wing. However, it did have fairly large windows on each cabin door, and two smaller windows on the sides of the fuselage near the baggage compartment.
Cessna tried to replace the Cessna 150 with the 162, but it did not work out in the long run for reasons outside the scope of this entry. A similar high wing offering is the Symphony SA-160, which enjoyed a short production run from 2001 to 2006. No Cessna 150 variant managed to top the Cessna 150’s nominal service ceiling, set to 15,300 ft. The Cessna 150H had that drastically decreased to 12,650 ft, but the definitive Cessna 150M brought that back up to 14,000 ft, respectably close to the original numbers. The 150L had the longest production run of any 150 sub-model, being produced 1971–74. Cessna has historically used model years like the U.S. automobile industry, with new models typically being introduced a few months prior to the actual calendar year.
The 150 also featured larger, more powerful control surfaces, and a “more modern” squared-off profile3. The 150D model for 1964 brought the first major change to the 150's look—the introduction of a wraparound rear window under the marketing name Omni-Vision, following the pattern already set by other Cessna models. The gross weight of the aircraft was correspondingly increased to 1,600 lb (730 kg), where it would stay for all later 150 models. New in 1971 were tubular landing gear legs with a 16% greater width (6 feet 6 inches (1.98 m) to 7 feet 7 inches (2.31 m) for better ground handling. Also in 1971, the landing and taxi lights were moved from the wing leading edge to the nose bowl to better illuminate the ground. They were an improvement, but bulb life was reduced due to the heat and vibration of that location.
The O-200 is relatively cheap to overhaul, and parts are readily available for it. Early 150s, like their 172 and 182 relatives, had the straight tail and fastback upper fuselage design, which some people think looks cool. Later models were slicked out with the swept tail (necessary for the near-supersonic cruise speed of close to 100 mph) and rear window. Because they’re so plentiful and offer such modest capability, the 150 is a terrific value. The yearly insurance rate for a Cessna 150 is one of the lowest you can get if you’re not using it as a trainer.
Introduced in the late 1950s, the Cessna 150 was a revolutionary airplane at the time. A tricycle gear, side-by-side two-seater, the model gave instructors and students exactly what they were looking for, an easier-to-fly and -land trainer that held up to a seemingly endless succession of bad student landings. This works out to a useful load of 515, 620, and 489 lbs., respectively.
As I mentioned earlier, the Cessna 150 went through 12 unique variations, and each one brought about changes. The Cessna 150 is incredibly versatile- depending on the variant, you can upgrade it to a pretty good aerobatic trainer, a great backcountry plane, a light cross-country plane, or leave it as is as a standard trainer. For pilots who fly solo, there doesn’t seem to be many more plentiful, affordable options out there that can beat the Cessna 150. Like with all legacy models, there are plenty of little things to fix, but most of the used C150’s on the market have already been taken care of and well-loved as a family plane or commuter. The later versions that have a rear window are obviously a better option, but it’d be hard to be disappointed with a standard, trustworthy plane like the Cessna 150.
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