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The Continental O-300-powered C172s ("H" model in particular)

Ideally you would have kept both!

I would much rather have my R172K than a Ford Capri thank you! It is truly an awesome machine and now I am really at home with it I am very confident about the capabilities. As said before, full tanks and 4 adults to go anywhere. Shortest field I use is just less than 300 metres with clear entry and exit lanes. 125k cruse on about 35 litres per hour, full IFR equiped, what more could you want?

UK, United Kingdom
  • Anyway, I really liked this O-300-powered F172H. As long as:
  • you don’t have to take care of the maintenance
  • you don’t need a huge amount of performance
  • …it’s a wonderful plane for VFR bimbling and shortish cross-countries

I continue to fly my F172H and btw was hangared quite some time right next to ZY, before the airport terminated my hangar contract (btw, after one year they still have not paid back the deposit …).
A bit surprised they still built the short fin -H in 1970 in Reims, but their tendency to mix different parts from Wichita builts is legend (mine has -E, -F, -G and -H parts).

Maintenance isn’t that bad and on owner maintenance it is easy enough to do many things DIY.
Overhaul is ‘ouch’ due to the 6 banger, but on the other side, it will run happily on autofuel STC.
Performance is an issue and frankly, I would treat it as a 3 person aircraft, or better 2 plus.
It also is fine for long xcountry trips, you only need time on 95 knots cruise for it ;-).

Last Edited by at 17 Dec 15:25

Looks like a 1963 172D (O-300 powered) can be a bush plane !



LFOU, France

My club now has a very similar one in its fleet. Not an H, but an F, a 1964 model. With the distinctive spinner and cowling, it looks a little more vintage than the H.

It is a very tidy inside and nicely IFR equipped, with a GS430W, but (so far) without an autopilot:


A few nice pics of Rheinhessen with its autumn colours taken on the occasion…

As said, not a big performer, but a very characterful aircraft.

Also; at just over 400 kgs, useful load is not all that bad, so with a long runway at EDFZ, it is very useful (much more than the Cherokee 140) for sightseeing flights, which we do quite a lot.

Last Edited by boscomantico at 02 Nov 13:58
Mainz (EDFZ) & Egelsbach (EDFE), Germany

Just a little video of the 172F as well:


Mainz (EDFZ) & Egelsbach (EDFE), Germany

Do you know how much the panel upgrade/refit cost?

always learning
LO__, Austria

Does anyone has first-hand experience operating and maintaining an O-300 Cessna ?
I guess mh and @dejwu would.

Many thanks.

LFOU, France

We have one in the club at Elstree and I have a few hours in it. Smooth but anaemic was first impression.

Happy to try to find someone to pass questions onto or answer them myself, but I just fly them.

Denham, Elstree, United Kingdom
19 Posts
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