The Cessna 150 is a two-seat tricycle gear general aviation airplane that was designed for flight training, touring and personal use.Plane and Pilot: 1978 Aircraft Directory, pages 22-23. Werner & Werner Corp, Santa Monica CA, 1977. In 1977, it was succeeded in production by the Cessna 152, a minor modification to the original design.
The Cessna 150 is the fifth most produced aircraft ever, with 23,839 produced. The Cessna 150 was offered for sale in named configurations that included the Standard basic model, the Trainer with dual controls, and the deluxe Commuter, along with special options for these known as Patroller options. Later, these configurations were joined by the top-end Commuter II and the aerobatic Aerobat models.
In 2007, Cessna announced a successor to the Model 150 and 152, the Model 162 Skycatcher.
Development
In the mid-1950s, Cessna Aircraft Company began development of a successor to the popular Cessna 140 which finished production in 1951. The resulting 142 was based on the 140, but had tricycle landing gear, which gives the aircraft more docile ground handling than the tailwheel landing gear of the 140; Cessna also replaced the rounded tips of the wings and empennage with more modern-looking, squared-off tips, and the narrow, hinged wing flaps of the 140 were replaced by larger, far more effective Fowler flaps.National Flightshops: All Those Cessna 150s. National Flightshops, St Petersburg FL, 1978.Phillips, Edward H: Wings of Cessna, Model 120 to the Citation III, Flying Books, 1986.
The Cessna 142 prototype first flew on September 12, 1957, shortly before the aircraft was renamed to Model 150 in October.Simpson 1996, pp. 117. Production commenced in September 1958 at Cessna's Wichita, Kansas, plant. 1,764 aircraft were also produced by Reims Aviation under license in France. These French manufactured 150s were designated Reims F150 or Reims-Cessna F150, the "F" indicating they were built in France.
American-made 150s were all produced with the Continental O-200-A engine of . Most Reims-built aircraft are powered by a Continental O-200-A built under license by Rolls-Royce, but some have the Rolls-Royce-built version of the Continental O-240-A.
All models from 1966 onwards have larger doors and increased baggage space. With the 1967 Model 150G, the doors were bowed outwards on each side to provide more cabin elbow room.
The 150 was succeeded in the summer of 1977 by the closely related Cessna 152. The 152 is more economical to operate due to the increased TBO (time between overhaul) of the Lycoming O-235 engine. The 152 had its flap travel limited to 30 degrees, from the 150's 40 degree flap deflection, for better climb with full flaps and the maximum certified gross weight was increased from 1,600 lb (726 kg) on the 150 to 1670 lb (757 kg) on the 152. Production of the 152 ended in 1985 when manufacturing of all Cessna piston singles was suspended.
Production
A total of 22,138 Cessna 150s were built in the United States, including 21,404 Commuters and 734 Aerobats. Reims Aviation completed 1,764 F150s, of which 1,428 were Commuters and 336 were Aerobats. A Reims affiliate in Argentina also assembled 47 F150s, including 38 Commuters and 9 Aerobats.
Of all the Cessna 150/152 models, the 1966 model year was the most plentiful with 3,067 1966 Cessna 150s produced. This was the first year the aircraft featured a swept tail fin, increased baggage area and electrically operated flaps.
Variants 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 sole Model 142 prototype, registered N34258 (c/n 617), was built in 1957 as a tricycle landing gear development of the Cessna 140. Other changes included the addition of "Para-Lift" flaps and squared wingtips and tail surfaces. The aircraft was powered by a Continental O-200-A engine, was of an all-metal construction, and had a gross weight of . First flown on September 12, 1957, the aircraft was subsequently redesignated to Model 150.
Introduced for the 1959 model year, the production 150 was largely identical to the 142/150 prototype. The 1959 150 was offered in three configurations; the Standard, the most basic level with the fewest features; the upgraded Trainer, with dual flight controls, a more complete set of flight instruments for instrument flight rules operation, a radio, a landing light, and a few other features; and the top-of-the-line Inter-City Commuter (often called simply the Commuter), which added an engine vacuum pump, vacuum-driven heading and attitude indicators, and a revolving anti-collision beacon mounted on the vertical fin, along with all of the Trainer's features except for the dual flight controls. For the 1960 model year, the generator in the Commuter was upgraded to 35 amperes. All 150s for 1959 had included a 20-ampere generator, and this was retained in the Standard and Trainer for 1960; the 35-ampere generator was offered as an option for these configurations. Also for 1960, the Patroller configuration was introduced for patrol-type work. These could be added, either together or selectively, to any 150 configuration, and included a "Patroller" wing with long-range fuel tanks that held a total of , instead of the standard in the normal wing; Patroller doors, with extra acrylic glass windows in the lower half for better visibility; and a message drop tube, for dropping messages and other small items through the cabin floor to the ground. A total of 1017 were built, not including the 1957 prototype; 683 in 1959 and 334 in 1960.
1961 model year with 15% larger rear side windows, which offered slightly better rear visibility. The landing gear was also redesigned, shifting the main wheels aft by , but not changing the gear leg mountings. This shift of the main wheels made the aircraft less likely to tip back onto its tail during loading, and it also made the nose wheel bear more weight, which increased its steering effectiveness. Other new features in the 150A included an instrument panel with a completely redesigned layout; flush inside door handles and nearly flush window latches, which made the 150's narrow cabin a bit less cramped, and optional individually adjustable seats.Clarke, Bill: Cessna 150 and 152 first edition, pages 26-95. TAB Books, 1987. 332 built.
1962 model year with a new McCauley 1A100/MCM6950 propeller replacing the Sensenich M69CK-52 of previous versions. The new propeller had the same diameter of , but its blade pitch was reduced, which increased the maximum cruise speed by about and slightly improved the climb rate and service ceiling. The original metal wingtips were replaced by more smoothly contoured fiberglass ones with a different shape, increasing the wingspan by about . The optional two-passenger child seat for the baggage compartment, available from the first 150, was completely redesigned for the 150B. A new option was a simple autopilot, specifically for the Commuter version, called "Nav-O-Matic", a single-axis heading-hold type. Also newly offered for the 150B were optional "courtesy lights" in the underside of the wings to light the area around the doors when on the ground. The Patroller message drop tube option, on the other hand, was eliminated. 350 built.
1963 model year with a quick drain added to the fuel strainer, optional larger 6.00×6 inch (150×150 mm) main wheels and tires to replace the standard 5.00×5 inch (125×125 mm) size, and an optional child seat. The optional landing gear "speed fairings" were also changed to a sharp-nosed design compatible with those used for other single-engine Cessna models. 387 built.
1964 model year with a cut down rear fuselage and a wraparound "Omni-Vision" rear window, following the pattern already set by other Cessna models. The new rear window improved rearward visibility, and many people found the new cabin more "airy" and pleasant, due to the increased light. Useful load was increased by , and the gross weight of the aircraft was correspondingly increased to , where it would stay for all later 150 models. Because of the higher gross weight with the same engine power, Cessna's claimed performance figures for the 150D and later models are worse than for earlier models: maximum and cruise speeds are reduced, range is shortened, takeoff and landing distances are lengthened, and climb rate and service ceiling are lower. Such changes are only to be expected, because performance is weight-dependent and is normally specified at maximum gross weight. Cruise performance may also have been lessened because the new rear window made the 150D's rear fuselage less well streamlined than the former "fastback" fuselage. The 150D retained the straight tailfin and rudder of previous years. However, to lighten control loads, aerodynamic balance horns were added to the rudder and the elevator. These horns also contained weights (mass balances) to eliminate any possible control flutter that might be induced by the changed aerodynamics of the rear fuselage. 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 to . Partway through the 150D's production, an option was added for a heavy-duty nose landing gear with a larger 6.00×6 inch (150×150 mm) nosewheel; this had a tire whose tread was wider than standard but was only slightly larger in diameter. The folding torque links on this heavy-duty nose gear were also reversed, being mounted in front of the nosewheel strut instead of behind it. A total of 686 aircraft were built; one prototype (c/n 644) and 685 production aircraft.
1965 model year with only minor changes, like the addition of an optional rear-view mirror. 760 built, plus one prototype converted from the 150D prototype (c/n 644).Simpson 1996, pp. 137.
1966 model year with a new vertical tail that was swept back 35 degrees, with a short dorsal strake at its base, matching the styling of the Cessna 172 and other models. The cabin doors were widened, with 23% more area, and while the old doors were tapered at the bottom, the new doors were square, making it easier to get in and out of the cabin. The new doors also had larger windows and better latches. The baggage compartment was extended aft to the bottom of the rear window, giving 50% more room, although its load limit remained at . The cabin floor was now flat, with no hump for routing control cables. The old manual flaps were replaced by electrically driven flaps activated by a switch on the instrument panel; other former floor controls (the elevator trim wheel and fuel shutoff valve) were now on a small vertical console beneath the panel. The electric flaps now had a flap position indicator above the left door. The 6.00×6 inch (150×150 mm) main wheels with large low-pressure tires were now standard rather than optional, and they had new brakes. The stall warning alert, previously an electric beeper, was now a pneumatic reed horn that would work even if electrical power failed. The pointed propeller spinner and rear-view mirror options became standard for the Commuter and Trainer. Other newly standard features for the Commuter were dual controls (previously restricted to the Trainer), wheel speed fairings, and an electric heater for the pitot tube and stall warning sensor. The old optional Patroller-type door (with an extra window in the lower half) was dropped along with the name "Patroller", though long-range fuel tanks were still offered. The courtesy light option was also discontinued.