With over 35,000 units produced to date, the Cessna 172 Skyhawk is one of the most mass-produced planes ever manufactured. The Skyhawk is a direct descendant of the tail-dragger 170, which was first introduced in 1948. The Cessna 172, a tricycle-gear, four-seat single-engine airplane was first introduced in 1957. In terms of sales, it is currently the most popular Cessna in production.
When Cessna was purchased by General Dynamics in 1985, production of the Cessna 172 was temporarily stopped due to concerns over product liability. Only after Textron had purchased the line from General Dynamics in the early 1990s did manufacturing of the Cessna 172 Skyhawk begin again. Because of product liability, production of the Cessna 152 never resumed after 1985. Production of the Cessna 152 had replaced the Cessna 150 in 1977.
Initial versions of the Cessna 172 Skyhawk had a 145 horsepower engine; later planes have included engines up to 180 horsepower (dubbed “Superhawk“). A 160 horsepower engine is the most common engine in the 172 today. Used since the late 1960s, these engines usually are a Lycoming engine. Lycoming is a separate division of Textron, the parent company of Cessna.
Other variants include the R172 Hawk XP, which has a 195 horsepower engine as well as the 172RG Cutlass, which has a retractable undercarriage. The 172 has also been manufactured in France, by Reims, as the F172 and FR172.

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