I'm I crazy for wanting a Cessna 140A?

N2124v

N2124v

Line Up and Wait
Joined
Nov 5, 2011
Messages
633
Location
Austin, TX
Display Name
Display name:
N2124V
For some reason I have just fallen in love lately with the idea of a Cessna 140. I had been looking for a Mooney type aircraft and I think I have found a way to scratch that with a Cirrus partnership/lease, but the 140 just looks like a perfect Saturday morning go get a burger plane.

Am I nuts?
 
isnt the A the metal wing version? why do you prefer it over the lighter fabric wing?
 
A is a metal wing. It's going to have to live outside for a bit until I find a hangar.
 
Yes, you are crazy. But it is a good kind of crazy.

I am in a similar situation. Managed to fill the 'travel plane' need with a share in a Bo, now I need a runabout to fly TO the airport where the Bo is based :) .
 
N2124v said:
For some reason I have just fallen in love lately with the idea of a Cessna 140. I had been looking for a Mooney type aircraft and I think I have found a way to scratch that with a Cirrus partnership/lease, but the 140 just looks like a perfect Saturday morning go get a burger plane.

Am I nuts?
Click to expand...

Yeah, but they are fun as hell.
 
N2124v said:
A is a metal wing. It's going to have to live outside for a bit until I find a hangar.
Click to expand...

The rag wing will do that as well as any metal wing.
 
Tom-D said:
The rag wing will do that as well as any metal wing.
Click to expand...

Really? I have always thought rag wings developed issues if stored outside. Dang, more options to consider now.
 
I think the 140 is a great airplane. Find a good one and enjoy.
 
N2124v said:
Really? I have always thought rag wings developed issues if stored outside. Dang, more options to consider now.
Click to expand...

Covers, really good covers, they are cheaper than hangars.
 
Any gotchas? I'm going to join the Cessna 120/140 association.
 
N2124v said:
Any gotchas? I'm going to join the Cessna 120/140 association.
Click to expand...

I was told to find one with a O200 conversion. The various C engines have some parts issues including minor parts like cranks.
 
A C120/140 is a PROPER plane, not crazy at all. Very fun and economical.

Now if you said you wanted a new 172 I'd say, yeah, nuts.
 
Especially in the Austin area...

Sent from my SPH-M840 using Tapatalk 4 Beta
 
The one I am looking at is a 1949 Cessna 140A. The registration looks like it has a Continental C90 engine.
 
My first mountainflying seminar was given by an old pilot that flew Blackbirds and he had one for decades as his personal plane.
 
N2124v said:
The one I am looking at is a 1949 Cessna 140A. The registration looks like it has a Continental C90 engine.
Click to expand...

Buy it,, the crank has an STC for the 0-200-A cranks and there are after market parts to support it.
 
Buy it,, the crank has an STC for the 0-200-A cranks and there are after market parts to support it.
Click to expand...

I would take Tom's advice!
 
N2124v said:
The one I am looking at is a 1949 Cessna 140A. The registration looks like it has a Continental C90 engine.
Click to expand...

If the engine was changed on an STC, the entry in the database wouldn't necessarily change.

Tom overhauls little continental engines as a hobby, something that is 'no problem' for him may be a major headache for an owner who doesn't have access to a mechanic who deals with these on a regular basis.
 
Thanks for all of the advice, a couple of other questions.

The one I'm looking at does not have a transponder, how big a deal is this? Worth it to install one?

Also, it is placarded for utility category only operations, I'm trying to get clarification from the seller.

Here are the specs:
1949 Cessna 140A
TT: 3345
ET: 1027 overhauled in the '60's
Compressions at last annual, June 2013 were 76 76 72 and 75
Logs missing before 1960
Slick mags
Original wheel pants
One owner since 1970
Geneva com
Asking $19,850

It seems to be priced right.
 
N2124v said:
The one I'm looking at does not have a transponder, how big a deal is this? Worth it to install one?
Click to expand...

Do you wish to fly this plane into any airspace where transponder use is mandatory ?

You can fly into a class D, even one with a tracon, without a transponder.

I believe there is a weight limit for utility category operations, that is all the placard is probably trying to tell you.
 
We have a local Marine Corps F-18 Super Hornet Pilot that could've purchased just about any Single Engine Prop he wanted, but chose the C-140, because he said that it is "fun to fly"!:)
 
N2124v said:
Thanks for all of the advice, a couple of other questions.

The one I'm looking at does not have a transponder, how big a deal is this? Worth it to install one?

Also, it is placarded for utility category only operations, I'm trying to get clarification from the seller.

Here are the specs:
1949 Cessna 140A
TT: 3345
ET: 1027 overhauled in the '60's
Compressions at last annual, June 2013 were 76 76 72 and 75
Logs missing before 1960
Slick mags
Original wheel pants
One owner since 1970
Geneva com
Asking $19,850

It seems to be priced right.
Click to expand...

Well, a xpdr is something I would want, if you're thrifty and search for a nice used mode C and a good guy to install it, not a big deal, but a few bucks you're going need to take off the plane. Also no xpdr, no flight following / radar services btw

The missing old logs, not a issue IMO

The over haul in the 60s!
I'd consider it timed out, how many hours has it had put on it recently?? If it doesn't fly much (or at all) that would be a issue for me.

All that being said I'd "off the cuff" good pre-buy, say $15k ish.
 
Unless you are flying in airspace where the transponder is required, it is no big deal. 1027 hours isn't a lot of flying since 1960's, but from what my mechanic tells me, it is about average. He told me last week that most of the airplanes he annuals (and he is very busy) are flown about 20 hours a year or less. If you think about it, that is about an hour or a little less every couple of weeks. After the new wears off, unless you are using the airplane for business traveling or are retired and have a lot of time to travel, flying every couple of weeks or so, or maybe every week for a half hour or so, is probably what most people owning a C-140 would be doing. Life keeps us busy :). I have a C-150 (O-200) and my mechanic also told me a field overhaul to new specs would run probably $10-$12 thousand. Parts are expensive! Tom???
 
Last edited:
somorris said:
Parts are expensive! Tom???
Click to expand...
That depends upon which ones you need. The C-series engines are getting difficult to support, but you can still find them in places like Fresno air parts and a few others. service limits overhauls are about as good as it gets.

The 0-200-A still can be built from new old stock or after market parts, I replaced a crank with a new one in my last 0-200 at $4500, ECI standard cylinders are $870.00, case rework if you need it is about $700 crank rework is about the same. you can price the parts out at A.E.R.O parts on line.com/

Plus, you can buy every part in the IPC from Continental.

Best you can do is read the work order for the last overhaul, back in the 60's see what was replaced.

and the time since major really doesn't mean anything, many of these old engines are maintained as required, repaired on a daily bases and never overhauled.

It boils down to how well it runs today, determines what you will fix tomorrow.
 
Last edited:
I know a Cessna 140 owner and they couldn't be happier with their airplane. He has no end of fun in that little machine.

The heart wants what the heart wants....that isn't ever crazy. :)

Cheers
 
bbchien said:
You'll love the Cessna 140. I miss N76112.....
Click to expand...

I owned 76112 from feb 2012 to mar 2013. Sweet plane. Sold it to buy a 170. Last I heard some dummy told the new owner the fabric was bad and they cut it off. They are working on recover now.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top