Range Map
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Payload vs. Range
Fuel on board
Cargo
nm
Range
Trip Preview
Name a destination in the map header above and this becomes your trip: time en route, what you burn, what it costs, and whether you get there without stopping — at the load you have set.
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We do not have a cruise speed on file for this aircraft, so there is no honest time or cost to give you for this leg.
En route
Fuel burned
Direct cost
Fuel cost
Tanks run dry about past before at this burn.
Mission Profile
- Tailwheel
 (4-9-2024).jpg)
Estimated Ownership Costs
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About the Cessna 140
Type certificated 1946
Overview
The Cessna 140 is the flapped, better-equipped member of the post-war two-seat Cessna pair, built from 1946 alongside the stripped-down Cessna 120. The two share an airframe, conventional landing gear, and the 85 hp Continental C-85, but the 140 adds wing flaps, rear side windows, and a more finished cabin, and later airframes moved from fabric to metalized wings. It stayed in production into the early 1950s, and enough were built that parts and type knowledge remain easy to come by.
For a buyer today, the 140 is a forgiving, economical route into vintage tailwheel ownership, valued for the docile ground manners that make it a common first conventional-gear airplane. Running costs stay low, near 5 gallons per hour with a modest inspection burden, but it is a strict two-seater: a useful load around 560 pounds and a tight cabin keep it in the role of time builder and weekend flyer rather than hauler. The flaps, rear side windows, and more finished cabin are what set it apart from the flapless 120.
Key Features for GA Buyers
- Economical time builder: With a fuel burn around 5 gallons per hour and simple systems, the 140 is inexpensive to operate and an efficient way to build tailwheel time.
- Forgiving on the ground: Docile, predictable ground handling makes it a sound platform for earning a tailwheel endorsement and building stick-and-rudder skills.
- Metal construction: Later airframes, and many converted earlier ones, carry metalized wings that remove the recurring cost of fabric recovery.
Trade-offs
- Limited utility: A useful load around 560 lb and a tight cabin make this strictly a two-person airplane with minimal luggage.
- Modest performance: Efficient but not fast, roughly 90 to 95 kt cruise, with a gentle climb that softens further on hot days and at high density altitude.
- Original brakes: The factory toe brakes can feel weak next to modern differential systems, and any airframe still on original fabric will eventually face a recover or metalize bill.
See Also
- Cessna 120 – the flapless, lighter-equipped sibling sharing the same airframe and C-85 engine. Compare
- Luscombe 8 – a faster all-metal two-seat taildragger of the same era, sharper on the ground. Compare
- Aeronca 7AC Champion – a fabric tandem classic offering an even gentler tailwheel introduction. Compare
- Piper Vagabond – a short-coupled Piper two-seater in the same budget vintage class. Compare
- Taylorcraft B – another lightweight side-by-side classic competing for the same first-taildragger buyer. Compare
Technical Specifications
Dimensions & Weights
- Height
- 6 ft
- Length
- 22 ft
- Parking area (ft²2)
- 1,148 ft²
- Max Takeoff Weight
- 1,450 lbs
- Max Landing Weight
- 1,450 lbs
- Useful Load
- 560 lbs
- Fuel Capacity
- Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 25 gal
Performance
- Cruise Speed
- 91 KTAS
- Never-Exceed (VNE)
- Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 122 KIAS
- Max Structural Cruise (VNO)
- Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 100 KIAS
- Approach Speed
- 65 KIAS
- Stall, Clean (VS1)
- 39 KIAS
- Range
- 390 NM
- Service Ceiling
- 15,500 ft
- Rate of Climb
- 680 - 680 fpm
- Takeoff over 50 ft obstacle
- 1,950 ft
- Landing over 50 ft obstacle
- 1,530 ft
Engine
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Sources
Where the figures on this page come from. Cessna 140 specifications are traced to published references; estimated values are flagged inline next to the figure.
Similar to the Cessna 140
Similar PistonsCessna 120
Piper PA-11 Cub Special
Piper 18 Super Cub
Bellanca 7GCAA Citabria
Luscombe 8
Aeronca 7AC Champion
Piper Vagabond
Aeronca 11 Chief
Piper 12 Supercruiser
Taylorcraft BC
Piper J-3 Cub
Piper PA-16 Clipper
Cessna 170
Compare the Cessna 140 to other aircraft
