Cessna 172 Cutlass RG

Piston single engine • High Wing • Retractable gear

Range Map

Origin:

• nm at current load

• click map to move • two fingers to move map

Payload vs. Range

Configure weights

Occupants

lb + lbs / pax

Select payload

gal

Fuel on board

lbs

Extra weight

Range

Available Range / nm

Mission capable. Aircraft can handle the current load with full fuel tanks.

Fuel capacity reduced by gallons ( gal usable for nm range).

Over max gross weight. Reduce payload by lbs to safely operate this aircraft.

Extra weight is the additional payload available with your selected passengers.

Mission Profile

MOSAIC Eligible

Used market

140

KTAS

Cruise Speed

720

Max Range

16,800

Service Ceiling

Occupants

688

lbs

Wet Payload

Endorsements & ratings:

Complex

Estimated Ownership Costs

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About the Cessna 172 Cutlass RG

Overview

The Cessna 172 Cutlass RG is the retractable-gear, constant-speed-propeller member of the Cessna 172 family. Introduced in 1980 and built through 1985, it was conceived primarily as a complex trainer: a forgiving 172 airframe carrying the retractable gear, controllable-pitch prop, and systems that commercial and CFI applicants must log time in. It shares the Skyhawk’s wing and cabin but runs a carbureted 180 HP Lycoming O-360-F1A6 turning a McCauley constant-speed propeller, with hydraulically actuated gear derived from the Cardinal RG. Per FAA TCDS 3A17, never-exceed is 164 KIAS, maximum structural cruising 145 KIAS, and the gear may be extended up to 164 KIAS, usefully high, which makes it an honest cross-country machine, not just a checkbox airplane.

Key Features for GA Buyers

Complex Trainer. The Cutlass RG satisfies the complex-aircraft requirement (retractable gear, constant-speed prop, flaps) in an airframe that handles like the trainer most pilots already know. For a flying club or a CFI building complex time, that combination is hard to beat at the price.
Cruise and Efficiency. With 62 usable gallons and roughly 140 KTAS at max cruise, the Cutlass RG meaningfully outruns a fixed-gear 172 on the same Lycoming four-cylinder, gaining speed from the retracted gear rather than from more fuel burn.
Payload. A useful load above 1,000 lb is respectable for the class and often allows full fuel with reasonable cabin loading: a genuine four-seat cross-country mission, not a two-plus-bags compromise.

Trade-offs

Climb Performance. Despite the constant-speed prop, the higher gross weight keeps the climb rate modest (about 800 fpm), and the Cutlass can feel less sprightly on the climb than a lighter fixed-gear 172.
Gear Maintenance. The retractable gear adds real cost and complexity over the spring-steel gear of the standard Skyhawk. The hydraulic power pack is a known recurring item, and gear-system inspections deserve a dedicated annual reserve and a careful pre-buy gear swing.
Speed vs. Cost. Faster than a fixed-gear 172, but generally slower than a Piper Arrow or a Mooney M20, which is why the Cutlass RG settled into a niche as a club and training airplane rather than an owner-flown speedster.

Technical Specifications

Dimensions & Weights

Height: 8.8 ft
Length: 27.4 ft
Parking area (ft²): 1490.4 ft²

Max Takeoff Weight: 2,650 lbs
Max Landing Weight: 2,650 lbs
Useful Load: 1,060 lbs
Fuel Capacity: Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 62 gal

Performance

Cruise Speed: 140 KTAS
Never-Exceed (V_NE): Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 164 KIAS
Max Structural Cruise (V_NO): Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 145 KIAS
Approach Speed: 65 KIAS
Stall, Clean (V_S₁): 54 KIAS
Range: 720 NM
Service Ceiling: 16,800 ft
Rate of Climb: 800 fpm
Takeoff over 50 ft obstacle: 1,775 ft
Landing ground roll: 1,340 ft

Engine

Sources

Where the figures on this page come from. Cessna 172 Cutlass RG specifications are traced to published references; estimated values are flagged inline next to the figure.