Overview

The Cessna 175 was built from 1958 to 1962 as a more powerful sibling to the 172, sharing the same high-wing airframe but carrying a 175 hp geared Continental GO-300 in place of the 172’s 145 hp O-300. Cessna positioned it between the 172 and the 182, and from 1959 marketed it as the Skylark, with a deluxe trim adding a stepped firewall and a larger instrument panel. The geared engine gave the 175 a useful edge in climb and cruise over the contemporaneous 172, but it also saddled the type with a reputation that has outlived the evidence for it. This record reflects the final 175C (1962) trim at 2,450 lb gross weight, which introduced a McCauley constant-speed propeller; the earlier 175, 175A, and 175B models carried a 2,350 lb gross weight, a fixed-pitch propeller, and slightly lower useful-load and climb figures.

For a buyer, the 175 offers more useful load and stronger climb than the same-era 172 it was based on, carrying about 1,040 lb and cruising near 122 KTAS, with the geared GO-300 turning a large, slow-spinning constant-speed propeller that gets it off shorter strips well. The decisive question is that engine: its 1,200-hour published TBO is short of the ungeared O-300’s, geared-drive overhauls cost more, and parts have grown scarce, so many airframes have been re-engined with a 180 hp Lycoming O-360 under STC. Establish early whether a given aircraft is original or converted, because that single fact drives both the maintenance outlook and the asking price.

Key Features for GA Buyers

• Four-seat load and climb. At 2,450 lb gross with about 1,040 lb of useful load, the 175 carries a more practical cabin load than the same-era 172, and the geared GO-300 turns a large, slow-spinning constant-speed propeller that climbs well off shorter strips.
• Familiar 172 airframe. The airframe is the standard 172 structure, so airframe parts, mechanics, and type knowledge are widely available, even where GO-300-specific engine parts have grown scarce.
• Sport-pilot eligible under MOSAIC. Its low clean stall speed keeps it within sport-pilot privileges under MOSAIC, and for a private pilot the fixed gear and 175 hp engine ask for no added endorsement; a sport pilot adds the one-time constant-speed-propeller endorsement that MOSAIC requires.

Trade-offs

• Geared GO-300, short TBO. Published TBO is 1,200 hours, short of the ungeared O-300’s, and the geared accessory case makes an overhaul more expensive than a comparable O-300. Much of the engine’s poor reputation, though, came from operating technique rather than design: pilots transitioning from the 172 throttled back to a familiar cruise RPM and lugged an engine meant to run near 3,200 RPM, and inattention to cooling compounded the wear. Flown by the book, the GO-300 is considerably more durable than its reputation suggests.
• Parts scarcity and the re-engine question. GO-300-specific parts are scarce. Many 175s have been converted to a 180 hp Lycoming O-360 (2,000-hour TBO) under STC, which raises TBO and resolves the parts problem, so a buyer should establish early whether a given airframe is original or converted.
• Modest modern performance. Roughly 122 KTAS in cruise and a 17,800 ft service ceiling are useful for the era but modest by modern standards.

See Also

• Cessna 172 Skyhawk – the same-airframe sibling with an ungeared engine: simpler and better supported, but slower and lower on useful load. Compare
• Cessna 182 Skylane – the natural step-up Cessna positioned just above the 175: more power and load from an ungeared engine, without the geared GO-300’s overhaul premium and parts scarcity. Compare
• Cessna 170 – the tailwheel forebear of the family: a similar four-seat mission, no geared engine, and a taildragger endorsement to earn. Compare