Cessna 152

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cessna_152

see also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cessna_150

The Cessna 152 is an American two-seat, fixed-tricycle-gear, general aviation
airplane, used primarily for flight training and personal use. It was based on
the earlier Cessna 150, including a number of minor design changes and a
slightly more powerful engine running on 100LL aviation gasoline.

The Cessna 152 has been out of production for more than thirty years, but many
are still in flying condition and are still in regular use for flight training.

First delivered in 1977 as the 1978 model year, the 152 was a modernization of
the proven Cessna 150 design. The 152 was intended to compete with the new
Beechcraft Skipper and Piper Tomahawk, both of which were introduced the same
year. Additional design goals were to improve useful load through a gross weight
increase to 1,670 lb (760 kg), decrease internal and external noise levels and
run better on the then newly introduced 100LL fuel.

As with the 150, the great majority of 152s were built at the Cessna factory in
Wichita, Kansas. A number of aircraft were also built by Reims Aviation of
France and given the designation F152/FA152.

Production of the 152 was ended in 1985 when Cessna ended production of all of
their light aircraft; by that time, a total of 7,584 examples of the 152,
including A152 and FA152 Aerobat aerobatic variants, had been built worldwide.

In 2007 Cessna announced that it would build a light-sport successor, designated
the Model 162 Skycatcher, although production ended in 2013.


Role
Basic trainer,
GA private aircraft

Manufacturer
Cessna

Introduction
1977

Produced
1977–1985

Number built
7,584

Developed from
Cessna 150


Modifications

There are hundreds of modifications available for the Cessna 152. The most
frequently installed include:

Tailwheel landing gear

Taildragger conversions such as the 'Texas Taildragger' conversion are available
and have been fitted to some 152s. It involves strengthening the fuselage for
the main gear being moved further forward, removing the nosewheel and
strengthening the tail area for the tailwheel. This greatly improves short field
performance and is claimed to give up to a 10 kn (19 km/h) cruise speed
increase.

STOL kits

The wings can be modified using a number of STOL modification kits, some
improving high speed/cruise performance but most concentrating on STOL
performance. Horton's STOL kit is one of the better-known of the latter. It
involves fitting a more cambered leading edge cuff to increase the maximum
coefficient of lift, fitting fences at the aileron/flap intersection and fitting
drooped wingtips. Stalls with these modifications are almost off the airspeed
indicator, since instrument error is high at high angles of attack. It has been
said that landings can be achieved in two fuselage lengths with the kit
installed in addition to a taildragger modification, by balancing power against
drag. Takeoff performance is also improved by varying degrees depending on the
surface.

Engine

The engine's power can be increased by various modifications, such as the
Sparrow Hawk power package, increasing it to 125 hp (93 kW). The disadvantage of
the Sparrow Hawk conversion is that it uses pistons from the O-235-F series
engine and therefore the engine recommended time between overhauls is reduced
from 2,400 hours to 2,000 hours.

Other modifications

Other popular modifications include:
*Flap gap seals to reduce drag and increase rate of climb.

*Different wingtips, some of which claim various cruise speed increases and
stall speed reductions.

*Auto fuel STCs, which permit the use of automobile fuel instead of the more
expensive aviation fuel.

*Auxiliary fuel tanks for greater range.

*Door catches to replace the factory ones that often fail in service.

*Belly fuel drain valves to drain fuel from the lowest point in the fuel system

Specifications (Cessna 152)

General characteristics
Crew: one
Capacity: one passenger
Length: 24 ft 1 in (7.34 m)
Wingspan: 33 ft 4 in (10.16 m)
Height: 8 ft 6 in (2.59 m)
Wing area: 160 sq ft (15 m2)
Empty weight: 1,081 lb (490 kg)
Gross weight: 1,670 lb (757 kg)
Powerplant: 1 × Lycoming O-235-L2C flat-4 engine, 110 hp (82 kW)
Propellers: 2-bladed fixed pitch, 69-inch (180 cm) McCauley or 72-inch Sensenich
propeller

Performance
Maximum speed: 126 mph (203 km/h, 109 kn)
Cruise speed: 123 mph (198 km/h, 107 kn)
Stall speed: 49 mph (79 km/h, 43 kn) (power off, flaps down)
Range: 477 mi (768 km, 415 nmi)
Ferry range: 795 mi (1,279 km, 691 nmi) with long-range tanks
Service ceiling: 14,700 ft (4,500 m)
Rate of climb: 715 ft/min (3.63 m/s)




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