Cessna model numbers

[ksimmelink]

Source: Airlife's General Aviation, Second Edition by RW Simpson

The complete listing of Cessna project/model numbers would take pages, but here's the basic recap:

100 Series | Light single engined up to 280hp | ex. Cessna 172
200 Series | Larger single engined over 280hp | ex. Cessna 208 Caravan
300 Series | Light twin up to 600hp | ex. Cessna 310, Cessna 337 Skymaster
400 Series | Medium twin over 600 hp | ex. Cessna 401
500 Series | Light turbofan | ex. Cessna 525 CitationJet
600 Series | Medium turbofan | ex. Cessna 650 Citation III
700 Series | Large turbofan | ex. Cessna 750 Citation X

Naturally there have been exceptions to this, most notably the Model 318 (T-37 jet trainer) and Model 305 (O-1 Bird Dog).

Cessna has also used letter suffixes, previously to denote successive model years (ex. Cessna 172D, 172E, for example) but later used a new letter suffix attached to the model number only when there were signficant changes to the model (ex. Cessna 208A Caravan stretched to become the Cessna 208B Grand Caravan). Single engined models sometimes got "RG" when they were offered with retractable undercarriage (most notably the 172RG and 177RG models of the Skyhawk and Cardinal, respectively).

The letter prefix "R" was used to denote models built by Cessna's French subsidiary, Reims (ex. R172)

Other exceptions to the rule were:

Cessna Model 308 which was an updated observation plane (I think based on the 185)
Cessna Model 407 which was a jet passenger aircraft
Cessna Model 620 which was a 4 engined prop business plane

 

[Jos Heyman]

Stargazer wrote on the Cessna 230 problem:

"They"? Aerofiles does. That doesn't make it right. Aerofiles is an unrivaled source of great info, but it does have mistakes here and there.
I want to see a document or an ad from that period clearly stating "Cessna 230" and "Cessna 300". Or have Jos Heyman's opinion about it.

Sorry for the late reply, but here is my opinion:
I went to Aerofiles and indeed it shows an Agwagon under the Cessna 230 entry. It also gives the civil registration N5623J which, if you look it up in the FAA register is a Model A188A manufactured by Cessna (c/n 188700573). Not a Cessna 230.
If you Google for Cessna 230 you will find one reference to a Flickr photo of an aircraft registered as C-GLEH identified as a Cessna 230 HP Cyclone. On the Canadian civil register this one is identified as a Cyclone 180, a bit strange as far as the manufacturer's name is concerned but no reference to '230'.
The solution to this all comes from Wikepedia (bless its little soul) where it is stated that there is a Cessna 188 Agwagon 230 (corrected from earlier typo), in which the 230 refers to the horsepower of the Continental O-470 engine.
So Aerofiles is incorrect, but in defense of the late KO Eckland, he probably derived this Cessna 230 bit when the FAA register was not yet available on-line.
As to what the Cessna 230 is, unfortunately I am in the middle of moving so all my reference books (including Dana Bell's handbook) are packed and will so for another two months or so.

 

[Stargazer]

The solution to this all comes from Wikepedia (bless its little soul) where it is stated that there is a Cessna 180 Agwagon 230, in which the 230 refers to the horsepower of the Continental O-470 engine.

This should read "Cessna 188" of course, not Cessna 180...

Back to the subject, here is what Airlife's General Aviation (First Edition) had to say about both the system of designations AND the Agwagon 230 and Agwagon 300:

Postwar Cessnas have been given model numbers in broad groups which are intended to indicate the general size of the type, measured by its horsepower rating. Broadly, the types have fallen into the following sections:

100 Series Light single-engined aircraft up to 280 h.p. (e.g. Model 172)
200 Series Larger single-engined aircraft over 280 h.p. (e.g. Model 210)
300 Series Light twin-engined aircraft up to 600 h.p. (e.g. Model 310)
400 Series Medium twin-engined aircraft over 600 h.p. (e.g. Model 421)
500 Series Light turbofan-powered aircraft (e.g. Model 500)
600 Series Medium and heavy turbofan-powered aircraft (e.g. Model 650)

Inevitably, these groups have become blurred as time has passed. For instance, the original Model 188 AgWagon came into the 100-series with its 230 h.p. engine, but the heavier 300 h.p. Agwagon 300 still came under the same type number. At the heavy end of the scale, the 600-series was used initially for the piston-engined Model 620 which was rather different from the Model 650 Citation III of today. The system was also upset by the use of the type number "305" for the single-engined military Bird Dog and "318" for the T-37 jet trainer.

Clearly, this shows that despite earlier claims (notably in Aviation Magazine N°446) that these were proper model numbers, the "230" and "300" in these aircraft's names are mere indications of power, the proper model numbers for these being 188 and A188, respectively.

One thing that hasn't been said here is that the 300-series only seemed to apply originally to military contracts (Models 300, 305, 306, 308, 309, 310, 318, 321). Perhaps the use of that series for light twin-engined aircraft was not planned originally but came as an afterthought when the 310 spawned civilian versions.

Also, the use of "620" is clearly shown to be a c/n number from Cessna's special 600-series of experimental aircraft that was eventually used as a model number (the two prototypes carried c/n 620 and 621).

Regarding the use of prefixes and suffixes

Still from the same book:

Following the broad classification, Cessna used a method of prefix and suffix letters to differentiate between models produced in each year. A letter was added to the numerical designation to denote each different annual version (e.g. Model 172B, 172C, 172D etc.). From 1957, each model tended to be given a new suffix letter every year, but after 1967 only major changes warranted an alteration to the designation. When the single engined models were offered with retractable undercarriages this resulted in the letters "RG" being added as a suffic to the basic type number (e.g. 172RG). Fortunately, there was no need to further complicate this by adding an additional letter to denote a major sub-variant.

Prefix letters are given by Cessna to denote special features involved in certain models and these include:

• A Used on Model 185 (A185E et seq.) to denote version with 300 h.p. engine because both 300 and 260 h.p. versions were produced together.
• A Used on Model 188 to denote 300 h.p. version.
• A Used to identify the improved 1953/54 model of the Model 195.
• A Used for DINFIA-built Argentinian aircraft.
• A Used to identify the Aerobat version of the Models 150 and 152.
• F Used to identify Reims-built French production.
• P Used to identify P206 Super Skylane version of Model 206.
• P Used to denote "Powermatic" on geared engine P172.
• P Used to denote "Pressurized" model — e.g. P337, P210.
• R Used for the Reims Rocket and the higher powered military T-41 and the R172K Hawk XP.
• T Used to denote "Turbocharged" model (e.g. TU206F Turbo Stationair).
• U Used on the U206 to denote Utility category certification.

Not mentioned in the book

• The possible combination of prefix letters (e.g. FP337H, FT337G, FA152, TP421, FR172K)
  
• Some other prefix letters
  B Used for the Milirole/Lynx version of the FT337G with Sierra Industries Robertson STOL modifications, underwing hardpoints (FTB337G)
  M Used for the forward air control/observation version of the Model 337 known as the O-2A (M337)
  MC Used for the psychological warfare version of the Model 337 known as the O-2B (MC337)
  S Used for the Citation S/II (S550)
  V Used for certain variants of the Model 206 (e.g. V206, V206E)
  
  
• Some other suffix letters
  II (Roman number two) Used for sub-versions of the Models 414 and 421 (e.g. 310RII, T336II, 340II, 340AII, 402III, 414II, 421II, 421IIC).
  II (Roman number three) Used for sub-versions of the Models 414 and 421 (e.g. 340III, 402III, 414III, 421CIII, 421III)
  V Used for Cessna 402V (no details)
  W Used to indicate the addition of winglets (e.g. 414AW, 421CW)
  
• Suffix letters used for the Citation family
  B Used for the Model 550 Citation Bravo (550B)
  U Used for the Model 560 Citation Ultra (560U)
  XL Used for the Model 560 Citation Excel (560XL)
  XLS Used for the Model 560 Citation Excel (560XLS, also 560XLS+)

 

[hesham]

From, Wings of Cessna Model 120 to the Citation III.