Cessna 140

The Cessna 140 meant a revolution for light aircraft when it arrived in 1946. An all-metal, light sports plane fully equipped with wheel brakes, �aps & su�cient power & range. It seated two persons side-by-side, had ample room for luggage, and was comple-mented by the low-cost120 version without �aps and rear side windows. Many 1946 Cessnas are still �ying today, a witness to the ruggedness of the mainly aluminium construction and comparative ease of maintenance.

(See the YouTube video “First �ight in 5 years for a Cessna 120 with a few surprises.”)

The kit models the Cessna 140 N89605 seen above, a�ectionately called “Eliza”. In addition, a white-model version is included for your own recoloring . Opening the kit pdf-�le in a vector-capable program is highly recommended for that kind of work.

Click on all sections in the text indicating an external source. They are linked to the original sources. Print the kit on sheets of 5” x 7” (13 x 18cm) cards for a nice large picture postcard size kit. Or print on regular size A4 or Letter paper (two kit pages per printed sheet). Only four pages (two sheets of A4 or Letter) need to be printed on photo paper, 170-200g/m2.

All photos in the kit © Doug Robertson, AirportData.com. Published here with kind permission.

See a YouTube video of a landing with this very aircraft: “1946 Cessna 140 Two Point Landing.”

1/87 scale paper model. Original designby Leif Ohlsson

The Cessna 120 and the Cessna 140 are single engine, two-seat, conventional landing gear, light general aviation aircraft that were �rst produced in 1946, immediately following the end of World War II. Production ended in 1950, and was succeeded by the Cessna 150, a similar two-seat trainer which introduced tricycle gear. Combined production of both aircraft was 7,664 units in �ve years.

The Cessna 140 was originally equipped with an Continental C-85-12 or C-85-12F horizontally-opposed, aircooled, four-cylinder piston engine of 85 hp (63 kW). The Continental C-90-12F or C-90-14F of 90 hp (67 kW) was optional, as was the 108 hp (81 kW) Lycoming O-235-C1 engine, an after-market installation authorized in the type certi�cate. That model had a metal fuselage and fabric wings with metal control surfaces.

Wingspan: 10.16 m, which translates to 117 mm @ 1/87 scale.

Source: Wikipedia

1/87 scale drawing. Source: Richard Ferriere

Cessna 120/140Pilots who have an eye for form and function will probably agree that the Cessna 120 and its sibling, the 140, are airplanes that have eye appeal. The rounded rudder, conventional landing gear, and overall proportions create the classic lightplane look. When Cessna �ooded the lightplane market with these beauties following the end of World War II, few people realized how important this honest little airplane would turn out to be in the history and development of the Cessna Airplane Company.

The stark little 120 listed at $2,695. The 140 di�ered from the 120 since it was equipped with an electrical system, featuring a Delco Remy generator and a pull cable-actuated starter, split-type wing �aps, quarter windows behind each door, and tube-and-fabric wings. The list price for a 140 was $2,995. The airplanes were an immediate success.

The 140A was introduced in 1949 with new all-metal wings that were �rst developed in 1948 for the four-place 170 program. In three years of production, 525 140A airplanes were sold.

By all accounts the engineers at Cessna designed an honest, well-mannered airplane. Leighton Collins, in an April 1, 1946, article in Air Facts, said this about an early 140: "The stability situation, then, would seem to be that it is about evenly apportioned around the three axes and is just a little more than neutral. That makes for a ship which doesn't overwork you in rough air, one which is responsive, and one which is nice on instruments." In other words, the 140 �ies well and doesn't have any designed-in bad habits, although changing to metal wings removes some of the aileron response, according to David Lowe (past president of the International Cessna 120/140 Association and an experienced 120/140 mechanic).

Depending on the engine (STCs are available for up to 135 hp) and the propeller installed, cruising fuel consumption ranges from around �ve to seven gallons per hour, with a clean, straight airplane achieving cruise speeds of about 105 to 110 mph (91 to 95 kt). With 25 gallons of fuel, this translates to about four and a half hours of duration and a 500-statute-mile range. The operation manual, a book from a simpler time, lists 21.5 miles per gallon at 2,400 rpm in the performance charts. 140A models, and 140s with larger engines and cruise props, reportedly clip along at up to 125 mph (108 kt).

The 120 had no �aps, but in reality the split-type �aps on the 140 weren't much more than small speed brakes. Pilots transitioning from Cessnas equipped with the powerful Fowler-type �aps that are standard equipment on all Cessna singles built from the mid-1950s on will

The 140 and its lean little brother, the 120, jump-started Cessna's transition to a peacetime business after World War II. Between 1946 and 1951, when production of the 140 ended, more than 7,500 of these airplanes had rolled out the doors in Wichita. Not only did this airplane provide a tremendous economic boost for postwar Cessna, the design also helped establish the strut-braced single-engine line of Cessnas as airframes that could, to borrow a line from Timex, "take a licking and keep on ticking."

have to develop some new speed-control discipline if they want to consistently show o� their spot-landing skills. Accordingly, the rudder has enough power to make speed control via the sideslip method a routine matter.

The 120, 140, and 140A all exhibit good manners on the ground and have enough rudder authority to handle most crosswind situations with aplomb. Pilots who are always conscious of the wind direction and counter

landing gear is a low-drag and low-maintenance system, but this is o�set by the fact that these legs are stronger than the gear boxes that support them. Inspection of the front doorpost/gear box area is critical during all prepurchase and annual inspections. The airframe is easy to repair and if the repair is done well, it will be almost undetectable and the airplane will �y �ne.

Unlike some older lightplanes, the parts situation for these small Cessnas isn't critical. Univair, a company in Aurora, Colorado ( www.univair.com), and Wag-Aero, of Lyons, Wisconsin ( www.wagaero.com), both supply high-quality parts for repair and refurbishment. For instance, both left and right gear box assemblies, new cowling assemblies, and other often-needed and hard-to-manufacture parts are almost always in stock.

The supply of serviceable crankshafts for the original C-85 series of Continental engines is drying up, so a couple of companies have STCs that permit the use of an O-200 crankshaft in these engines. STCs are available for the installation of the 100-hp Continental O-200, the 108-hp Lycoming O-235, and the 135-hp Lycoming O-290. Engine cylinders are often repairable, or new ones are available (except for the O-290), from Engine Components Inc. ( www.eci2�y.com) or from Lycoming or Continental at reasonable prices.

Make no mistake, the 120 and the 140 are some of the lightest of lightplanes, grossing out at 1,450 pounds, or 1,500 pounds for the 140A. Even at this light weight, the Cessna 140-series airplanes are sturdy, economical, well-mannered little taildraggers that are fun to �y and pleasing to the eye.

Sources:

(Text) AOPA Aircraft owners and pilots association

(Photos) © Doug RobertsonAirportData.com

published here with kind permisson.

these conditions with the correct control inputs �nd that this airplane does not make them look bad, or swap ends unexpectedly on the ground. In spite of the airplane's capabilities, Lowe suggests that 100 percent of the �eet has probably been ground looped at least once over the past 50 years.

If a pilot somehow ground loops his 140 at any more than taxi speeds, it's probable that the landing gear boxes in the fuselage will be damaged. The spring-steel

H1 H2 H3 H4 H5 H6

Horizontal formersupper layers

Horizontal formers lower layers

F1 F2 F3 F4 F5 F6 F7 F8 F9 F10

Formers forward-facing layers

Formers rearward-facing layers

S1R

S1L S2L

S2R

All framework parts on this page are made by doubling up the two S1, F2, H3, etc. layers provided for each part. This allows for di�erent patterns on front & back of each doubled framework part.

Grey areas mark cut-outs for stab spar, exhaust stubs and prop assembly (optional).

Black areas around outlines of F1, F2 & F4 indicate need for sanding after assembly of framework.

Cessna 140 N89605

E-parts, external skin, below:

E1 E6

E2

E3

E4

E5

E7R

E7LE11, mount on E7dashed lines

E11, mount on E7dashed lines

E12 roof

If E12 is to be mounted in two stages, cut appr. at dashed line (optional).

E8

E9

E10

I-parts, interior skin:

I1bottom

I2R - side right

I2L - side L

I3 roof spar front

I4 roof spar rear

I5 roof

I6transp.

D1�aps lever(make fromwire & rolled paper strip)

D2steeringwheels

D3steering wheel

shafts(wire parts)

D4Rseat right

D4Lseat left

D5carb.

intake

D6exhaust stubs(rolled paper)

(D1-D4 interior details above,D5 & D6 exterior details below)

D-parts, details:

N89605N89605

T-parts,tailwheel:

T4wheelsT3

forkT2wire

T1legs

P-parts,propeller:

P1blades

P2front

P3rear

P4 hub P5 casing P6 stopper

P7 pin

L4, wheel layers:

L4-0 center layers (3)L4-2 L4-2L4-3 L4-3L4-1 L4-1

L-parts, landing gear:

L1-Lleft leg inner

L2-Rright leg outer

L3landinggear wire parts

L2-Lleft leg

outer

L1-Rright

leg outer

W1Rwing

W1Lwing

W4Lwing strut

W4Rwing strut

W3 ribsW2 spars

W5 stab spar

To reinforce W4 struts, you could draw lines on the backside along the strut centerlines, and glue very thin metal wires on these; then fold & double up to laminate. Alternatively, soak struts in CA glue.

Black areas on W4 struts chamfered. Struts project through slots in wings and fuselage (marked grey on these parts), and rest against spars and fuse inner skin.

W8jury struts(wire)

W7stab

W6�n

W-parts:wing,�n &stab

4L3L2L

1LC1R

2R3R4R

4L3L2L

1LC1R

2R3R4R

Pilot R parts above, Pilot L parts below

Suggested construction order:

1. Make cut-outs marked grey (prop cut-out optional). Build framework. All formers have opposite faces, sometimes with di�erent pattern on front & back, to make it easy to check correct alignment & position. Dashed lines in places mark position of front/back layer. Sand assembly at places marked black.

2. Add inner details (�ap lever, steering wheels & columns, seats, and pilots (plastic HO-scale �gures optional).

3. Glue inner skin parts, including roof spars & inner roof.

4. Glue outer skin parts from nose to start of cabin (E1-E5).

5. Now glue down shaped transparency to inner skin side parts and nose external cover (sparingly, or not at all). Leave the roof �apping for now.

6. Lock down transparency by glueing on outer cabin sides E7, and whindshield rim E6. Glue �ller ribs E11 to cabin sides at position marked by dashed lines. Now glue down roof transparency section. Glue remaining tail outer skins E8-E10.

7. Now glue down unwieldy external roof section E12, including its �llets for rear skin E8. Thin strips go around rib �ller E11. Alternative is to cut strips at marked position to make a join under the wing. Add details D5 carb intake & D6 exhaust stubs under nose.

8. Join up �n W6 and stab W7 parts along rims, but do not close center section. Glue stab spar W5 in cut-out slots in spine & outer skin. Shove �n & stab sections onto spar stubs and glue to fuselage.

9. Glue up wing rib & spar sections, with optional rectangular card between spars for increased rigidity (not drawn). Glue spar & rib assemblies to preshaped wing W1 bottom sections just a tad inside the trailing edge. Fold up wing and close at the trailing edge. Close wing-tip sections.

10. Glue up wing struts W4 with optional reinforcement wire inside and mount in pre-cut slots in wings & fuse. Add jury struts W8.

11. Make landing gear legs with wire L3 between layers L1-L2 and stick wheels to wire. Landing gear legs are inserted into cutout in fuse, wire sticking into inner skins for stability. Tailwheel gear T1-T4 wire part is stuck into spine.

12. Propeller: P4-P6 are made of rolled thin paper; diameters as drawn. Make propeller by sticking front P2 on a pin, followed by hub P4 & rear P3. Make sure small marks line up correctly. Glue blades P1 to hub at center. Glue leading edges to front P2, on each side. Press to make trailing edge touch rear P3. Front and rear section of blades should now be possible to align. Drill out remaining sections of framework and shove prop unit into nose.

H1 H2 H3 H4 H5 H6

Horizontal formersupper layers

Horizontal formers lower layers

F1 F2 F3 F4 F5 F6 F7 F8 F9 F10

Formers forward-facing layers

Formers rearward-facing layers

S1R

S1L S2L

S2R

All framework parts on this page are made by doubling up the two S1, F2, H3, etc. layers provided for each part. This allows for di�erent patterns on front & back of each doubled framework part.

Grey areas mark cut-outs for stab spar, exhaust stubs and prop assembly (optional).

Black areas around outlines of F1, F2 & F4 indicate need for sanding after assembly of framework.

Cessna 140 white model

E-parts, external skin, below:

E1 E6

E2

E3

E4

E5

E7R

E7LE11, mount on E7dashed lines

E11, mount on E7dashed lines

E12 roof

If E12 is to be mounted in two stages, cut appr. at dashed line (optional).

E8

E9

E10

I-parts, interior skin:

I1bottom

I2R - side right

I2L - side L

I3 roof spar front

I4 roof spar rear

I5 roof

I6transp.

D1!aps lever(make fromwire & rolled paper strip)

D2steeringwheels

D3steering wheel

shafts(wire parts)

D4Rseat right

D4Lseat left

D5carb.

intake

D6exhaust stubs(rolled paper)

(D1-D4 interior details above,D5 & D6 exterior details below)

D-parts, details:

T-parts,tailwheel:

T4wheelsT3

forkT2wire

T1legs

P-parts,propeller:

P1blades

P2front

P3rear

P4 hub P5 casing P6 stopper

P7 pin

L4, wheel layers:

L4-0 center layers (3)L4-2 L4-2L4-3 L4-3L4-1 L4-1

L-parts, landing gear:

L1-Lleft leg inner

L2-Rright leg outer

L3landinggear wire parts

L2-Lleft leg

outer

L1-Rright

leg outer

W1Rwing

W1Lwing

W4Lwing strut

W4Rwing strut

W3 ribsW2 spars

W5 stab spar

To reinforce W4 struts, you could draw lines on the backside along the strut centerlines, and glue very thin metal wires on these; then fold & double up to laminate. Alternatively, soak struts in CA glue.

Black areas on W4 struts indicate area to sand. Struts project through slots in wings and fuselage (marked grey on these parts), and rest against spars and fuse inner skin.

W8jury struts(wire)

W7stab

W6�n

W-parts:wing,�n &stab

4L3L2L

1LC1R

2R3R4R

4L3L2L

1LC1R

2R3R4R

Pilot R parts above, Pilot L parts below

Suggested construction order: 1. Make cut-outs marked grey (prop cut-out optional). Build framework. All formers have opposite faces, sometimes with di#erent pattern on front & back, to make it easy to check correct alignment & position. Dashed lines in places mark position of front/back layer. Sand assembly at places marked black.

2. Add inner details (!ap lever, steering wheels & columns, seats, and pilots (plastic HO-scale $gures optional).

3. Glue inner skin parts, including roof spars & inner roof.

4. Glue outer skin parts from nose to start of cabin (E1-E5).

5. Now glue down shaped transparency to inner skin side parts and nose external cover (sparingly, or not at all). Leave the roof !apping for now.

6. Lock down transparency by glueing on outer cabin sides E7, and whindshield rim E6. Glue $ller ribs E11 to cabin sides at position marked by dashed lines. Now glue down roof transparency section. Glue remaining tail outer skins E8-E10.

7. Now glue down unwieldy external roof section E12, including its $llets for rear skin E8. Thin strips go around rib $ller E11. Alternative is to cut strips at marked position to make a join under the wing. Add details D5 carb intake & D6 exhaust stubs under nose.

8. Join up $n W6 and stab W7 parts along rims, but do not close center section. Glue stab spar W5 in cut-out slots in spine & outer skin. Shove $n & stab sections onto spar stubs and glue to fuselage.

9. Glue up wing rib & spar sections, with optional rectangular card between spars for increased rigidity (not drawn). Glue spar & rib assemblies to preshaped wing W1 bottom sections just a tad inside the trailing edge. Fold up wing and close at the trailing edge. Close wing-tip sections.

10. Glue up wing struts W4 with optional reinforcement wire inside and mount in pre-cut slots in wings & fuse. Add jury struts W8.

11. Make landing gear legs with wire L3 between layers L1-L2 and stick wheels to wire. Landing gear legs are inserted into cutout in fuse, wire sticking into inner skins for stability. Tailwheel gear T1-T4 wire part is stuck into spine.

12. Propeller: P4-P6 are made of rolled thin paper; diameters as drawn. Make propeller by sticking front P2 on a pin, followed by hub P4 & rear P3. Make sure small marks line up correctly. Glue blades P1 to hub at center. Glue leading edges to front P2, on each side. Press to make trailing edge touch rear P3. Front and rear section of blades should now be possible to align. Drill out remaining sections of framework and shove prop unit into nose.