John Knudsen Northrop, aka “Jack” Northrop, doesn’t need an introduction, and I have fond memories of the first time seeing his XB-35 flying wing on the cover of an old magazine that my father had been reading the night before. I must have been five or six at the time, and that single image still…
I’m finding that with each new clipping that I discover in my father’s scrapbook opens a historical path that I never knew existed. It’s not as simple as I first thought when I was looking through his book for the first time. Don’t get me wrong, I did appreciate the wealth of historical facts, but…
A worn thick cardboard cover lies loosely on top of an aged book filled with new house designs of the 1930s now covered with newspaper clippings and articles. The binding and back cover are missing, with the pages discolored and worn over time from a young man’s fascination with aviation and repeated viewing of his…
Tony had many scrapbooks, but his favorite is the one he started around 1930 using his father’s hardcover book “The Home” that he glued newspaper and magazine articles into that he found meaningful about aviation. Little did he know, or maybe he did, that he was preserving aviation history so the stories would always be…
Cessna introduced the Cutlass and Cutlass RG models in 1980 and ceased production in 1985. Both models are built on the popular and proven 172 Skyhawk airframe with the addition of the upgraded Lycoming O-360 engine, a variable pitch constant speed propeller, and the optional retractable landing gear on the RG models. The Cutlass featured…
Cessna introduced the 177 Cardinal in 1968 and, production only lasted for ten years. They were seeking a replacement for the popular 172 and thought this would be an excellent time to introduce a new model. The popularity of the 172 was too much for the Cardinal combined with poor performance and handling problems. The…
I recently added new photos that I recently scanned of old promotional pictures that were at Buffalo Air-Park. These are of the larger Cessna “mini-van/sport-utility” airplane, the Stationair, and the Centurion. The Stationair consisted of the 205, 206, and 207 models, while the Centurion is the 210 model. I did find a 207 Skywagon, Cessna…
Where to start with the Cessna Skywagon? I’ve learned quite a lot about Cessna, and the many different names or model numbers that refer to the same aircraft when scanning these promotional photos. It’s no surprise with the Skywagon, and hopefully, I can explain what I’ve learned so far. Cessna started branding the “Skywagon” name…
The Skyhook was the only helicopter ever produced by Cessna, and it has a fascinating history from what I discovered. Now get yourself a cup of coffee, or a cold beer, and enjoy this little story! After the purchase of the Seibel Helicopter company in 1952, Cessna began the initial design of the CH-1 Skyhook…
As we all know, or at least I just discovered, the Cessna 172 is the most successful airplane in history. There are many different variations with different model names like the Skyhawk, the Skyhawk II, and the “high performance” Hawk XP II, to name a few. Even the U.S. Air Force used a variant of…
