CESSNA / GENERAL AVIATION

Cessna 172 Skyhawk

Cable-operated yoke controls with airspeed-dependent resistance, pitch-trim relief and a stall-warning horn.

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Type designatorsC172Models & sources ↓

Choose the version you fly to narrow the edition-specific reading.

PropulsionSingle piston
ConfigurationHigh wing · Four seats
Simulator ecosystemsMSFS · X-Plane
YOUR AIRCRAFT COMPANION

Start here

A few places to begin, from the aircraft’s story to the people who fly it.

Meet the aircraft

The Skyhawk developed from the tailwheel Cessna 170, adopting tricycle landing gear. The first 172 flew in 1955. Its combination of a practical cabin, fixed undercarriage and straightforward layout helped make it a familiar aircraft for personal flying and instruction. The 172's long history includes different engines, panels and equipment.

Aircraft background

Wikipedia contributors · Read more ↗

Familiar controls, a different engine experience

Flying factory JT-A N688CS from San Marcos, Texas, Goyer immediately noticed how different the turbodiesel sounded. Its quieter whirr accompanied a climb that felt convincingly stronger than the earlier diesel Skyhawk the writer had evaluated. The cockpit also changed the pilot's relationship with the engine: one power lever requested output while electronic controls managed fuel and propeller settings.

12 March 2018. Continental CD-155-powered factory JT-A, N688CS. Byline as currently published.

Plane & Pilot · Read more ↗

The bundled X-Plane Skyhawk has its own cockpit reference

Laminar's manual documents the C172's primary controls, trim console, instruments and autopilot. Its illustrated cockpit guide and configuration checks describe the bundled aircraft. Independent C172 developers document their own maintenance systems and avionics.

Cessna 172 SP · X-Plane 12

Laminar Research · Read more ↗
WATCH & EXPLORE

Into the cockpit

YouTube

FlywithB

Cessna 172 Cockpit Tutorial

A cockpit introduction for getting your bearings in a conventional Skyhawk.

Real Cessna 172; conventional instrument panel

Watch on YouTube ↗

Preview images are served by AirframeDB. Videos open on YouTube only when you choose to watch.

THE AIRCRAFT

Meet Cessna 172 Skyhawk

The Skyhawk developed from the tailwheel Cessna 170, adopting tricycle landing gear. The first 172 flew in 1955. Its combination of a practical cabin, fixed undercarriage and straightforward layout helped make it a familiar aircraft for personal flying and instruction.

The 172's long history includes different engines, panels and equipment. That variety is especially visible in simulation: a conventional-instrument aircraft, a G1000-equipped version and an add-on with persistent maintenance systems offer different experiences despite sharing the same basic silhouette.

Research-based aircraft backgroundWikipedia contributors · Cessna 172 ↗
FAMILY, MODELS & VARIANTS

Cessna 172 Skyhawk

Cessna → · Explore the family →

AIRCRAFT IDENTITY

Aircraft type designators

Use the code for the model you are flying. The linked authority lists the applicable aircraft.

HOW IT CAME TO BE

History & design

A familiar shape that evolved

The 172 began with the tailwheel Cessna 170. Moving the third wheel to the nose helped create the aircraft that became familiar to generations of students. Its outline changed along the way: early examples had a straight fin, the swept fin arrived with the 172A, and the lowered rear fuselage and rear window followed with the 172D. A photograph of an early Skyhawk can therefore look surprisingly different from the training aircraft on a modern ramp.

Wikipedia contributors · Cessna 172 ↗

Research-based history of the real aircraft family; see the linked source.

FROM THE COCKPIT

Pilot accounts

Familiar controls, a different engine experience

Isabel Goyer

Flying factory JT-A N688CS from San Marcos, Texas, Goyer immediately noticed how different the turbodiesel sounded. Its quieter whirr accompanied a climb that felt convincingly stronger than the earlier diesel Skyhawk the writer had evaluated. The cockpit also changed the pilot's relationship with the engine: one power lever requested output while electronic controls managed fuel and propeller settings. The report describes the Continental-powered JT-A and its Garmin NXi installation, rather than the conventional Lycoming-powered training aircraft that shares its silhouette.

Despite those changes, Goyer found the flight-control feel and most of the familiar Skyhawk flying manners intact. One difference appeared in landing: the demonstrator seemed inclined to float more when approach speed was not closely controlled. The writer suggested residual thrust as a possible explanation, explicitly as an interpretation.

12 March 2018. Continental CD-155-powered factory JT-A, N688CS. Byline as currently published.

Read the full account · Plane & Pilot ↗

Living with an early straight-tail 172

Budd Davisson, with owner Jim Landers

Davisson's account of Jim Landers's restored 1957 aircraft explains why an early 172 can feel different before it even leaves the ground. The low instrument panel and more upright seating create an unusually open view over the nose. He describes the six-cylinder Continental as smoother than the later Lycomings and finds the aircraft's familiar, approachable character already present in this early version. Landers had moved up from a Cessna 150 chiefly to gain useful space for travelling with his wife and their baggage.

That extra space did not mean treating every seat as routinely available. Operating in Arizona, Landers generally used the aircraft as a two-person tourer and took high density altitude seriously when deciding on a load. His account also includes the less glamorous side of ownership: an engine failure inside the crankcase led to a rebuild, and the polished finish required considerable labour.

Undated hosted article about Jim Landers’s 1957 Cessna 172. Historical owner and writer observations; not current operating advice.

Read the full account · Pilotfriend · Budd Davisson ↗

A student’s view of the glass-panel Skyhawk

Peggy Herrera, interviewed by Bill Cox

For Cox's 2009 review, student pilot Peggy Herrera offered a perspective quite different from a veteran test pilot's. She had been able to try a varied group of aircraft and was training in a recent, air-conditioned Skyhawk with Garmin G1000 instruments. What she appreciated most was the aircraft's unhurried response: gentle control behaviour, effective flaps and low speeds in the circuit left her time to understand what was happening. That mattered particularly while she was learning to land.

Her principal difficulty lay in the panel rather than the airframe. The G1000 initially felt overwhelming until its organisation began to make sense, and the tall instrument panel could restrict the view for a shorter pilot despite the adjustable seat. Cox set those observations alongside his own experience in numerous Skyhawks, including long trips, and described the model's appeal as a balance of useful qualities.

24 March 2009. Herrera’s training in a 2008 G1000-equipped Skyhawk, interviewed within Cox’s 172S review.

Read the full account · Plane & Pilot ↗
↗
AOPA

Cessna 172: Everyman’s Airplane

AOPA Pilot, May 1992: a retrospective on the real Skyhawk.

VIRTUAL VERSIONS

In your simulator

Systems, equipment and documentation for each developer’s aircraft.

Compare simulator versions →
MSFS 2024

172 Skyhawk (G1000)

Microsoft Flight Simulator · Released

MSFS 2024

172 Skyhawk

Microsoft Flight Simulator · Released

MSFS 2020

Cessna 172 Skyhawk (G1000)

Microsoft Flight Simulator · Released

MSFS 2020

Cessna 172 Skyhawk

Microsoft Flight Simulator · Released

X-Plane 12

Cessna 172 SP

Laminar Research · Released

X-Plane 12Included / first-party

Aircraft

Edition / package Desktop

The bundled X-Plane Skyhawk has its own cockpit reference

Laminar's manual documents the C172's primary controls, trim console, instruments and autopilot. Its illustrated cockpit guide and configuration checks describe the bundled aircraft. Independent C172 developers document their own maintenance systems and avionics.

Laminar Research · Cessna 172 SP POH ↗

Archived simulator manual; installed package revision not observed · PDF pp.7-8,45; center console and preflight

X-Plane 11

Cessna 172 SP

Laminar Research · Released

X-Plane 11Included / first-party

Aircraft

Edition / package Desktop

The bundled X-Plane Skyhawk has its own cockpit reference

Laminar's manual documents the C172's primary controls, trim console, instruments and autopilot. Its illustrated cockpit guide and configuration checks describe the bundled aircraft. Independent C172 developers document their own maintenance systems and avionics.

Laminar Research · Cessna 172 SP POH ↗

Archived simulator manual; installed package revision not observed · PDF pp.7-8,45; center console and preflight

X-Plane 11 · X-Plane 12

Cessna 172 Skyhawk · Airfoillabs

Airfoillabs · Released

X-Plane 11 · X-Plane 12Third-party add-on

Aircraft

Products and variants
ProductSimulatorProduct type
C172 NG Digital ↗ReleasedX-Plane 11 · X-Plane 12 Aircraft
C172 NG Analog ↗ReleasedX-Plane 12 Aircraft
Cessna 172SP Skyhawk (original XP11 product) ↗ReleasedX-Plane 11 Original product, separate from C172 NG Digital and C172 NG Analog.Aircraft

An aircraft with persistent mechanical condition

Airfoillabs describes per-cylinder engine simulation, a custom electrical system and persistent wear in its C172 NG. The published features include tyres, brakes and structural damage, alongside an interactive walkaround and preserved aircraft state.

Airfoillabs · C172 Digital ↗

C172 NG Digital 1.6.2; XP12 · Flight model; electrical; engine/fuel/gear; versions

Released product and variants

C172 NG Digital includes separate X-Plane 11 and X-Plane 12 aircraft. C172 NG Analog is an X-Plane 12 product. The separate Digital PRO listing changes the professional-use licence and is not another aircraft model.

Airfoillabs · C172 NG DIGITAL-airfoillabs-C172NG ↗

Official developer / designated-store reference · checked 2026-09-14

X-Plane 12

Cessna 172 Skyhawk

Thranda · Released

X-Plane 12Third-party add-on

Aircraft

Products and variants
ProductSimulatorProduct type
Cessna 172M DGS series XP12 ↗ReleasedX-Plane 12 Aircraft
X-Plane 11 · X-Plane 12 Enhancement

Cessna 172 Skyhawk

SimCoders · Released

X-Plane 11 · X-Plane 12Third-party add-on

Enhancement

Products and variants
ProductSimulatorProduct type
Reality Expansion Pack · Default XP11/12 Cessna 172SP ↗ReleasedX-Plane 11 · X-Plane 12 Enhancement
MSFS 2020

C172 Amphibian

Bagolu · Released

MSFS 2020Third-party add-on

Aircraft

Products and variants
ProductSimulatorProduct type
C172 Amphibian ↗ReleasedMSFS 2020 Aircraft
MSFS 2020 · MSFS 2024

C172 Bushkit

Bagolu · Released

MSFS 2020 · MSFS 2024Third-party add-on

Aircraft

Products and variants
ProductSimulatorProduct type
C172 Bushkit ↗ReleasedMSFS 2020 · MSFS 2024 Aircraft
MSFS 2020 · MSFS 2024

C172 Taildragger

Bagolu · Released

MSFS 2020 · MSFS 2024Third-party add-on

Aircraft

Products and variants
ProductSimulatorProduct type
C172 Taildragger ↗ReleasedMSFS 2020 · MSFS 2024 Aircraft
MSFS 2020 · MSFS 2024

C172M

Bagolu · Released

MSFS 2020 · MSFS 2024Third-party add-on

Aircraft

Products and variants
ProductSimulatorProduct type
C172M ↗ReleasedMSFS 2020 · MSFS 2024 Aircraft
MSFS 2020 Enhancement

C172SP AS1000 improvement

Bagolu · Released

MSFS 2020Third-party add-on

Enhancement

Requires the default Asobo Cessna 172 Skyhawk with Garmin G1000/AS1000 in MSFS; developer calls this an improvement mod.

Products and variants
ProductSimulatorProduct type
C172SP AS1000 improvement ↗ReleasedMSFS 2020 Requires the default Asobo Cessna 172 Skyhawk with Garmin G1000/AS1000 in MSFS; developer calls this an improvement mod.Enhancement
MSFS 2020 · MSFS 2024

FR172 Reims Rocket / R172 Hawk XP II

Bagolu · Released

MSFS 2020 · MSFS 2024Third-party add-on

Aircraft

Products and variants
ProductSimulatorProduct type
FR172 Reims Rocket / R172 Hawk XP II ↗ReleasedMSFS 2020 · MSFS 2024 Aircraft
MSFS 2020 · MSFS 2024

C172

Carenado · Released

MSFS 2020 · MSFS 2024Third-party add-on

Aircraft

Products and variants
ProductSimulatorProduct type
C172 ↗ReleasedMSFS 2020 · MSFS 2024 Aircraft
MSFS 2020

C172SP Classic Enhancement

WBSim · Released

MSFS 2020Third-party add-on

Aircraft

Products and variants
ProductSimulatorProduct type
C172SP Classic Enhancement ↗ReleasedMSFS 2020 Aircraft
X-Plane 12 Enhancement

C-172S, C-172R, C-172M/N Enhanced Flight Models

X-Aerodynamics · Released

X-Plane 12Third-party add-on

Enhancement

Requires the stock Laminar Research Cessna 172SP in X-Plane 12; listing describes an enhanced flight-model expansion.

Products and variants
ProductSimulatorProduct type
C-172S, C-172R, C-172M/N Enhanced Flight Models ↗ReleasedX-Plane 12 Requires the stock Laminar Research Cessna 172SP in X-Plane 12; listing describes an enhanced flight-model expansion.Enhancement
THE NUMBERS

Aircraft specifications

Published figures for the named real-aircraft variant. Simulator equipment and performance can differ.

Specifications (172R)Cessna 172 · Specifications (172R) · real aircraft; source units retained
SpecificationPublished value
Length27 ft 2 in (8.28 m)
Wingspan36 ft 1 in (11.00 m)
Height8 ft 11 in (2.72 m)
Wing area174 sq ft (16.2 m² )
Empty weight1,691 lb (767 kg)
Gross weight2,450 lb (1,111 kg)
Powerplant1 × Lycoming IO-360-L2A four cylinder, horizontally opposed aircraft engine, 160 hp (120 kW)
Propellers2-bladed metal, fixed pitch McCauley Model 1C235/LFA7570, 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) diameter (maximum)
Cruise speed122 kn (140 mph, 226 km/h)
Stall speed47 kn (54 mph, 87 km/h) (power off, flaps down)
Range696 nmi (801 mi, 1,289 km) with 45 minute reserve, 55% power, at 12,000 feet (3,700 m)
Service ceiling13,500 ft (4,100 m)
Rate of climb721 ft/min (3.66 m/s)
Wikipedia contributors · Cessna 172 ↗
GO TO THE SOURCE

Manuals & resources

Find your next read

Choose a topic for a short introduction and a link to the original source. Simulator references identify the developer and edition they cover.

Simulator documentation

The bundled X-Plane Skyhawk has its own cockpit referenceCessna 172 SP · Laminar Research · X-Plane 12 / X-Plane 11

Laminar's manual documents the C172's primary controls, trim console, instruments and autopilot. Its illustrated cockpit guide and configuration checks describe the bundled aircraft. Independent C172 developers document their own maintenance systems and avionics.

Archived simulator manual; installed package revision not observed · PDF pp.7-8,45; center console and preflight

Laminar Research · Read the source ↗
An aircraft with persistent mechanical conditionCessna 172 Skyhawk · Airfoillabs · Airfoillabs · X-Plane 11 · X-Plane 12

Airfoillabs describes per-cylinder engine simulation, a custom electrical system and persistent wear in its C172 NG. The published features include tyres, brakes and structural damage, alongside an interactive walkaround and preserved aircraft state.

C172 NG Digital 1.6.2; XP12 · Flight model; electrical; engine/fuel/gear; versions

Airfoillabs · Read the source ↗
Released product and variantsCessna 172 Skyhawk · Airfoillabs · Airfoillabs · X-Plane 11 · X-Plane 12

C172 NG Digital includes separate X-Plane 11 and X-Plane 12 aircraft. C172 NG Analog is an X-Plane 12 product. The separate Digital PRO listing changes the professional-use licence and is not another aircraft model.

Official developer / designated-store reference · checked 2026-09-14

Airfoillabs · Read the source ↗

Pilot account

Familiar controls, a different engine experience12 March 2018. Continental CD-155-powered factory JT-A, N688CS. Byline as currently published.

Flying factory JT-A N688CS from San Marcos, Texas, Goyer immediately noticed how different the turbodiesel sounded. Its quieter whirr accompanied a climb that felt convincingly stronger than the earlier diesel Skyhawk the writer had evaluated. The cockpit also changed the pilot's relationship with the engine: one power lever requested output while electronic controls managed fuel and propeller settings.

Isabel Goyer

Plane & Pilot · Read the source ↗
Living with an early straight-tail 172Undated hosted article about Jim Landers’s 1957 Cessna 172. Historical owner and writer observations; not current operating advice.

Davisson's account of Jim Landers's restored 1957 aircraft explains why an early 172 can feel different before it even leaves the ground. The low instrument panel and more upright seating create an unusually open view over the nose. He describes the six-cylinder Continental as smoother than the later Lycomings and finds the aircraft's familiar, approachable character already present in this early version.

Budd Davisson, with owner Jim Landers

Pilotfriend · Budd Davisson · Read the source ↗

Developer documentation

C172 Amphibian — product listingC172 Amphibian · MSFS 2020

Product listing captured 2026-09-24; edition scope from the reviewed catalogue

Bagolu · Read the source ↗
C172 Bushkit — product listingC172 Bushkit · MSFS 2020 · MSFS 2024

Product listing captured 2026-09-24; edition scope from the reviewed catalogue

Bagolu · Read the source ↗
C172 Taildragger — product listingC172 Taildragger · MSFS 2020 · MSFS 2024

Product listing captured 2026-09-24; edition scope from the reviewed catalogue

Bagolu · Read the source ↗
C172M — product listingC172M · MSFS 2020 · MSFS 2024

Product listing captured 2026-09-24; edition scope from the reviewed catalogue

Bagolu · Read the source ↗
C172SP AS1000 improvement — product listingC172SP AS1000 improvement · MSFS 2020

Product listing captured 2026-09-24; edition scope from the reviewed catalogue

Bagolu · Read the source ↗
FR172 Reims Rocket / R172 Hawk XP II — product listingFR172 Reims Rocket / R172 Hawk XP II · MSFS 2020 · MSFS 2024

Product listing captured 2026-09-24; edition scope from the reviewed catalogue

Bagolu · Read the source ↗
C172 — product listingC172 · MSFS 2020 · MSFS 2024

Product listing captured 2026-09-23; edition scope from the reviewed catalogue

www.carenado.com · Read the source ↗
C172 — product listingC172 · MSFS 2020 · MSFS 2024

Product listing captured 2026-09-23; edition scope from the reviewed catalogue

www.carenado.com · Read the source ↗
C172SP Classic Enhancement — product listingC172SP Classic Enhancement · MSFS 2020

Product listing captured 2026-09-24; edition scope from the reviewed catalogue

Just Flight / WBSim · Read the source ↗
C-172S, C-172R, C-172M/N Enhanced Flight Models — product listingC-172S, C-172R, C-172M/N Enhanced Flight Models · X-Plane 12

Product listing captured 2026-09-24; edition scope from the reviewed catalogue

X-Aerodynamics · Read the source ↗

Read the original documentation from the people who created it. Manuals open on their publisher’s website.

Manual

↗Microsoft Flight Simulator aircraft manualsMicrosoft / aircraft developers ↗Cessna 172 SP POHLaminar Research ↗X-Plane 12 Desktop ManualLaminar Research ↗X-Plane aircraft and avionics manualsLaminar Research ↗X-Plane 11 Desktop ManualLaminar Research

Aircraft background

↗Cessna 172Wikipedia contributors · Research background · Wikipedia revision 1374422697 · retrieved 2026-09-12

Resource

↗MSFS 2024 FAQ and edition aircraft inventoryMicrosoft ↗MSFS 2020 FAQ and edition aircraft inventoryMicrosoft ↗C172 DigitalAirfoillabs

Product

↗Cessna 172M DGS series XP12Thranda · Official developer / designated store catalogue · checked 2026-09-12 ↗C172 NG AnalogAirfoillabs · Official developer / designated store catalogue · checked 2026-09-12 ↗Reality Expansion Pack · Default XP11/12 Cessna 172SPSimCoders · Official developer / designated store catalogue · checked 2026-09-12 ↗C172 Amphibian current productBagolu · Product listing captured 2026-09-24; edition scope from the reviewed catalogue ↗C172 Bushkit current productBagolu · Product listing captured 2026-09-24; edition scope from the reviewed catalogue ↗C172 Taildragger current productBagolu · Product listing captured 2026-09-24; edition scope from the reviewed catalogue ↗C172M current productBagolu · Product listing captured 2026-09-24; edition scope from the reviewed catalogue ↗C172SP AS1000 improvement current productBagolu · Product listing captured 2026-09-24; edition scope from the reviewed catalogue ↗FR172 Reims Rocket / R172 Hawk XP II current productBagolu · Product listing captured 2026-09-24; edition scope from the reviewed catalogue ↗C172 MSFS2020 – Carenadowww.carenado.com · Product listing captured 2026-09-23; edition scope from the reviewed catalogue ↗C172 MSFS2024 – Carenadowww.carenado.com · Product listing captured 2026-09-23; edition scope from the reviewed catalogue ↗WBSim C172SP current changes and interface documentation scopeJust Flight / WBSim · Product listing captured 2026-09-24; edition scope from the reviewed catalogue ↗C-172S, C-172R, C-172M/N Enhanced Flight ModelsX-Aerodynamics · Product listing captured 2026-09-24; edition scope from the reviewed catalogue

Developer documentation

↗C172 NG DIGITAL-airfoillabs-C172NGAirfoillabs · Official developer / designated-store reference · checked 2026-09-14 ↗C172 NG ANALOG XP12-airfoillabs-C172NGAAirfoillabs · Official developer / designated-store reference · checked 2026-09-14 ↗Cessna 172SP Skyhawk XP11-airfoillabs-C172SPAirfoillabs · Official developer / designated-store reference · checked 2026-09-14

Type designator

↗ICAO Doc 8643 — aircraft type designatorsInternational Civil Aviation Organization · Public search data retrieved 2026-09-14; authority update 2026-09-03 ↗FAA JO 7360.1K — aircraft type designatorsFederal Aviation Administration · Active FAA order; checked 2026-09-14
AIRCRAFT AND FEEL

Built-in force-feedback profiles

Read the documentary basis, editable starting settings and remaining questions for the aircraft you fly. Each explanation refers to the exact profile revision shown.

Catalogue programme-20261022-v1 · 27 profile choices

Bagolu C172 Bushkit

Bagolu · Free and Pro · Revision 3 · Inherited starting point

MSFS 2020 · MSFS 2024

Bagolu C172 Bushkit: Mechanical controls and published pitch-heavy handling motivate speed-dependent yoke resistance and a separately selected roll balance.

Bagolu C172M

Bagolu · Free and Pro · Revision 3 · Inherited starting point

MSFS 2020 · MSFS 2024

Bagolu C172M: Mechanical controls and published pitch-heavy handling motivate speed-dependent yoke resistance and a separately selected roll balance.

Thranda C172M

Thranda · Free and Pro · Revision 3 · Inherited starting point

X-Plane 12

Thranda C172M: Mechanical controls and published pitch-heavy handling motivate speed-dependent yoke resistance and a separately selected roll balance.

Explore all built-in profile references →

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