The Cessna 120-140 Association Forum

Interested in purchasing my first C-140. Fell in love with these birds when I flew one a while back. Don’t know much about them. I’m ready to start looking. There’s lots of great technical info on this site, but Im looking for more generalized information on what years, models, engine combinations to avoid and any other information to help decide which aircraft to pursue further and which ones to avoid. Many thanks.

Couple of opinions-
Useful load - at best around 350 lbs with full (3/ 3.5 hours) fuel. 425 lbs with half (1/ 1.5 hours) fuel. That assumes fabric wing, max 100hp engine and minimal extras. Look for one in the 900lb empty weight range. 990 is pretty good. 920, if advertised, may not be accurate. If you can find a 120 without an electric system, that’s the lightest of all.

Power - with the stock 85 hp engine and a wood prop the plane doesn’t climb great, which isn’t good for mountain flying, higher density altitudes or short strips. With an O200 conversion it’s still no Super Cub, but a lot better. The C90 and the C85 Stroker are decent as well. I have heard that 135 hp conversion isn’t worth it as it adds a lot of weight. Metal climb props give you more power where you need it, and will extend the versatility a lot.

Model years- I’m not aware of too many differences between “47 or older and “48 or newer except the panel. Others here are more expert.

As with all aircraft purchases, try to get it with all the features you want already installed. Doing the upgrade after purchase is always time consuming and significantly more expensive.

1. Get a pre-buy from someone who knows the 120/140.
2. Buy the best you can afford with:
3. Low time engine.
4. Upgraded com/nav/ADSB.
5. Shoulder harness a must.
6. Wheel extenders a no-no IMHO.
7. Scott tail wheels are usually better.

Everything you need to know are right here in these forums, spend a few hours having a read and you will see a few re-occurring themes and some great ideas. Even better will be to join the association if you have not already and read the back issues of the magazine plus nosey the documents section. You will be well educated then.

For everything else their is JC whom I suspect has forgotten more about these airplanes than I will ever hope to know.

Looking forward to seeing your purchase post up here soon.
Si

My opinion...don't get too hung up on finding the perfect plane. It is rare to find a beautiful airframe with a low time recently overhauled engine and a nice panel/interior. Pick what is the most important on your must have list and be prepared to adjust the list. Or be patient and wait for the perfect plane for years and be prepared to snatch it up at any price before someone else does .

From what I have learned the most desirable 120/140 is a fabric wing 1947-48 with a C-90, 0200 or C85 stroker. This will be the best power to weight ratio with the biggest useful load. Also the later years included improvements to the airframe including a swept forward landing gear.

I was recently looking for the above, but ended up finding a 140A that has a very nice airframe/interior but a higher time, 1980's overhauled engine. I decided an engine overhaul was preferrable to major airframe restoration so I bought it.