Cessna 172 and Cicada 4 - which aircraft is better?

It is difficult to find a more successful and massive aircraft in the history of small aviation. Cessna 172 is an extremely successful, easy-to-operate and maintain vehicle. It is great for initial training, private flying, various types of patrols and even combat missions.

History and modifications of the Cessna 172

The development of a light single-engine aircraft project began in the 50s of the last century. The design was based on the Cessna 170, which entered service in 1948. The updated 172nd model took to the skies in 1955. It was a high-wing aircraft with a single Continental O-300 engine developing 145 horsepower and equipped with a tricycle landing gear.



As the designers themselves believed, the design was a "flying car". Its sales started in 1956 with an amount of $8995. The company managed to sell 4195 pieces of equipment. In subsequent years, the aircraft was repeatedly upgraded, receiving the corresponding letter index:

• ✅ 1961 - the aircraft marked 172B received the name "Skyhawk", an elongated engine mount, a short landing gear and a higher takeoff weight
  
• ✅ 1962 - Cessna 172С was equipped not with a mechanical, but with an electric starter, an autopilot appeared, the seats began to be regulated
  
• ✅ 1963 - the aircraft with the index 172D Powermatic is characterized by extensive glazing and an aircraft engine that produced 175 hp. With. (but he didn’t “go” and therefore returned to the previous engine of 145 “horses”)
  
• ✅ 1964 - Cessna 172E features a new instrument panel and upgraded electrical equipment
  
• ✅ 1965 - Model 172F received electric flaps and became the basis for the development of the T41A Mescalero aircraft used for military purposes
  
• ✅ 1966 - the spacer between the propeller and the crankshaft was increased for the aircraft with the G index
  
• ✅ 1967 - Model H featured improved sound insulation and lower fuel consumption due to a shorter chassis base
  
• ✅ 1968 - a couple of versions were produced at once: I and J with a 150 hp engine. With.
  
• ✅ 1969 - Cessna 172K was distinguished by a large supply of fuel, which was enough for 1500 km
  

Subsequently, aircraft were produced not as often (every year) as before. But the modernization continued. Model 172M began to be equipped with a transponder, improved lighting, and a radio. The next aircraft with the N index was equipped with a 320 hp Lycoming O-2-H160AD aircraft engine. With. The next version of the aircraft under the symbol 172RG Cutlass was produced in 1980-85 and was distinguished by a stronger engine of 180 "horses", which increased the maximum speed to 260 km / h.



By the mid-80s, the demand for aircraft began to fall sharply and production was curtailed. However, the need for light-engine aircraft did not go away, and in 1998 the 172s began to be produced again. Special versions appeared - the Cessna FR172J Reims Rocket with a 210 horsepower engine and the Turbo Skyhawk JT-A diesel model.

"Cessna-172" and offenders

The cheapness, reliability and simplicity of the aircraft design led to its use by various swindlers. Back in the 60s, smugglers who transported drugs across the US-Mexican border were the first to look at the Cessna. Later, light aircraft began to be bought for illegal activities in hard-to-reach places in the Amazon basin. The criminals cut valuable wood species, caught rare animals, and mined minerals. The Brazilian government cracked down on illegal activities only in 2011. The operation was hampered by the fact that the low-flying Cessna was very difficult for a combat aircraft to intercept.

But the brightest advertisement for the "one hundred and seventy-second" was given by a guy from Germany - Matthias Rust, who landed a Cessna 1987B he rented on the Moskvoretsky bridge in 172. The incident made it possible for Gorbachev to dismiss his military opponents who did not share the General Secretary's views on perestroika. Whether this flight was planned by the secret services or not is still debated today. And the plane was returned to the owner, who sold it at an auction in Japan. Later, the Germans bought the Cessna and put it on public display in one of the museums in Berlin.





Improvement of the Cessna 172 continues and in 2010 an electric version of the aircraft appeared - Electric-powered. The energy of the batteries is enough for a couple of hours of flight, and their replacement takes 15 minutes. In Russia, the usual gasoline Cessna is popular: for example, the 172S model, produced in 2005 and flying 800 hours, costs $230 ($420 is asked for a new one). And what can be said about the competitors of the light-engine "legend"?

"Cicada"

Russian aircraft produced since 1998 by the Samara enterprise Hydroplan. The fuselage of the aircraft is made of fiberglass, resistant to the external environment. At the rear there is a cargo compartment, in which, for example, a 180 l tank can be installed for pollinating agricultural crops with chemicals. In this case, in 1 hour the aircraft is capable of processing up to 250 hectares of crops (width of coverage is 22-30 m).



The aircraft is equipped with a pair of aircraft engines Rotax-582 (64 hp) or 912. It is also possible to supply with one engine from the same manufacturer with an index of 9125 or with two 2xJabiru-2200 with a capacity of 85 hp each. With. Technical characteristics of the modified version of "Cicada 4":

• ✅ length 7,4 m
  
• ✅ height 2,9 m
  
• ✅ wingspan 11,3 m
  
• ✅ weight 505 kg (take-off weight 950 kg)
  
• ✅ speed - up to 190 km / h
  
• ✅ range - 650 km
  

The fuel used is AI-95 gasoline. Any more or less flat dirt strip 80 m long is suitable for take-off (172 m is needed for the Cessna 290 takeoff run). In the passenger version, the aircraft can take on board three people with a total weight of up to 326 kg with baggage weighing up to 50 kg. For ease of boarding / disembarking, the fuselage is equipped with four doors.

Where is Cicada used?

In addition to performing chemical work and transporting passengers, the aircraft is used to patrol oil and gas pipelines, power lines, to train pilots, provide communications, and during rescue operations. "Cicada" can deliver goods to remote areas where there are no roads, take out the sick. When using an aircraft for training, a backup control is mounted in the cockpit. At the request of the customer, "Cicada" can be equipped with a thermal imager and imaging equipment for, for example, environmental monitoring.



The efficiency of using the aircraft is explained by its affordable price and low cost of maintenance. In order for the Cicada to always be in “combat” readiness, it is enough to spend a couple of hours a week on it for the current maintenance. At the same time, fuel consumption for 1 hour of flight is estimated at about 1000 rubles. As for the cost of the aircraft itself, for the modification of the four-seater M3 with Jabiru 2200 engines and 260 flight hours, they are asking 5 million 800 thousand rubles today.

Conclusion

Comparing the two aircraft described above is a thankless task. On the one hand, the legendary Cessna, produced since the 40s, on the other, the Cicada, whose history is much more modest. Each aircraft has its own market niche. However, it is worth noting that the Russian aircraft is much more attractive than the Cessna 172 in terms of price and operating costs: it is possible that in other respects it will become its competitor in the future.