Cessna 172Q Cutlass

What the 172Q Is

The 172Q was Cessna's answer to a specific market gap: pilots who wanted the 180 HP performance of the 172RG without the maintenance burden and insurance cost of retractable gear. By installing the O-360 in the standard 172P fixed-gear airframe, Cessna created a faster, harder-climbing variant that retained the trainer-friendly maintenance profile.

The result is the fastest fixed-gear 172 ever produced -- 130 KTAS cruise vs 122 KTAS for the 172P -- with comparable useful load, comparable fuel capacity, and meaningfully better climb performance at altitude. The trade-off is fuel burn (9.5 GPH vs 8.0 GPH for the 172P) and a $25K-$35K higher acquisition cost.

Comparison With 172P and 172RG

The Cutlass sits in a sweet spot: most of the 172RG's speed advantage without the gear inspection burden, retract insurance premium, or complex endorsement requirement.

The Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4N

The O-360-A4N is one of the most produced 180 HP four-cylinder aircraft engines ever built. It powers the Piper Cherokee 180, Cessna 177 Cardinal, Beech Sundowner, and countless others. Key characteristics:

• 180 HP at 2,700 RPM
• 8.5:1 compression ratio
• Carbureted (no fuel injection -- carb heat required)
• Dual independent magnetos (Slick or Bendix)
• 2,000-hour TBO (extendable on-condition)

Common operational quirks:

• Carb ice susceptibility -- not unusual on humid days at part-power settings. Carb heat application is a standard procedure for IFR pilots and during long descents.
• Hot start technique -- different from fuel-injected engines. Standard "mixture lean, throttle cracked, full prime" procedure works reliably.
• Magneto timing drift -- routine inspection at 100-hour or annual interval

Overhaul cost is approximately $26K-$32K for a field overhaul, $34K-$42K for a Lycoming factory reman. Parts availability is excellent.

Bottom Line for 172Q Buyers

The 172Q is the right airplane for a specific buyer profile: someone who flies regularly enough that the 8-knot cruise speed advantage matters, but who does not want the maintenance burden, insurance premium, or training requirements of a retract. It pairs particularly well with high-DA operations (Western mountain states) where the extra 20 HP makes meaningful climb-rate differences.

The 172Q is not the right airplane for buyers focused on minimum operating cost (172P is cheaper to fly), maximum cruise speed (172RG is faster), or trainer/time-builder roles (172P is the obvious pick). Where the 172Q wins is for the owner-pilot who wants a fast fixed-gear four-seater with no compromises in maintenance simplicity.

Watch for listings that confuse it with the 172RG -- occasional arbitrage opportunities exist when a 172Q is mistakenly priced as a 172RG.

See also: cessna-172-mid, cessna-172p, cessna-172rg-cutlass, cessna-r172k-hawk-xp, cessna-177-cardinal

The 172Q's performance edge over the 172P comes from the extra 20 HP. Specific differences:

Climb: 800 fpm vs 770 fpm sea level rate of climb -- 4% improvement at sea level, larger advantage at altitude. At a 5,000-ft DA departure, the 172Q's advantage grows to roughly 15% better climb rate.

Cruise: 130 KTAS at 75% power vs 122 KTAS for the 172P -- a 6% speed gain. Over a 400 nm leg, this saves about 15 minutes.

Takeoff: 760 ft ground roll vs 890 ft for the 172P at max gross -- a noticeable shorter-field advantage, particularly at altitude.

Fuel burn at cruise: 9.5 GPH vs 8.0 GPH for the 172P -- 19% higher. At cruise prices ($6/gal in 2026), this adds about $9/hr to operating cost.

Range: Comparable to the 172P with similar tankage. The higher fuel burn offsets the speed advantage on a per-mile basis.

The 172Q's value is in mission flexibility -- shorter strips, hot/high operations, faster cruise -- not in lower per-mile cost. Buyers focused on minimum operating cost should still consider the 172P.

The 172Q is rare enough (~220 produced) that pricing is less consistent than for the 172P. Specific factors:

Typical 2026 market range

• Run-out engine, basic panel: $60K-$72K
• Mid-time engine, basic IFR panel: $75K-$90K
• Mid-to-low time, modern Garmin panel: $95K-$115K
• Pristine with low time + glass panel: $115K-$135K

The 172Q market is thin -- often only 5-15 active listings nationwide at any given time. Patience is required to find the right combination of engine time + avionics + condition + price.

Airworthiness Directives

The 172Q shares the same family-wide ADs as the 172P (seat rails, wing spar, doorpost fuel line, stabilizer abrasion boot) and the O-360-A4N ADs:

None of these are 172Q-specific show-stoppers, but pre-buy must verify compliance.

Pre-Buy Inspection Priorities

1. Verify 172Q (fixed gear) vs 172RG (retract) -- this seems obvious but listing confusion is real, and the insurance/operating cost implications are significant.
2. Engine condition -- compression check, oil analysis history, propeller logs. The O-360 is a known-quantity engine; standard pre-buy applies.
3. Crankshaft AD compliance -- verify any applicable Lycoming crankshaft inspection ADs are documented.
4. Corrosion -- 40+ year old airframes; standard 172 corrosion inspection.
5. Logbooks -- complete and continuous; verify model designation as 172Q.
6. Fuel system -- carbureted engine requires functional carb heat valve; verify operation.
7. Avionics and ADS-B compliance
8. Seat rails, wing spar, doorpost fuel line -- AD compliance