Cessna 195 Businessliner

This page's frontmatter describes the Cessna 195 with the 300 hp Jacobs R755-A2 — Section I of FAA type certificate A-790, the most numerous and most sought variant of the line. The 190, 195A and 195B are the same airframe with a different engine, and each has its own row in the Variants table below.

That is not our judgment; it is the FAA's. A-790's own section headings read "Model 190 … (Same as Model 195 except for engine installation)", "Model 195A … (Same as Model 195 except for engine.)" and the same again for the 195B. All four sections carry identical airspeed limits, identical weights, identical seats, identical baggage, identical fuel capacity and the same two eligible serial ranges. AVweb's used-aircraft guide says it from the other direction: "The main distinction among the models is the engine."

The Cessna 190 and 195 Businessliner are radial-engine, tailwheel, high-wing monoplanes produced from 1947 to 1954 — the last Cessnas built with a round engine and the first built entirely of metal, a direct descendant of the 1934 C-34 Airmaster. AVweb counts 1,099 built across the whole 190 series including the military LC-126s, nearly 80 percent of them 195s, with about 700 still on the FAA registry.

Today these are overwhelmingly show planes and weekend fun flyers. They are not practical mission aircraft by any modern standard, and they draw a crowd at every airport. The International Cessna 195 Club is the centre of the type's support network, and specialist shops — Radial Engines Ltd., Air Repair Inc., The 195 Factory, Barron Aviation, Butterfly Aviation — keep the Jacobs engines running. Finding a good one takes patience and connections inside that network.

Two things on this page were badly wrong before this pass and are worth naming. It cited TCDS A-799, which is the Cessna 170's certificate and has never covered a 190 or a 195; and it recorded four seats where the certificate certifies five in every one of its sections. The never-exceed speed it carried, 195 knots, matches no figure on the real certificate in either unit — A-790 says 200 mph, 174 knots.

Every row shares one certificate, one airframe, 3,350 lb gross, five seats, 76 usable gallons and the same airspeed limits. Only the engine changes.

Two further engines are approved as equipment on the 195 landplane rather than as models: item 106 is the L-4MB above, and item 109 is the Jacobs L-6MB, 330 hp for one minute at takeoff and 300 hp maximum continuous.

Modifications that change a stored limit, and are therefore not in the frontmatter:

• Items 610 and 611 — 12-inch chord flaps replacing the 8-inch flaps, plus short-chord elevators, eligible S/N 16084 and up. NOTE 3 drops the flaps- extended limit from 130 mph (113 knots) to 110 mph (95 knots) and narrows the CG range. AVweb: "Later Cessna 195 models have larger air brakes … with a lower deployment speed. It was not an improvement as the airplane is so clean that it's hard to slow down to the white arc." The certificate's eligible serials are 7004–7999 and 16000–16183, 1,180 numbers in all, so this reaches 100 of 1,180. The base airplane's 113 knots is what the page stores.
• Item 108 — two 50.5-gallon tanks replacing the 40.5s, giving 101 gallons total and 92 usable. Frontmatter holds the standard 76.
• Item 209 — Edo 38-3430 floats. As a seaplane the gross weight rises to 3,600 lb and maximum structural cruising drops to 165 mph (144 knots). This is a landplane page.
• Crosswind gear — the Goodyear castering main gear became standard in 1953, along with lighter, springier main gear legs (about 20 lb saved).

Cruise and burn come from one sentence in AVweb's guide: "Expect 12.5–14 GPH for a normal cruise of 140 knots above 8000 feet; you can burn more, but it won't go much faster." The stored 140 KTAS and 14 GPH are that row. The page previously claimed 148 knots, which no source obtained supports.

The altitude qualifier matters: "above 8000 feet the Cessna 195 is an honest 140-knot machine, but down low it is thirsty and slow." Takeoff burn is "in the high 20s" GPH.

A 195B with the 275 hp R-755B2 is "a bit over 130 knots, burning about 13.5 to 14 GPH, at a comfortable and rumbling 1900 to 2000 RPM" — a different variant, listed here rather than in the frontmatter.

Range is not sourced. AVweb gives "a range of 520 to 780 miles" without saying statute or nautical, so it cannot fix the field. The stored 610 nm is a legacy figure that reconciles with the certificate's fuel and AVweb's cruise row, which is a sanity check and not a citation.

Rate of climb, service ceiling, the stall speeds and every takeoff and landing distance on this page are legacy, unsourced figures. A-790 carries no performance data at all and no 195 flight manual was obtained. The FAA-approved manuals are named on the certificate — items 403(a) through 403(o), including the December 27, 1949 manual for the 195A landplane and the April 22, 1953 manuals for airplanes with items 610 and 611 — and any of them would close the gap.

The airspeed limits are INDICATED, and that is unusual for a certificate of this age. A-790 labels every one "True Ind.", so there is no calibrated-versus- indicated question here at all — the numbers go straight into the _kias fields without the caveat most pre-1970 Cessna pages carry. What the certificate does do is print mph first with knots bracketed, which is how this page came to hold a 195-knot Vne. The real figures are 174 / 155 / 109 / 113.

The tailwheel configuration demands respect and AVweb is blunt about it: the airplane sits high, the pilot's seat is angled slightly right and the copilot's left, "which causes problems in the checkout," and "a ground loop in this airplane will usually cause major damage to the gearbox, fuselage and wings, perhaps even resulting in a total loss." Once a swerve passes 10 or 15 degrees there is not enough brake to stop it; power and air over the tail, or a go-around, is the answer. In the air it is honest — stable, predictable, gentlemanly stalls, superb control harmony with noticeable adverse yaw — but it will not stay where you put it and has to be flown all the time.

Built on the certificate's 3,350 lb landplane gross and 76 usable gallons, with the legacy 2,050 lb empty weight. A well-equipped IFR example is 2,100–2,200 lb per AVweb, so subtract 50–150 lb from every payload below for such an airplane.

Baggage is limited to 220 lb at station +92 on the standard airplane, so the payload column is people-plus-bags with that cap applied. There is genuinely good load here: 1,300 lb of useful load against a 2,050 lb empty weight is competitive with a modern four-seater, and AVweb calls it "a payload of over a half ton" even at its higher equipped weight. The constraint is that full fuel weighs 456 lb, so five aboard means planning shorter legs.

• Flight Training (2/10): Not a trainer. A tailwheel endorsement in one is possible and expensive, and the radial alone disqualifies it from any training role.
• Backcountry (2/10): Tailwheel yes, but the weight, limited propeller clearance and irreplaceable airframe make it a poor choice. One hard landing on a gravel strip can cost more than the airplane is worth.
• Business Travel (2/10): Historically the mission — the name is "Businessliner" — but no modern avionics support, VFR-only in most examples, and radial maintenance overhead make it impractical now.
• Aerobatics (1/10): Not aerobatic category. The certificate's placard reads "No acrobatic maneuvers, including spins, approved."
• Cross-Country (4/10): 140 knots above 8,000 ft with five seats is a real travelling airplane, but limited avionics and the maintenance overhead cap it.
• Cargo Hauling (2/10): Useful load looks good on paper; the cabin configuration and door size limit what actually fits. The optional large baggage door (item 609) and the 320 lb compartment (item 606(b)) help.
• Local Fun Flying (9/10): This is what these are for. The sound, the look, the ramp presence. Fly-ins, pancake breakfasts, formation with other classics.
• Surveying (3/10): The high wing helps and the certificate even lists a Fairchild camera provision (item 604, up to 92 lb, making the airplane two place when installed), but the vibration and lack of modern mounts make it poor for serious work.

Most 190/195s fly with period-appropriate or basic VFR avionics. Panel space is generous, but installing modern avionics in a classic raises philosophical as well as practical questions — and AVweb notes that a well-equipped IFR example with an autopilot weighs 2,100 to 2,200 lb, so the panel costs payload too.

The certificate does approve an autopilot — item 406(a), the Lear L-2B — with a placard restricting its use below 500 ft above terrain. Most owners resist heavy avionics work as it detracts from the classic character and can reduce value to the collector market.

The Cleveland conversion is less clear-cut than this page used to claim. AVweb: the Cleveland brakes come from a Cessna 310, "a heavier, nosewheel airplane, and are more brakes than the airplane needs. As a result, the pilot has to learn how to modulate them or it's possible to flip the airplane." The original Goodyears are "satisfactory if — and it's a big if — they are maintained." Parts scarcity is the real argument for converting, not stopping power.

The STC market for the line is thin, and most modifications are about safety and reliability rather than performance. Two rarities worth knowing: in the 1960s Page Aircraft Engines turbocharged the Jacobs as the R-755S, rated 350 hp for takeoff and 300 continuous; and Parks Aviation fitted a 450 hp Pratt & Whitney R-985, redesignating the result the "196" — a handful exist, most with tip tanks, one with 100 usable gallons in the wings.

Parts Availability (Poor): the Jacobs R-755 has not been manufactured since the 1950s. Availability depends on Radial Engines Ltd. (Georgetown, TX), Air Repair Inc., The 195 Factory, Barron Aviation and Butterfly Aviation, the salvage network, type-club stockpiles, and new-old-stock from estate sales. AVweb notes that Jacobs support is better than Continental W670 support, which is why so many 190s have been re-engined.

Mechanic Familiarity (Rare): few A&Ps have radial experience. Valve timing, cylinder removal and oil system management are all different from flat-engine work.

Annual Cost Range:

• Routine annual (no surprises): $3,000–$5,000
• Annual with typical squawks: $5,000–$10,000
• Oil: $200–$400/year
• Total ownership cost: $15,000–$25,000/year at 50–75 hours

One owner account inside the AVweb guide, dated to that article: "Operating costs at 15 GPH, engine reserves of $21 and $5 per hour for the prop is approximately $116 per hour. An annual runs roughly $3500, while insurance is $2500 per year."

Expensive Items:

• Jacobs overhaul: the stored reserve is $40,000, and it is unsourced — reference/engine-overhaul-pricing.md has no R-755 entry and lists the radials among its gaps. The one dated figure obtained is an owner's report in the AVweb guide of a remanufactured engine from Air Repair at $30,000, plus propeller blades and installation.
• Cylinder replacement: $3,000–$5,000 per cylinder, seven cylinders
• Hamilton Standard propeller overhaul: $3,000–$5,000
• Second oil cooler installation, for the ground-temperature problem

See Maintenance Ecosystem.

The market is driven almost entirely by condition and restoration quality, not by engine time or avionics:

Price Tiers (legacy, unsourced; AVweb saw asking prices on Trade-A-Plane and Controller "starting at $80,000", and asking is not selling):

• Project / needs restoration: $60,000–$95,000
• Flying but needs work: $95,000–$140,000
• Good condition, mid-time engine: $140,000–$180,000
• Excellent / show quality: $180,000–$250,000+

Values have been appreciating. A well-maintained 195 behaves more like a classic car than a depreciating asset.

See Aircraft Valuation Methodology.

Active/Recurring ADs — carried forward from the earlier draft of this page and not verified against the FAA AD database in this pass. Treat the numbers as leads for a records review, not as a compliance list:

• AD 74-26-09: wing strut attach fitting inspection (repetitive)
• AD 51-18-01: fuel tank cap chain inspection
• Various Jacobs engine ADs covering cylinder hold-down studs, crankcase and accessory drives

Common Issues:

• Ground-loop damage is the pre-buy item. AVweb is emphatic: have a mechanic who knows the model check for it, and "a prebuy by someone who knows 195s is essential — a lot of owners have taken serious financial hits by not doing so." Repaired correctly it is not a problem; repaired badly it is expensive.
• Oil. Radials consume it by design; plan on half a pint to a quart an hour depending on condition, plus the belly wipe-down after every flight. The certificate's oil capacity is five gallons. Oil temperature climbs during prolonged ground operation, which is why 195 pilots avoid long taxis and busy airports; a second oil cooler is a common fix.
• Hydraulic lock. After the airplane has sat more than a few hours, pull the propeller through five to twelve blades before starting.
• Exhaust system cracks. The collector ring and stacks crack; annual exhaust inspection is critical.
• Magneto maintenance. Regular points and condenser attention.
• Corrosion. All-metal airframe; inspect behind upholstery and under floor panels, especially on coastal or outside-kept airplanes.
• Case cracking on the 300 hp engine. AVweb: "The 300 got a deeper intake manifold to get its extra 25 horses, which seem to make it more susceptible to case cracking." This is a real argument for the 275 hp 195B if reliability matters more than the last few knots.

A specialist market. AVweb's own quotation, which is the only sourced figure here: a private pilot with no instrument rating, 200 hours PIC and 25 hours of tailwheel time, with an extensive checkout, "would likely see premiums of about $2000 to $3000 per year, assuming a $85,000 hull and $1 million liability. That's about the same as a tailwheel Cessna 180 or roughly one-third more than a 182."

The stored typical_hull_insurance_annual_usd of $3,500 is a legacy figure against this page's $165,000 typical value — nearly twice AVweb's assumed hull — so the two are not measuring the same policy and the stored number has not been changed on the strength of it.

• Tailwheel requirement: substantial tailwheel PIC time, typically 200+ hours, plus time in type
• Transition training: documented dual from a 195-qualified CFI before solo PIC
• Underwriter availability: not all GA insurers will write a 195; specialty brokers are the route

See GA Insurance Underwriting.