First flown in 1955, the Cessna 172 began as a tricycle landing gear variant of the taildragger Cessna 170, and has since become the single most produced airplane in history, tallying over 44,000 assembled to date.Īside from a hiatus in the 1980s-'90s, the 172 has been in production since 1956, with its four-seat, single-engine, fixed-wing design evolving into over 20 variants throughout the years – including the deluxe 'Skyhawk' model, debuted in 1960.
