The Cessna 120-140 Association Forum

Would like to hear real world useful loads from whoever wishes to chime in. For teaching purposes would like to have 480 useful. Should I be looking elsewhere for an airplane?
Would be helpful to know rag or metal wing, and engine.
Data on 0-200 weight penalty?

Thanks

522 lb useful load. 1949 Cessna 140A.

GW 1500
EW 978 as of May 2020

Thanks. Electrical, 85hp?

sbmackie wrote: ↑Mon Nov 23, 2020 1:50 pm Thanks. Electrical, 85hp?

30 amp generator
C-90

I was looking for a 120/140 a couple of months ago. I was compiling a list of aircraft with prices vs times and options. As part of that I was recording weights/useful loads as it was included in the posting. I believe that all of these had electrical systems. Though some used a hand held radio rather than an installed one. So, what I saw...

140 C85, 900 MT weight, UL 550
140 C85 stroker. 875 MT, 575 UL.
120. C85. 770 MT, 680 UL
140. 0-200. 980 MT, 470 UL. Metal wings
120. C85. 917 MT, 533 UL
140 C85, 1020 MT, 430 UL. Metal wings
120. C85, 942 MT, 508 UL
140, O-200, 829 MT, 621 UL
140, C90, 913 MT, 537 UL.
140. C90, 924 MT, 526 UL.
140, O-200. 953 MT, 497 UL.,


Hope this helps.

Cessna Dog,
Interesting. They are all over the map, especially MT.
A and P owner I’m talking to, says the swap to an 0-200 gained him some useful due lightweight starter, battery, alternator, etc. Didn’t have the books in front of him but thought with metalized wings, he was at 480 UL with a 140.

My 120 was actually weighed in 2015.

C-85, Electrical, Com Radio/Transponder, Fabric wings, Wheel Pants. 970 empty weight for a 480 useful load.

cessnadog wrote: ↑Mon Nov 23, 2020 3:34 pm 120. C85. 770 MT, 680 UL
140, O-200, 829 MT, 621 UL

Challenge!

Anything under 950 is suspicious. Maybe 850 for a 120 with no electrical system.

The difference between a C85, a C90 and an O200 is negligible.

There's an old saying that goes "never weigh your 120/140 unless you're prepared to loose 75 lbs of useful weight."

I’m looking at the original weight and balance for a 1946 Cessna 120. No electrical system.
Pretty spartan aircraft. No heater, no radio, no clock

Empty weight was 780.2

Hard to imagine you could stay much under 850 with a battery and starter/generator.

Mine weighs 978. Alt, scott tail wheel, C-85, two landing lights. 1450 - 978 = 472 - me @ 170 = 302 - full tanks @ 150 = 152 left. I would guess that these little planes are occasionally operated at or above MGWTO. Performance is typically not too bad at MGWTO if it's not too hot or too high. What is evident is damage to structure, particularly the tail spring area. A lot of planes have scabs on the rudder where the tail wheel has rolled up into the bottom of the rudder, mine included.