The Cessna 120-140 Association Forum

I'm hoping that someone out there in the 120-140 community with much deeper knowledge than I can tell me if the parking brake was standard equipment for the 1946 140?

Yes, but many have been disconnected due to the propensity for locking up just as you're touching down...

Agree. I've always been advised not to use the PB for the same reason.

6643 wrote: ↑Mon Aug 15, 2022 12:21 pm Yes, but many have been disconnected due to the propensity for locking up just as you're touching down...

I've actually served as a "test pilot" with locked up parking brake. Way back, before converting our 140 to Clevelands, I did use the parking brake on occasion with the old Goodyears. Fortunately, on that landing, the aging Goodyears did "slip" a bit and I held the tail down...but, too bad I wasn't in a formal short landing contest as I would have definitely "won"! It's a suprise on landing that none of us want to risk. Mine = disconnected ever since.

Thanks, guys. I appreciate your input.

Was it std on the 140's. Pretty certain it was. 120's. only some of them.

I removed the whole assembly, cables, clamps etc. Never missed it.

On my airplane I left all of the parking brake mechanism parts installed but made them inoperative to preserve originality.

I safetied both of the master cylinder latch mechanisms in the OFF position to prevent any inadvertent operation of the parking brakes "at the source". It worked out rather elegantly... I left the original retraction springs in place and routed some 0.020" safety wire through the spring's coils with each end terminated at the latch mechanism and the screw holding the spring, respectively.

The upshot is you get to keep all of the original-looking hardware and the original push-pull control.

V529 wrote: ↑Thu Aug 18, 2022 11:55 am Was it std on the 140's. Pretty certain it was. 120's. only some of them.

I always assumed since it's not listed as "Optional" in the parts catalog, that it was standard equipment (for both).

Yes..............just not sure.

There was a C-120 at the 2005 Omaha? convention who had a bare bones C-120, wood prop, no electrical system no interior (well........seats) aircraft.
His parking brake was labeled on the instrument panel, but plugged off. I suppose someone could have just taken it out....
Bottom line, not sure.

I removed the parking brake on the last Cessna 120 produced, serial number 15075, build date April 18th 1949 just yesterday. I'm sure it came from the factory