Cessna 150 & 152

The introduction of the Cessna 150 marked Cessna's return to the two seat trainer market after a six year absence and resulted in the most prolific and successful two seat trainer line in history. Development of the original 150 began in the mid 1950s, resulting in a first flight in September 1957. This modern, all new aircraft followed the Cessna conventions then gaining favour of a strut braced high wing, all metal construction and tricycle undercarriage. Production began in September 1958. What followed was a continuous process of product improvement, although throughout the 150 model life the Continental O-200A powerplant remained unchanged. One of the most significant model changes was the 150D of 1964 which introduced the wraparound rear window. Most versions were built in Standard, Commuter and Trainer forms with differing equipment levels, while licence production was undertaken in France by Reims and in Argentina by DINFIA. Aerobat versions were stressed for limited aerobatic work. The 152 was a response to availability problems with 80/87 octane fuel, and used the 150's fuselage coupled with a Lycoming O-235 running on 100 Octane. The 152 replaced the 150 from 1977 and remained in production until late 1985. It too was progressively updated, offered in A152 Aerobat form, and also built in France.

The backbone of this section is from the The International Directory of Civil Aircraft by Gerard Frawley and used with permission. To get your own copy of the book click here.