Engines · piston (reciprocating) · data as of October 7, 2026

Continental C85 series

4,671 aircraft on the U.S. register carry a Continental C85 series engine, rated at about 85 horsepower. The Cessna 140 is the model most often fitted with it (1,253 aircraft). The aircraft carrying it were built between 1940 and 2023.

The FAA records engines by code, usually at the level of a series ("O-320 series") rather than the exact variant; this page gathers every FAA code that reads as Continental C85 series. FAA spelling: C85 SERIES.

Fitted to model families

Cessna 1401,253Cessna 120602Piper J-3 Cub519Aeronca 7 Champion (Champ)360Luscombe 8 Silvaire321Ercoupe 415267Aeronca 11 Chief136Engineering & Research ERCOUPE 415111Piper PA-11 Cub Special68Engineering & Research 41568Taylorcraft BC12 BC-12D60Commonwealth 18557

Cessna 140 · Cessna 120 · Piper J-3 Cub · Aeronca 7 Champion (Champ) · Luscombe 8 Silvaire · Ercoupe 415 · Aeronca 11 Chief · Engineering & Research ERCOUPE 415 · Piper PA-11 Cub Special · Engineering & Research 415

Where they are owner's state

Texas401California397Florida267Washington191Alaska185Wisconsin167Minnesota162Ohio152Michigan149Illinois139

Kind of aircraft

Piston singles4,669 (100%)Piston twins1 (0.0%)Helicopters1 (0.0%)

When the aircraft were built by decade

What the FAA has certified, ordered and been told about the Continental C85 series the component layer

The design is held under 1 type certificate (E-233, held by Continental Aerospace Technologies, INC.). The FAA has issued 7 airworthiness directives (orders that owners must comply with) that name this engine series. Operators and repair shops have filed 12 failure reports with the FAA since 1995, 4 of them in the last ten years.

FAA orders 7 airworthiness directives · newest first

1998-10-1998-17-11 · Crankshafts · engine

1996-02-1394-05-05 R1 · Cylinder Rocker · engine

1995-11-2895-21-15 · Aviation Gasoline · engine

1993-12-1493-22-05 · Carburetor Air Intake Housing Assemblies · engine

1981-04-0181-07-06 · AC Fuel Pumps · engine

47-40-02 · Piston Pins · engine

All orders naming the Continental C85 series

Failure reports 12 since · what operators and shops told the FAA

Parts most often reported as the reports name them

Spar2Throttle Cable2Bearing1Control Unit1Downlock Switch1Elt1Exhaust Valve1Guide1Propeller1Rib1

Latest reports

2022-11-23Exhaust Valve: stuck

2022-01-07Propeller: broken

2013-09-05Throttle Cable: broken

2013-05-02Throttle Cable: broken

2008-02-29Rib: corroded

Certificates and bulletins

E-233Type certificate held by Continental Aerospace Technologies, INC. · 31 models listed · revised September 19, 2022

Safety bulletins 6 · advice, not orders

2018-09-10NE-18-27 · POWERPLANT Rocker Shaft Boss Inspection

2016-03-08NE-16-13 · Powerplant - Prohibited use of sealant

2012-10-31NE-13-04 · Continental Motors, Inc. (CMI) Connecting Rod Piston Pin Bushing Inspection

1998-06-10CE-98-21R1 ·

1997-12-31ACE-98-21 ·

Sources: the FAA's type certificate data sheets, airworthiness directives, supplemental type certificates, special conditions and special airworthiness information bulletins (Dynamic Regulatory System), and the FAA's service difficulty reports. A failure report is what an operator or repair station chose to file; the counts show reporting as much as reliability, and larger and commercial fleets report more. How the systems are grouped.

Connections how this engine series links to the rest of the register

Fitted to

Cessna 140 1,253 with this engine series
Cessna 120 602 with this engine series
Piper J-3 Cub 519 with this engine series
Aeronca 7 Champion (Champ) 360 with this engine series
Luscombe 8 Silvaire 321 with this engine series
Ercoupe 415 267 with this engine series
Aeronca 11 Chief 136 with this engine series
Engineering & Research ERCOUPE 415 111 with this engine series

Where they are

Texas 401 of these aircraft
California 397 of these aircraft
Florida 267 of these aircraft
Washington 191 of these aircraft
Alaska 185 of these aircraft

Biggest operators

Plane Fun INC Tr Trustee 10 of these aircraft
Southern Aircraft Consultancy INC Trustee 8 of these aircraft
Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum 5 of these aircraft
Eaa Aviation Foundation INC 5 of these aircraft
Riggin Flight Service INC 4 of these aircraft

Airworthiness

FAA orders naming the Continental C85 series 7 airworthiness directives
Failure reports on the Continental C85 series 12 reports since 1995

Analytics

These connections as data: /graph/engine/continental-c85-series.json · about the eFlight graph.

Aircraft newest certificates first · 4,671

Tail no.	Maker and model	Group	Owner and base	Certificate	Registered	Status
N90133	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Virginia	Standard	2023-02-18	Valid
N76617	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Maryland	Standard	2023-02-17	Valid
N89567	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Withheld at owner's request	Standard	2023-02-17	Valid
N27127	Dart Robert G DART SPECIAL	Fixed-wing, single engine	Withheld at owner's request	Experimental	2023-02-16	Valid
N38425	Piper J5A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Texas	Standard	2023-02-16	Valid
N588A	Stits SA3A PLAYBOY	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Missouri	Experimental	2023-02-16	Valid
N1822K	Luscombe 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Kansas	Standard	2023-02-15	Valid
N4288E	Aeronca 11CC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2023-02-15	Valid
N1929K	Luscombe 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Sage Building Construction INC Roosevelt, Utah	Standard	2023-02-13	Valid
N67KL	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2023-02-13	Valid
N99399	Ercoupe 415-D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New York	Standard	2023-02-13	Valid
N1135B	Silvaire LUSCOMBE 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Iowa	Standard	2023-02-10	Valid
N1717N	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2023-02-10	Valid
N4898M	Piper PA-11	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2023-02-08	Valid
N72937	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Bardo Daniel J Salem, Ohio	Standard	2023-02-08	Valid
N75365	Aeronca 7BCM	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2023-02-08	Valid
N76654	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Tennessee	Standard	2023-02-08	Valid
N76868	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2023-02-08	Valid
N81724	Aeronca 7AC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2023-02-08	Valid
N9412A	Cessna 140A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Illinois	Standard	2023-02-07	Valid
N4388E	Aeronca 11CC	Fixed-wing, single engine	N4388E LLC Carthage, North Carolina	Standard	2023-02-06	Valid
N76791	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Suburban Aircraft Leasing and Sales LLC Sylvania, Ohio	Standard	2023-02-06	Valid
N47382	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2023-02-05	Valid
N3522L	Cessna 150F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Indiana	Standard	2023-02-02	Valid
N94431	Ercoupe G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wisconsin	Standard	2023-02-02	Valid
N2139H	Engineering & Research ERCOUPE 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Minnesota	Standard	2023-02-01	Valid
N76780	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Illinois	Standard	2023-02-01	Valid
N4737M	Piper PA-11	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Colorado	Standard	2023-01-31	Valid
N4104N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Qualitair LLC Michelstadt,	Standard	2023-01-30	Valid
N78816	Piper PA-11	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner North Dakota	Restricted	2023-01-30	Valid
N94357	Engineering & Research 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Kansas	Standard	2023-01-30	Valid
N1795K	Luscombe 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2023-01-27	Valid
N1920V	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2023-01-27	Valid
N3185N	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Georgia	Standard	2023-01-27	Valid
N83N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New Hampshire	Standard	2023-01-27	Valid
N89476	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Lacharite Joseph N Warren, Massachusetts	Standard	2023-01-27	Valid
N90092	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Michigan	Standard	2023-01-26	Valid
N51KS	Sodergren Kit MIDGET MUSTANG	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Experimental	2023-01-25	Valid
N77061	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2023-01-25	Valid
N92420	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2023-01-25	Valid
N2410N	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2023-01-24	Valid
N4622M	Piper PA-11	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner South Carolina	Standard	2023-01-23	Valid
N72769	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2023-01-21	Valid
N77082	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Nebraska	Standard	2023-01-21	Valid
N89809	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New York	Standard	2023-01-21	Valid
N90190	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner	Standard	2023-01-21	Valid
N99402	Ercoupe 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New York	Standard	2023-01-21	Valid
N38846	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Maine	Standard	2023-01-20	Valid
N76841	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Virginia	Standard	2023-01-18	Valid
N93253	Commonwealth 185	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Georgia	Standard	2023-01-18	Valid
N9477A	Cessna 140A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Standard	2023-01-18	Valid
N2903N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2023-01-17	Valid
N23792	Stinson HW75	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Maine	Standard	2023-01-14	Valid
N93389	Ercoupe 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oklahoma	Standard	2023-01-12	Valid
N415LL	Ercoupe 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Standard	2023-01-11	Valid
N4399H	Piper PA-15	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Pennsylvania	Standard	2023-01-11	Valid
N33438	Piper J3F-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	2023-01-10	Valid
N77197	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Georgia	Standard	2023-01-08	Valid
N80782	Universal GLOBE GC-1A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Minnesota	Standard	2023-01-07	Valid
N98729	Piper J3C-65S	Fixed-wing, single engine	Aviation Consultants INC Newton, New Jersey	Standard	2023-01-07	Valid
N2905N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner South Carolina	Standard	2023-01-06	Valid
N82653	Aeronca 7DC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Riggin Flight Service INC Madison, South Dakota	Standard	2023-01-06	Valid
N86175	Aeronca 11AC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Minnesota	Standard	2023-01-06	Valid
N44520	Culver V	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oklahoma	Standard	2023-01-05	Valid
N76278	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Washington	Standard	2023-01-05	Valid
N212KC	Carpenter Kenneth B WOODY PUSHER 284	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Louisiana	Experimental	2023-01-04	Valid
N2628K	Luscombe 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner South Carolina	Standard	2023-01-03	Valid
N2471H	Engineering & Research ERCOUPE 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Arizona	Standard	2023-01-02	Valid
N89952	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	2023-01-02	Valid
N93439	Ercoupe 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Illinois	Standard	2023-01-02	Valid
N1418B	Luscombe 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	2022-12-31	Valid
N98473	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oklahoma	Standard	2022-12-31	Valid
N1797E	Champion 7AC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Standard	2022-12-30	Valid
N72485	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oklahoma	Standard	2022-12-30	Valid
N83542	Aeronca 7BCM	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Louisiana	Standard	2022-12-30	Valid
N140TG	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2022-12-28	Valid
N2350N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner South Carolina	Standard	2022-12-28	Valid
N1816K	Luscombe 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	2022-12-27	Valid
N3018N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner South Carolina	Standard	2022-12-24	Valid
N2085H	Ercoupe 415-E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Tennessee	Standard	2022-12-22	Valid
N76074	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2022-12-22	Valid
N81134	Funk B85C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Virginia	Standard	2022-12-21	Valid
N2237N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Standard	2022-12-20	Valid
N81507	Aeronca 7AC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New York	Standard	2022-12-19	Valid
N76893	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Kansas	Standard	2022-12-17	Valid
N4528M	Piper PA-11	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Montana	Standard	2022-12-16	Valid
N98DT	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Stubby Wings LLC Eden Prairie, Minnesota	Standard	2022-12-16	Valid
N30348	Piper J4A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Standard	2022-12-14	Valid
N2671N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Pennsylvania	Standard	2022-12-12	Valid
N92833	Commonwealth REARWIN 185	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Virginia	Standard	2022-12-12	Valid
N3008N	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2022-12-10	Valid
N90004	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2022-12-10	Valid
N169PR	Rutledge Paul J J-3 CUBY	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Minnesota	Experimental	2022-12-03	Valid
N81920	Aeronca 7BCM	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner North Carolina	Standard	2022-12-03	Valid
N120Y	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Colorado	Standard	2022-12-01	Valid
N9486A	Cessna 140A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wisconsin	Standard	2022-12-01	Valid
N3428H	Ercoupe 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Arizona	Standard	2022-11-30	Valid
N54677	Piper J5A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New York	Standard	2022-11-30	Valid
N93427	Ercoupe 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New York	Standard	2022-11-29	Valid
N2040M	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner North Carolina	Standard	2022-11-25	Valid

Source: FAA Civil Aviation Registry, Releasable Aircraft Database (the engine reference table and each aircraft's engine code), October 7, 2026. Horsepower and thrust are the FAA's figures for the series, not for a particular aircraft.