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
N6059V	Champion 7BCM	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Illinois	Standard	2022-11-25	Valid
N76189	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Iowa	Standard	2022-11-25	Valid
N72904	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2022-11-24	Valid
N87721	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Louisiana	Standard	2022-11-24	Valid
N94807	Ercoupe 415-E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Flying Wrenches Buhl, Idaho	Standard	2022-11-24	Valid
N2864H	Ercoupe 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Ohio	Standard	2022-11-18	Valid
N2231H	Engineering & Research 415-D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wisconsin	Standard	2022-11-17	Valid
N72651	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Mx7 LLC Hudson, Ohio	Standard	2022-11-17	Valid
N76324	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wisconsin	Standard	2022-11-12	Valid
N1533B	Luscombe 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Iowa	Standard	2022-11-11	Valid
N2607H	Engineering & Research ERCOUPE 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Georgia	Standard	2022-11-11	Valid
N30879	Piper J5A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2022-11-11	Valid
N869AB	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oklahoma	Standard	2022-11-11	Valid
N2925H	Ercoupe 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2022-11-10	Valid
N83277	Aeronca 7AC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oregon	Standard	2022-11-09	Valid
N2873N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alabama	Standard	2022-11-07	Valid
N87710	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Spencer Farm Service INC Taylorsville, Kentucky	Standard	2022-11-05	Valid
N90175	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2022-11-05	Valid
N81044	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Air Transport INC Las Vegas, Nevada	Standard	2022-11-03	Valid
N1189E	Aeronca 7BCM	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Kansas	Standard	2022-11-02	Valid
N1605N	Funk B85C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2022-11-02	Valid
N1947V	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2022-11-01	Valid
N2278N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Missouri	Standard	2022-11-01	Valid
N70527	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Hawthorn Transportation LLC North Sioux City, South Dakota	Standard	2022-11-01	Valid
N94856	Engineering & Research ERCOUPE 415-E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2022-10-31	Valid
N77219	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2022-10-29	Valid
N87954	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2022-10-26	Valid
N89019	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner North Carolina	Standard	2022-10-26	Valid
N419GB	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Standard	2022-10-19	Valid
N140MT	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2022-10-18	Valid
N2374V	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2022-10-18	Valid
N89213	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2022-10-18	Valid
N99158	Erco 415-D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	2022-10-18	Valid
N104GM	Miller George A WAGABOND	Fixed-wing, single engine	Withheld at owner's request	Experimental	2022-10-17	Valid
N4381	Merchant Jerry SPORT TRAINER	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oklahoma	Experimental	2022-10-15	Valid
N813AX	Aeronca 11AC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	2022-10-15	Valid
N55XJ	Jones Jay D CASSUTT M 11	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Special flight permit	2022-10-14	Valid
N72659	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Kansas	Standard	2022-10-08	Valid
N2523E	Aeronca 7BCM	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Colorado	Standard	2022-10-06	Valid
N72712	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Georgia	Standard	2022-10-05	Valid
N2875N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Louisiana	Standard	2022-10-04	Valid
N4462E	Aeronca 7DC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	2022-10-03	Valid
N2005H	Erco 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oklahoma	Standard	2022-10-01	Valid
N49015	Aeronca 0-58B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	2022-09-28	Valid
N78775	Piper PA-11	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New York	Standard	2022-09-27	Valid
N1819V	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Sparebanc LLC Appleton, Minnesota	Standard	2022-09-24	Valid
N89328	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wisconsin	Standard	2022-09-23	Valid
N92904	Commonwealth 185	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Oklahoma	Standard	2022-09-23	Valid
N24BW	Taylorcraft BC12D-4-85	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2022-09-22	Valid
N94964	Taylorcraft Aviation Corp 19	Fixed-wing, single engine	Underwood Andrew R Soldotna, Alaska	Standard	2022-09-22	Valid
N1805K	Luscombe 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2022-09-21	Valid
N6604N	Taylorcraft BC12D-85	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Washington	Standard	2022-09-09	Valid
N2001H	Engineering & Research ERCOUPE 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oregon	Standard	2022-09-08	Valid
N72339	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	2022-09-08	Valid
N94096	Ercoupe 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner South Carolina	Standard	2022-09-07	Valid
N72726	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2022-09-06	Valid
N89938	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Idaho	Standard	2022-09-06	Valid
N1347B	Luscombe 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2022-09-02	Valid
N3496K	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Indiana	Standard	2022-09-01	Valid
N2340N	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2022-08-31	Valid
N44068	Taylorcraft BC12D-85	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	2022-08-31	Valid
N4667M	Piper PA-11	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Alaska	Standard	2022-08-31	Valid
N76427	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	2022-08-30	Valid
N1671V	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Ohio	Standard	2022-08-26	Valid
N1302B	Luscombe 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Sns Flyers LLC Salinas, California	Standard	2022-08-25	Valid
N76437	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Buck Fifty LLC Freeport, Illinois	Standard	2022-08-23	Valid
N90122	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Virginia	Standard	2022-08-23	Valid
N94907	Taylorcraft BC12-D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2022-08-19	Valid
N21881	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Nevada	Standard	2022-08-18	Valid
N89936	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2022-08-18	Valid
N72926	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2022-08-17	Valid
N415TB	Ercoupe 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2022-08-13	Valid
N6286C	Aeronca 7BCM	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Delaware	Standard	2022-08-12	Valid
N70817	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wisconsin	Standard	2022-08-10	Valid
N72296	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Utah	Standard	2022-08-10	Valid
N73016	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2022-08-10	Valid
N76546	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2022-08-10	Valid
N2207V	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wisconsin	Standard	2022-08-09	Valid
N8518Q	Seifert Vernon EL BUTEO	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Experimental	2022-08-09	Valid
N3082N	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2022-08-06	Valid
N3779V	Cessna 140A	Fixed-wing, single engine	212 Investments of Montana LLC Owasso, Oklahoma	Standard	2022-08-06	Valid
N6103H	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2022-08-06	Valid
N4078N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2022-08-05	Valid
N4276N	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2022-08-05	Valid
N93530	Ercoupe 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	2022-08-05	Valid
N2869N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner North Carolina	Standard	2022-08-04	Valid
N71116	Luscombe 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alabama	Standard	2022-08-03	Valid
N72307	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Dreamco Design LLC Elgin, Illinois	Standard	2022-08-03	Valid
N415JC	Ercoupe 415-D	Fixed-wing, single engine	1St Resources Unltd INC Houston, Texas	Standard	2022-08-01	Valid
N89402	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	2022-07-26	Valid
N9093C	Aeronca 7BCM	Fixed-wing, single engine	Gofly LLC Salem, New Hampshire	Standard	2022-07-19	Valid
N94804	Ercoupe 415-E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Plane Fun INC Tr Trustee Snellville, Georgia	Standard	2022-07-19	Valid
N99494	Engineering & Research ERCOUPE 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Eaa Chapter 1590 INC Morrilton, Arkansas	Standard	2022-07-19	Valid
N89695	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	2022-07-18	Valid
N47007	Tanner ORIGINAL DESIGN	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Experimental	2022-07-16	Valid
N671JW	Walsh John L BABY ACE MODEL D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Experimental	2022-07-15	Valid
N85705	Aeronca 7BCM	Fixed-wing, single engine	J Bird Air Service LLC Cheyenne, Wyoming	Multiple	2022-07-12	Valid
N76148	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Chase 13 LLC Wilmington, Delaware	Standard	2022-07-11	Valid
N93871	Engineering & Research 415-D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Arkansas	Standard	2022-07-11	Valid
N77304	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Nevada	Standard	2022-07-09	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.