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
N93975	Engineering & Research ERCOUPE 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Alki Investments LLC Texarkana, Texas	Standard	2021-04-16	Valid
N1826N	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2021-04-14	Valid
N89343	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Kansas	Standard	2021-04-14	Valid
N451L	Mustang BM-1	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Illinois	Experimental	2021-04-13	Valid
N76380	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Minnesota	Standard	2021-04-12	Valid
N1844N	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Indiana	Standard	2021-04-09	Valid
N89550	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2021-04-08	Valid
N2395N	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Kansas	Standard	2021-04-05	Valid
N95296	Taylorcraft BC12-D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New Jersey	Standard	2021-04-05	Valid
N2307K	Silvaire LUSCOMBE 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Colorado	Standard	2021-04-02	Valid
N85130	Aeronca 7DC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New Jersey	Standard	2021-04-02	Valid
N9741V	Rush Virgil WOODY PUSHER	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner North Carolina	Experimental	2021-04-02	Valid
N72261	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Arkansas	Standard	2021-04-01	Valid
N72733	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2021-04-01	Valid
N72744	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Kansas	Standard	2021-04-01	Valid
N77041	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Withheld at owner's request	Standard	2021-04-01	Valid
N76750	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Delaware	Standard	2021-03-31	Valid
N42679	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Georgia	Standard	2021-03-19	Valid
N9485K	Ercoupe G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner South Carolina	Standard	2021-03-19	Valid
N9599D	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Aircraft Restoration LLC Valparaiso, Indiana	Standard	2021-03-19	Valid
N32989	Piper J5A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Louisiana	Standard	2021-03-17	Valid
N1688K	Luscombe 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner North Carolina	Standard	2021-03-16	Valid
N2283Z	Norton-Gary FLY BABY 1A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Experimental	2021-03-16	Valid
N2503K	Luscombe 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Kansas	Standard	2021-03-16	Valid
N97495	Aeronca 7AC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Virginia	Standard	2021-03-16	Valid
N120L	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oregon	Standard	2021-03-13	Valid
N4104E	Aeronca 11CC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Connecticut	Standard	2021-03-13	Valid
N3363H	Ercoupe 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oklahoma	Standard	2021-03-11	Valid
N2789K	Luscombe 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oklahoma	Standard	2021-03-08	Valid
N7291B	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New Jersey	Standard	2021-03-08	Valid
N89742	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	2021-03-03	Valid
N1741K	Luscombe 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Simply Living LLC Fort Myers, Florida	Standard	2021-03-02	Valid
N94403	Ercoupe G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Virginia	Standard	2021-03-02	Valid
N4142E	Aeronca 11CC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Bulldog Aviation LLC Ely, Minnesota	Standard	2021-02-26	Valid
N6841H	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	2021-02-23	Valid
N32476	Culver LCA	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2021-02-20	Valid
N72164	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2021-02-20	Valid
N9602A	Cessna 140A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2021-02-20	Valid
N99339	Engineering & Research ERCOUPE 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	2021-02-20	Valid
N94889	Ercoupe G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2021-02-11	Valid
N81409	Aeronca 11AC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Maine	Standard	2021-02-09	Valid
N84913	Aeronca 7BCM	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Standard	2021-02-09	Valid
N92418	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Texas	Standard	2021-02-09	Valid
N77447	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2021-02-08	Valid
N94129	Ercoupe 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2021-02-05	Valid
N94806	Ercoupe E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Virginia	Standard	2021-02-05	Valid
N99309	Ercoupe 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Wisconsin	Standard	2021-02-05	Valid
N77093	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Standard	2021-02-04	Valid
N2026V	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Arizona	Standard	2021-02-03	Valid
N2078S	Ercoupe 415-D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Montana	Standard	2021-02-03	Valid
N3056N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Mississippi	Standard	2021-02-03	Valid
N37412	Interstate S-1A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Alamo Liaison Group INC San Antonio, Texas	Standard	2021-02-03	Valid
N89993	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	2021-02-03	Valid
N1988B	Luscombe 8A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner North Carolina	Standard	2021-02-02	Valid
N2035A	Aeronca 7BCM	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Vermont	Standard	2021-01-26	Valid
N3452H	Ercoupe 415-CD	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oregon	Standard	2021-01-26	Valid
N4021N	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2021-01-25	Valid
N76520	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2021-01-25	Valid
N72155	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	2021-01-23	Valid
N76887	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Victor Whiskey Aviation LLC Spring Branch, Texas	Standard	2021-01-23	Valid
N77701	Mcclish FUNK B85C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner New York	Standard	2021-01-23	Valid
N4307H	Piper PA-15	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner California	Standard	2021-01-20	Valid
N3148N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Goerger Allan e Barney, North Dakota	Standard	2021-01-19	Valid
N99739	Ercoupe 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2021-01-19	Valid
N120MZ	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2021-01-16	Valid
N67983	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2021-01-16	Valid
N80570	Universal GLOBE GC-1A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Arizona	Standard	2021-01-15	Valid
N76212	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Marburg Loren C Indianapolis, Indiana	Standard	2021-01-13	Valid
N777EG	Aeronca 7BCM	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Massachusetts	Standard	2021-01-13	Valid
N123MS	Sparks Manuel AIRCAMPER	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Experimental	2021-01-12	Valid
N93683	Ercoupe 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2021-01-11	Valid
N89205	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2021-01-09	Valid
N41458	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2021-01-08	Valid
N76286	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wisconsin	Standard	2021-01-07	Valid
N99657	Ercoupe 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2021-01-06	Valid
N2133M	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2021-01-05	Valid
N89925	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Dirigo Aerospace Solutions LLC Sumner, Maine	Standard	2021-01-05	Valid
N3989B	Piper L-4J	Fixed-wing, single engine	Egmond Aircraft LLC Lewes, Delaware	Standard	2020-12-29	Valid
N4139N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Connecticut Valley Aviation East Longmeadow, Massachusetts	Standard	2020-12-29	Valid
N181H	Oldfield BABY GREAT LAKES	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Georgia	Experimental	2020-12-19	Valid
N726HB	Luscombe 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	2020-12-16	Valid
N76771	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Somd Seaplanes LLC Lexington Park, Maryland	Standard	2020-12-14	Valid
N1337B	Luscombe 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Louisiana	Standard	2020-12-11	Valid
N72685	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2020-12-11	Valid
N94894	Ercoupe G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	2020-12-09	Valid
N575DW	Luscombe 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Eastern Stearman INC Trustee Leesburg, Virginia	Standard	2020-12-07	Valid
N76075	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2020-12-07	Valid
N89683	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Georgia	Standard	2020-12-02	Valid
N90155	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	2020-12-01	Valid
N76798	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2020-11-30	Valid
N31160	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Caliber Air LLC Wasilla, Alaska	Standard	2020-11-18	Valid
N72728	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Pennsylvania	Standard	2020-11-18	Valid
N81033	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Montana	Standard	2020-11-18	Valid
N3443H	Engineering & Research 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Massachusetts	Standard	2020-11-17	Valid
N59Z	Aeronca 7BCM	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Oklahoma	Standard	2020-11-17	Valid
N333WB	Aeronca 7AC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Arkansas	Standard	2020-11-14	Valid
N99246	Ercoupe 415-D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Indiana	Standard	2020-11-10	Valid
N2811N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Indiana	Standard	2020-11-09	Valid
N4613E	Aeronca 11CC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Minnesota	Standard	2020-11-09	Valid
N5602M	Taylorcraft BC12D-85	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Alaska	Standard	2020-11-07	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.