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
N82845	Aeronca 7BCM	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Massachusetts	Standard	2019-12-19	Valid
N99618	Ercoupe 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2019-12-17	Valid
N1114B	Luscombe 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2019-12-16	Valid
N3003H	Engineering & Research 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Anderas Per R Green Bay, Wisconsin	Standard	2019-12-16	Valid
N4509M	Piper PA-11	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2019-12-13	Valid
N45532	Luscombe 8A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2019-12-12	Valid
N1088E	Aeronca 7CCM	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New York	Standard	2019-12-10	Valid
N3550H	Ercoupe 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2019-12-06	Valid
N87426	Engineering & Research ERCOUPE 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Safety-Net LLC Salem, Indiana	Standard	2019-12-06	Valid
N82699	Champion 7DC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Minnesota	Standard	2019-12-05	Valid
N3NH	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New Hampshire	Standard	2019-12-04	Valid
N38837	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner North Dakota	Multiple	2019-12-02	Valid
N70277	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	2019-12-02	Valid
N2821N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oregon	Standard	2019-11-26	Valid
N3634N	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Round Engine Aero Nashville, Michigan	Standard	2019-11-26	Valid
N1902K	Luscombe 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2019-11-22	Valid
N92915	Commonwealth 185	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oklahoma	Standard	2019-11-20	Valid
N71138	Silvaire LUSCOMBE 8A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Colorado	Standard	2019-11-19	Valid
N76406	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oklahoma	Standard	2019-11-18	Valid
N89883	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Illinois	Standard	2019-11-18	Valid
N92230	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Ohio	Standard	2019-11-18	Valid
N3414K	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Kansas	Standard	2019-11-15	Valid
N6618H	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2019-11-13	Valid
N89954	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Aviation Consulting Management Enterprises LLC Bryant, Arkansas	Standard	2019-11-13	Valid
N3581N	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Kentucky	Standard	2019-11-12	Valid
N43264	Taylorcraft BC12-D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Oregon	Standard	2019-11-12	Valid
N72610	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Standard	2019-11-12	Valid
N4028N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Kansas	Standard	2019-11-08	Valid
N2508B	Aeronca 7BCM	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Kentucky	Standard	2019-11-06	Valid
N2202D	Dart SPECIAL	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner New York	Experimental	2019-11-05	Valid
N7468	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wyoming	Standard	2019-11-05	Valid
N115JF	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2019-10-30	Valid
N1974V	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wyoming	Standard	2019-10-29	Valid
N1853V	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Mid Michigan Aviation LLC Owosso, Michigan	Standard	2019-10-28	Valid
N187DC	Childs DLC1	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Experimental	2019-10-23	Valid
N9804E	Aeronca 11AC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2019-10-23	Valid
N72458	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Guritz John G Dunlap, California	Standard	2019-10-16	Valid
N40605	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New York	Standard	2019-10-07	Valid
N3593E	Aeronca 7BCM	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner North Carolina	Standard	2019-10-04	Valid
N89211	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Maryland	Standard	2019-10-04	Valid
N88485	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Missouri	Standard	2019-10-02	Valid
N488BB	Bower Bruce C GN-1 PIENTENPOL	Fixed-wing, single engine	J&J Aero Chuckey, Tennessee	Experimental	2019-09-30	Valid
N84418	Aeronca 7DC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New York	Standard	2019-09-27	Valid
N3684K	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Restricted	2019-09-25	Valid
N94667	Ercoupe 415-CD	Fixed-wing, single engine	Alee-Jay Enterprises INC Topeka, Kansas	Standard	2019-09-25	Valid
N2198N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Standard	2019-09-24	Valid
N220JK	Aeronca 7BCM	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Nevada	Standard	2019-09-24	Valid
N3967B	Piper J-3	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Colorado	Experimental	2019-09-24	Valid
N99089	Engineering & Research 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	2019-09-23	Valid
N77742	Funk B85C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2019-09-19	Valid
N72848	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Colorado	Standard	2019-09-13	Valid
N33029	Piper J5A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oregon	Standard	2019-09-11	Valid
N4383H	Piper PA-15	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2019-09-11	Valid
N92901	Commonwealth 185	Fixed-wing, single engine	Learn Build Fly INC Wausau, Wisconsin	Standard	2019-09-11	Valid
N7063H	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	N7063H INC Miami, Florida	Standard	2019-09-09	Valid
N5069M	Taylorcraft BC12-D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2019-09-06	Valid
N2632N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Arizona	Standard	2019-09-03	Valid
N2084V	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Illinois	Standard	2019-08-26	Valid
N3673K	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Spring City Aviation INC Waukesha, Wisconsin	Standard	2019-08-26	Valid
N77724	Funk B85C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner New York	Standard	2019-08-26	Valid
N6093C	Aeronca 7BCM	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wisconsin	Standard	2019-08-22	Valid
N514G	Guthrie Denver L BABY ACE	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner North Carolina	Experimental	2019-08-21	Valid
N77453	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2019-08-19	Valid
N24840	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Hubbard Aviation LLC Boswell, Oklahoma	Standard	2019-08-16	Valid
N2273V	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner District of Columbia	Standard	2019-08-14	Valid
N85817	Aeronca 11BC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New York	Standard	2019-08-14	Valid
N5830M	Ercoupe 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Kansas	Standard	2019-08-12	Valid
N76677	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2019-08-09	Valid
N4245N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2019-08-08	Valid
N5366U	Anderson Louis ANDERSON	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Experimental	2019-08-07	Valid
N89581	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Kentucky	Standard	2019-08-07	Valid
N93938	Engineering & Research ERCOUPE 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2019-08-02	Valid
N3524V	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2019-08-01	Valid
N70615	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Pennsylvania	Standard	2019-08-01	Valid
N150R	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Virginia	Standard	2019-07-30	Valid
N27943	Piper J5A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2019-07-30	Valid
N3224H	Ercoupe 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Missouri	Standard	2019-07-30	Valid
N9913H	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Pennsylvania	Standard	2019-07-30	Valid
N3648V	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Massachusetts	Standard	2019-07-29	Valid
N1133E	Aeronca 7DC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wisconsin	Standard	2019-07-26	Valid
N27DF	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2019-07-25	Valid
N4702	Piel Emeraude 301 WH	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Vermont	Experimental	2019-07-24	Valid
N76MW	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2019-07-22	Valid
N476	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Maryland	Standard	2019-07-18	Valid
N3900E	Aeronca 11BC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wisconsin	Standard	2019-07-16	Valid
N76415	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2019-07-16	Valid
N41889	Ercoupe 415-D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Tennessee	Standard	2019-07-11	Valid
N4300N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2019-07-09	Valid
N813XC	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	2019-07-09	Valid
N66580	Aeronca 7BCM	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2019-07-08	Valid
N87416	Ercoupe 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2019-07-03	Valid
N99122	Engineering & Research 415-G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	2019-07-03	Valid
N76708	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Standard	2019-07-01	Valid
N76122	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Norbury Investments LLC Boonville, Missouri	Standard	2019-06-28	Valid
N4659S	Mcneal Ranchaero HR	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Florida	Experimental	2019-06-27	Valid
N76256	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Groeneveld John Maryland Heights, Missouri	Standard	2019-06-27	Valid
N71681	Champion 7AC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New York	Standard	2019-06-26	Valid
N2672K	Luscombe 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner South Dakota	Standard	2019-06-25	Valid
N30508	Piper J5A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	2019-06-21	Valid
N4045E	Aeronca 11BC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner New York	Standard	2019-06-20	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.