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
N76745	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Minnesota	Standard	2019-01-09	Valid
N3195C	Champion 7BCM	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Nebraska	Standard	2019-01-07	Valid
N747X	Smokovitz FLYBABY	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Experimental	2019-01-03	Valid
N94307	Ercoupe 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wisconsin	Standard	2019-01-03	Valid
N81138	Funk B85C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2018-12-28	Valid
N9423E	Aeronca 11BC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New York	Standard	2018-12-28	Valid
N38880	Piper J4E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wisconsin	Standard	2018-12-26	Valid
N42265	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Colorado	Standard	2018-12-26	Valid
N89123	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Largo Sound Holdings LLC Key Largo, Florida	Standard	2018-12-20	Valid
N2040K	Luscombe 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Indiana	Standard	2018-12-18	Valid
N1959K	Luscombe 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Georgia	Standard	2018-12-15	Valid
N76704	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Oregon	Standard	2018-12-15	Valid
N98399	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Francis James e King City, California	Multiple	2018-12-12	Valid
N26753	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Mississippi	Standard	2018-12-04	Valid
N3246N	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Honeyland INC Wolf Point, Montana	Multiple	2018-12-04	Valid
N77901	Luscombe 8A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2018-12-03	Valid
N96216	Taylorcraft BC12-D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Port Townsend Aero Museum Port Townsend, Washington	Standard	2018-12-03	Valid
N9683A	Cessna 140A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oregon	Standard	2018-12-03	Valid
N89250	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner New Mexico	Standard	2018-12-01	Valid
N73077	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Egmond Aircraft LLC Lewes, Delaware	Standard	2018-11-29	Valid
N34130	Commonwealth REARWIN 185	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2018-11-28	Valid
N72363	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Pathfinder Aero Services LLC Sheridan, Wyoming	Standard	2018-11-28	Valid
N1764K	Luscombe 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2018-11-27	Valid
N76234	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2018-11-21	Valid
N2644K	Luscombe 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Mcginley Corporation INC Port Orange, Florida	Standard	2018-11-17	Valid
N90053	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	2018-11-17	Valid
N4493E	Aeronca 7DC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Fnf Aviation LLC Kalamazoo, Michigan	Standard	2018-11-15	Valid
N4086N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Maryland	Standard	2018-11-14	Valid
N77266	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Wisconsin	Standard	2018-11-06	Valid
N13CQ	Luscombe 8A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Cajun Queen 8A LLC Ormond Beach, Florida	Standard	2018-11-03	Valid
N22GK	Keyser Guyan I VARI-EZE	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Experimental	2018-11-03	Valid
N291AM	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Louisiana	Standard	2018-11-03	Valid
N4332H	Piper PA-15	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wisconsin	Standard	2018-11-03	Valid
N93248	Commonwealth 185	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Pennsylvania	Standard	2018-11-03	Valid
N2553B	Aeronca 7BCM	Fixed-wing, single engine	Adirondack Air LLC Wilmington, Delaware	Standard	2018-11-01	Valid
N76967	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2018-11-01	Valid
N77718	Funk B85C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2018-10-30	Valid
N2528K	Luscombe 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner North Carolina	Standard	2018-10-29	Valid
N357BF	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Kansas	Experimental	2018-10-24	Valid
N2775K	Luscombe 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner California	Standard	2018-10-22	Valid
N1934B	Luscombe 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Indiana	Standard	2018-10-18	Valid
N5146B	Aeronca 7BCM	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Florida	Standard	2018-10-18	Valid
N2439H	Engineering & Research ERCOUPE 415-D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Texas	Standard	2018-10-17	Valid
N4244E	Aeronca 11CC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New York	Standard	2018-10-16	Valid
N1961K	Luscombe 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Texas	Standard	2018-10-12	Valid
N48638	Taylorcraft L-2M	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Illinois	Standard	2018-10-10	Valid
N8322H	Emigh TROJAN A-2	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oregon	Standard	2018-10-10	Valid
N1833K	Luscombe 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner California	Standard	2018-10-04	Valid
N1050K	Luscombe 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Lynden Aeronautical Services LLC Lynden, Washington	Standard	2018-10-03	Valid
N1847K	Luscombe 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New York	Standard	2018-10-02	Valid
N2709N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2018-09-28	Valid
N77708	Mcclish FUNK B85C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Arizona Bravo Lima LLC Phoenix, Arizona	Standard	2018-09-26	Valid
N83HP	Aeronca 7AC-CONV	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Standard	2018-09-25	Valid
N10520	Aeronca 7BCM	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Standard	2018-09-24	Valid
N1512B	Luscombe 8F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2018-09-24	Valid
N1918K	Luscombe 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Illinois	Standard	2018-09-20	Valid
N4003E	Aeronca 11BC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Indiana	Standard	2018-09-18	Valid
N4824M	Piper PA-11	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Iowa	Standard	2018-09-18	Valid
N4214E	Aeronca 11CC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Andrew Louis J JR Milwaukee, Wisconsin	Standard	2018-09-17	Valid
N3479E	Aeronca 7AC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oregon	Standard	2018-09-15	Valid
N2982H	Ercoupe 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Barnstormers Club LLC Cape Coral, Florida	Standard	2018-09-12	Valid
N33387	Commonwealth REARWIN 185	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Illinois	Standard	2018-09-07	Valid
N76844	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2018-09-06	Valid
N2032V	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Georgia	Standard	2018-08-31	Valid
N4526E	Aeronca 7DC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Montana	Standard	2018-08-31	Valid
N76697	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Standard	2018-08-31	Valid
N77732	Mcclish FUNK B85C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Colorado	Standard	2018-08-30	Valid
N25727	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner North Carolina	Standard	2018-08-29	Valid
N6636N	Taylorcraft Aviation Corp 19	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Maine	Standard	2018-08-28	Valid
N72101	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Tango Thirty One Aero Clube INC Mckinney, Texas	Standard	2018-08-28	Valid
N79KR	Aeronca 7AC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Nevada	Standard	2018-08-28	Valid
N3457K	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Indiana	Standard	2018-08-22	Valid
N2993K	Luscombe 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Lee Robert e Medford, Wisconsin	Standard	2018-08-21	Valid
N76336	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Pennsylvania	Standard	2018-08-18	Valid
N76875	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2018-08-18	Valid
N92827	Commonwealth 185	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2018-08-17	Valid
N92920	Commonwealth 185	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2018-08-17	Valid
N9151	Midget Mustang SEL	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Experimental	2018-08-14	Valid
N2675N	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Arizona	Standard	2018-08-13	Valid
N2415K	Luscombe 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Illinois	Standard	2018-08-08	Valid
N2930N	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Utah	Standard	2018-08-07	Valid
N76284	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Maine	Standard	2018-07-26	Valid
N99853	Engineering & Research ERCOUPE 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Aviation Museum of Santa Paula Santa Paula, California	Standard	2018-07-26	Valid
N516AR	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	2018-07-25	Valid
N1976K	Luscombe 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Colorado	Standard	2018-07-20	Valid
N81142	Funk B85C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Michigan	Standard	2018-07-20	Valid
N4133H	Piper PA-15	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wisconsin	Standard	2018-07-17	Valid
N93252	Commonwealth REARWIN 185	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New York	Standard	2018-07-17	Valid
N99463	Ercoupe 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New York	Standard	2018-07-17	Valid
N89728	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wisconsin	Standard	2018-07-16	Valid
N98340	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Das Air INC Wilmington, Delaware	Standard	2018-07-10	Valid
N1978E	Aeronca 7AC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Pritchett Flying Service LLC Rolla, Missouri	Standard	2018-07-09	Valid
N77475	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Kansas	Standard	2018-07-06	Valid
N1143B	Luscombe 8A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner North Carolina	Standard	2018-07-02	Valid
N4816H	Piper PA-17	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Pennsylvania	Standard	2018-06-29	Valid
N90028	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wisconsin	Standard	2018-06-29	Valid
N1653B	Ouzts Rodney J BOWERS FLYBABY	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Experimental	2018-06-26	Valid
N2002N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Plane Fun INC Tr Trustee Snellville, Georgia	Standard	2018-06-20	Valid
N2602H	Engineering & Research 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Georgia	Standard	2018-06-20	Valid
N83317	Aeronca 7AC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2018-06-20	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.