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

Model families, as a table

	aircraft
Cessna 140	1,253
Cessna 120	602
Piper J-3 Cub	519
Aeronca 7 Champion (Champ)	360
Luscombe 8 Silvaire	321
Ercoupe 415	267
Aeronca 11 Chief	136
Engineering & Research ERCOUPE 415	111
Piper PA-11 Cub Special	68
Engineering & Research 415	68
Taylorcraft BC12 BC-12D	60
Commonwealth 185	57

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

By state, as a table

	aircraft
Texas	401
California	397
Florida	267
Washington	191
Alaska	185
Wisconsin	167
Minnesota	162
Ohio	152
Michigan	149
Illinois	139

Kind of aircraft

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

By kind, as a table

	aircraft	share
Piston singles	4,669	100%
Piston twins	1	0.0%
Helicopters	1	0.0%

When the aircraft were built by decade

By decade built, as a table

	aircraft
1930	37
1940	3,453
1950	83
1960	43
1970	65
1980	46
1990	36
2000	22
2010	7
2020	2

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

Failure reports by year, as a table

	reports
95	1
01	1
02	1
03	1
05	1
07	2
08	1
13	2
22	2

Parts most often reported as the reports name them

Spar2Throttle Cable2Bearing1Control Unit1Downlock Switch1Elt1Exhaust Valve1Guide1Propeller1Rib1

Parts most reported, as a table

	reports
Spar	2
Throttle Cable	2
Bearing	1
Control Unit	1
Downlock Switch	1
Elt	1
Exhaust Valve	1
Guide	1
Propeller	1
Rib	1

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
N30773	Piper J5A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Nc30773 LLC Fishers, Indiana	Standard	2016-07-14	Valid
N85582	Aeronca 7AC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Missouri	Standard	2016-07-14	Valid
N90682	Commonwealth 185	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	2016-07-14	Valid
N89788	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Standard	2016-07-13	Valid
N23240	Piper J3C-85	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2016-07-12	Valid
N2500H	Ercoupe 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner North Carolina	Standard	2016-07-11	Valid
N67059	Commonwealth 185	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2016-07-11	Valid
N94407	Ercoupe 415-G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Missouri	Standard	2016-07-01	Valid
N32815	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Explore Aviation LLC Selah, Washington	Standard	2016-06-24	Valid
N77403	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Indiana	Standard	2016-06-24	Valid
N5555P	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Tennessee	Multiple	2016-06-22	Valid
N3410K	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Pennsylvania	None on file	2016-06-09	Valid
N2401K	Luscombe 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2016-06-06	Valid
N4578M	Piper PA-11	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Texas	Multiple	2016-06-06	Valid
N4061E	Aeronca 11BC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Pennsylvania	Standard	2016-06-03	Valid
N1862K	Luscombe 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner California	Standard	2016-06-01	Valid
N74V	Forney E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Kansas	Standard	2016-06-01	Valid
N3087H	Ercoupe 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Maine	Standard	2016-05-31	Valid
N72680	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	2016-05-19	Valid
N45463	Luscombe 8A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oregon	Standard	2016-05-13	Valid
N98180	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2016-05-02	Valid
N2318V	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Colorado	Standard	2016-04-29	Valid
N4279M	Bishop Marvin L SA 6B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Vermont	Experimental	2016-04-22	Valid
N917N	Dennis BREEZY RUL-1	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Louisiana	Experimental	2016-04-19	Valid
N2442K	Luscombe 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Spirit Aviation N231Az LLC Austin, Texas	Standard	2016-04-12	Valid
N92971	Commonwealth 185	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Montana	Standard	2016-04-12	Valid
N1677K	Luscombe 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner South Dakota	Standard	2016-04-07	Valid
N89715	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2016-04-07	Valid
N70604	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2016-04-01	Valid
N2327N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Texas	Standard	2016-03-19	Valid
N614KA	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner South Carolina	Standard	2016-03-18	Valid
N40795	Piper J5A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Greycat Aviation LLC Chesapeake, Virginia	Standard	2016-03-17	Valid
N76219	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Virginia	Standard	2016-03-17	Valid
N3040N	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Jenison Timothy P Shavano Park, Texas	Standard	2016-03-16	Valid
N7856C	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2016-03-07	Valid
N2379N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Georgia	Standard	2016-03-04	Valid
N24759	Piper J3C-85	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner South Dakota	Standard	2016-03-02	Valid
N1988V	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2016-02-29	Valid
N2139V	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2016-02-29	Valid
N2347H	Ercoupe 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Arkansas	Standard	2016-02-29	Valid
N81198	Funk B85C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Wisconsin	Standard	2016-02-26	Valid
N10866	Erickson JEE-TWO JE-2	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Iowa	Experimental	2016-02-08	Valid
N76121	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2016-02-08	Valid
N90SQ	Mol William D WOLF W-II BOREDOM	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2016-02-05	Valid
N77463	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2016-02-04	Valid
N81135	Mcclish FUNK B85C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2016-01-27	Valid
N2554N	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2016-01-25	Valid
N72393	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wisconsin	Standard	2016-01-25	Valid
N81186	Funk B85C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Iowa	Standard	2016-01-22	Valid
N33427	Piper J4A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Minnesota	Standard	2016-01-20	Valid
N89844	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2016-01-19	Valid
N42663	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Texas	Standard	2016-01-12	Valid
N24380	Taylorcraft BC-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Maryland	Standard	2016-01-05	Valid
N72966	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Louisiana	Standard	2015-12-31	Valid
N84837	Aeronca 7AC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Connecticut	Standard	2015-12-19	Valid
N89569	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2015-12-19	Valid
N94805	Ercoupe 415-E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2015-12-19	Valid
N72162	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Standard	2015-12-18	Valid
N3570K	Piper J-3	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Washington	Standard	2015-12-12	Valid
N4293N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Springfield Flying Service LLC Columbia, California	Standard	2015-12-12	Valid
N77942	Luscombe 8A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner California	Standard	2015-12-11	Valid
N98118	Piper J-3C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Tamarack Air Services LLC Stevensville, Montana	Standard	2015-12-10	Valid
N2288N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Illinois	Standard	2015-12-08	Valid
N40895	Piper J5A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner North Carolina	Standard	2015-12-07	Valid
N34846	Rearwin 175	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	2015-12-05	Valid
N41004	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Arizona	Standard	2015-12-05	Valid
N96330	Taylorcraft BC12-D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2015-12-01	Valid
N2066V	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alabama	Standard	2015-11-30	Valid
N3039H	Ercoupe 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Missouri	Standard	2015-11-30	Valid
N92923	Commonwealth REARWIN 185	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New York	Standard	2015-11-25	Valid
N37232	Interstate S-1A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Nebraska	Standard	2015-11-23	Valid
N6542D	Bowers Fly Baby 1V	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Missouri	Experimental	2015-11-23	Valid
N89471	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Idaho	Standard	2015-11-17	Valid
N94798	Ercoupe E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Arkansas	Standard	2015-11-17	Valid
N81600	Aeronca 7AC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner North Carolina	Standard	2015-11-16	Valid
N72591	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Colorado	Standard	2015-11-04	Valid
N99049	Ercoupe 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Idaho	Standard	2015-11-04	Valid
N1026E	Aeronca 7DC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oregon	Standard	2015-11-03	Valid
N76180	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wisconsin	Standard	2015-11-02	Valid
N2618N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Tennessee	Standard	2015-10-22	Valid
N72548	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Missouri	Standard	2015-10-22	Valid
N5575V	Peer JUNIOR ACE "E"	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Texas	Experimental	2015-10-19	Valid
N2052E	Aeronca 7DC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Maine	Standard	2015-10-15	Valid
N210BM	Mattes Michael A W A S 2	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Georgia	Experimental	2015-10-13	Valid
N7431H	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Maryland	Standard	2015-10-09	Valid
N2907N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2015-10-08	Valid
N90341	Globe GC-1B	Fixed-wing, single engine	Chileprop LLC Mimbres, New Mexico	Standard	2015-10-07	Valid
N2970H	Ercoupe 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Indiana	Standard	2015-10-06	Valid
N87888	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner South Dakota	Standard	2015-10-01	Valid
N2335N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oregon	Standard	2015-09-28	Valid
N72245	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2015-09-28	Valid
N57891	Piper J5A	Fixed-wing, single engine	East Hampton Air LLC Wainscott, New York	Standard	2015-09-23	Valid
N76282	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2015-09-17	Valid
N3085N	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner South Carolina	Standard	2015-09-16	Valid
N87713	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wyoming	Standard	2015-09-10	Valid
N3041H	Ercoupe 415-CD	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner South Carolina	Standard	2015-09-09	Valid
N94315	Ercoupe 415-D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Tennessee	Standard	2015-09-09	Valid
N2335H	Ercoupe 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Minnesota	Standard	2015-09-08	Valid
N4139E	Aeronca 11CC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Colorado	Standard	2015-08-31	Valid
N76391	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2015-08-31	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.