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
N98300	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2014-03-18	Valid
N72202	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2014-03-17	Valid
N82312	Aeronca 7AC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Minnesota	Standard	2014-03-14	Valid
N73037	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Minnesota	Standard	2014-03-13	Valid
N33BH	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Mississippi	Standard	2014-03-06	Valid
N1939V	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2014-03-03	Valid
N13XP	Cummings John/Pamela MCHOLLAND XPA-11	Fixed-wing, single engine	On and Clear LLC Gillette, Wyoming	Experimental	2014-02-28	Valid
N72526	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner South Carolina	Standard	2014-02-27	Valid
N2628N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Illinois	Standard	2014-02-25	Valid
N9580	Jones Ronald L MAGIC CUB	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New York	Experimental	2014-02-25	Valid
N4525E	Aeronca 11CC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	2014-02-20	Valid
N4579M	Piper PA-11	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oregon	Standard	2014-02-19	Valid
N72394	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2014-02-19	Valid
N90LL	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Oklahoma	Standard	2014-02-19	Valid
N72344	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	2014-02-18	Valid
N72514	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	2014-02-14	Valid
N99CM	Roehrig PIETENPOL	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Pennsylvania	Experimental	2014-02-13	Valid
N37296	Interstate S-1A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Arizona	Standard	2014-02-12	Valid
N68593	Aeronca 7BCM	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2014-02-11	Valid
N3678V	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Pennsylvania	Standard	2014-02-03	Valid
N31207	Commonwealth 185	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	2014-01-29	Valid
N77244	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Maryland	Standard	2014-01-28	Valid
N3614	Rees BREEZY	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Experimental	2014-01-27	Valid
N1604V	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Colorado	Standard	2014-01-24	Valid
N66581	Aeronca 7BCM	Fixed-wing, single engine	Big Bend Soaring INC Port Orange, Florida	Standard	2014-01-23	Valid
N72812	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2014-01-23	Valid
N3989H	Engineering & Research 415-CD	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Arizona	Standard	2014-01-22	Valid
N66332	Piper L-4J	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2014-01-21	Valid
N70238	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2014-01-14	Valid
N90689	Commonwealth 185	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2014-01-14	Valid
N51828	Luscombe 8A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Colorado	Standard	2014-01-08	Valid
N77441	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2013-12-31	Valid
N93593	Engineering & Research ERCOUPE 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2013-12-31	Valid
N93734	Engineering & Research ERCOUPE 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Kansas	Standard	2013-12-30	Valid
N81066	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Arizona	Standard	2013-12-27	Valid
N76634	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Iowa	Standard	2013-12-23	Valid
N88363	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2013-12-23	Valid
N464SA	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Texas	Standard	2013-12-19	Valid
N1962V	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2013-12-16	Valid
N2408K	Silvaire LUSCOMBE 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New Mexico	Standard	2013-12-04	Valid
N433A	Ercoupe 415-CD	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2013-12-03	Valid
N89882	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Plane Fun INC Tr Trustee Snellville, Georgia	Standard	2013-12-03	Valid
N312KC	Redl E A PEGAZAIR 100 STOL	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Experimental	2013-11-27	Valid
N76277	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Kansas	None on file	2013-11-26	Valid
N62RH	Aeronca 7BCM	Fixed-wing, single engine	Bianco John R Massapequa, New York	Standard	2013-11-22	Valid
N77566	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2013-11-22	Valid
N53222	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Pacific Valley Aviation INC Arbuckle, California	Standard	2013-11-21	Valid
N85ST	Rouse Steven Travis VARI-EZE	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Experimental	2013-11-20	Valid
N38326	Piper J3F-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Montana	Standard	2013-11-18	Valid
N4271E	Aeronca 11CC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Minnesota	Standard	2013-11-18	Valid
N86991	Engineering & Research ERCOUPE 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner South Carolina	Standard	2013-11-14	Valid
N3112N	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2013-11-13	Valid
N72433	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2013-11-13	Valid
N77486	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wisconsin	Standard	2013-11-13	Valid
N94849	Engineering & Research ERCOUPE 415-E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2013-11-07	Valid
N84795	Aeronca 7AC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wyoming	Standard	2013-11-04	Valid
N30279	Piper J5A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner North Carolina	Standard	2013-10-31	Valid
N72789	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Indiana	Standard	2013-10-30	Valid
N1695V	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Aircraft Guaranty CORP Trustee Oklahoma City, Oklahoma	Standard	2013-10-24	Valid
N415CD	Ercoupe 415-CD	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	2013-10-24	Valid
N77412	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	2013-10-23	Valid
N2913K	Aeronca 7EC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2013-10-22	Valid
N36MC	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Tennessee	Standard	2013-10-22	Valid
N89173	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2013-09-25	Valid
N1807V	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wisconsin	Standard	2013-09-23	Valid
N2569E	Aeronca 7DC-CONV	Fixed-wing, single engine	Classic Aeroplane Club INC Lugoff, South Carolina	Standard	2013-09-16	Valid
N4155N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Indiana	Standard	2013-09-16	Valid
N88411	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Colorado	Standard	2013-09-03	Valid
N9685A	E.A.A. Chapter 240 CUBY SPORT TRAINER	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner New York	Experimental	2013-08-29	Valid
N2837N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wisconsin	Standard	2013-08-28	Valid
N3073N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Minnesota	Standard	2013-08-26	Valid
N72976	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Los Pajaros Flying Club INC El Macero, California	Standard	2013-08-26	Valid
N42926	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner North Carolina	Standard	2013-08-22	Valid
N81927	Aeronca 7DC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Restricted	2013-08-22	Valid
N44404	Taylorcraft BC12D-85	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Alaska	Standard	2013-08-16	Valid
N42994	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Planes of Fame Air Museum Chino, California	Restricted	2013-08-05	Valid
N86361	Aeronca 11AC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2013-08-01	Valid
N1555B	Silvaire LUSCOMBE 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wisconsin	Standard	2013-07-26	Valid
N95987	Taylorcraft BC12-D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2013-07-25	Valid
N3047N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Maryland	Standard	2013-07-15	Valid
N72DS	Ercoupe 415-D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner South Carolina	Standard	2013-07-09	Valid
N87951	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Tennessee	Standard	2013-07-09	Valid
N89385	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Illinois	Standard	2013-07-03	Valid
N30633	Piper J3L-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2013-07-02	Valid
N94841	Ercoupe E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Nebraska	Standard	2013-07-01	Valid
N82909	Aeronca 7AC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Montana	Standard	2013-06-18	Valid
N27599	Taylorcraft BC12-D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Standard	2013-06-11	Valid
N3297E	Aeronca 11AC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2013-06-04	Valid
N82061	Aeronca 7BCM	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2013-06-04	Valid
N856DM	Aeronca/Miller/Delaney 11AC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Nebraska	Experimental	2013-06-04	Valid
N94Q	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Colorado	Standard	2013-06-04	Valid
N92960	Commonwealth 185	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Minnesota	Standard	2013-05-15	Valid
N2520N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New York	Standard	2013-05-14	Valid
N23346	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Atlanta Airmotive INC Franklin, North Carolina	Standard	2013-05-09	Valid
N72441	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Nebraska	Standard	2013-05-09	Valid
N2016V	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	2013-05-07	Valid
N4253E	Aeronca 11CC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Idaho	Standard	2013-05-02	Valid
N832ET	Towe Elbert S BOWERS BI-BABY	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alabama	Experimental	2013-05-01	Valid
N87093	Engineering & Research 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Connecticut	Standard	2013-05-01	Valid
N2597N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2013-04-30	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.