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
N98724	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Minnesota	Standard	2012-07-19	Valid
N76460	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Indiana	Standard	2012-07-16	Valid
N4582H	Piper PA-17	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Arizona	Standard	2012-07-03	Valid
N89450	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner California	Standard	2012-07-02	Valid
N72962	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Georgia	Standard	2012-06-21	Valid
N85633	Aeronca 7AC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2012-06-21	Valid
N89316	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wisconsin	Standard	2012-06-21	Valid
N1856	Pietenpol AIRCAMPER	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Illinois	Experimental	2012-06-20	Valid
N87100	Engineering & Research 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	2012-06-20	Valid
N2373N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2012-06-19	Valid
N2709A	Aeronca 7BCM	Fixed-wing, single engine	North Carolina Aviation Museum and Hall of Fame Asheboro, North Carolina	Standard	2012-06-18	Valid
N71962	Luscombe 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Aerotrack INC Hemet, California	Standard	2012-06-12	Valid
N1656V	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2012-06-06	Valid
N76179	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2012-06-04	Valid
N25099	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Waterwings Seaplanes LLC Hoover, Alabama	Standard	2012-05-31	Valid
N89241	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Arkansas	Standard	2012-05-29	Valid
N3193N	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Aas LLC Ovid, Michigan	Standard	2012-05-23	Valid
N42709	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Standard	2012-05-22	Valid
N89886	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Florida	Standard	2012-05-18	Valid
N2900N	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oklahoma	Standard	2012-05-17	Valid
N1757V	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Colorado	Standard	2012-05-16	Valid
N2394V	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Red Sky Aviation LLC Livermore, California	Standard	2012-05-16	Valid
N1924E	Aeronca 7AC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner South Dakota	Standard	2012-05-15	Valid
N656LB	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Montana	Standard	2012-05-14	Valid
N61AL	Aeronca 7BCM	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Kentucky	Standard	2012-05-10	Valid
N77731	Mcclish FUNK B85C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Georgia	Standard	2012-05-08	Valid
N78425	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2012-05-04	Valid
N73014	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Pennsylvania	Standard	2012-04-25	Valid
N82992	Aeronca 7BCM/CONV	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Pennsylvania	Standard	2012-04-25	Valid
N94648	Engineering & Research ERCOUPE 415-CD	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Vermont	Standard	2012-04-25	Valid
N8519B	Church Elmer C GN-1 AIRCAMPER	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Minnesota	Experimental	2012-04-24	Valid
N3585K	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Montana	Standard	2012-04-13	Valid
N77174	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Indiana	Standard	2012-04-12	Valid
N27600	Taylorcraft BC-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2012-04-11	Valid
N35822	Piper J5A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Tennessee	Standard	2012-04-05	Valid
N4500M	Engineering & Research 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Montana	Standard	2012-04-05	Valid
N3094E	Aeronca 7DC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Missouri	Standard	2012-03-28	Valid
N2471K	Luscombe 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	2012-03-16	Valid
N1797N	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2012-03-15	Valid
N4308H	Piper PA-15	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Minnesota	Experimental	2012-03-14	Valid
N93744	Ercoupe 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2012-03-14	Valid
N1873N	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2012-03-09	Valid
N5528H	Piper PA-11	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Mississippi	Restricted	2012-03-08	Valid
N1449B	Luscombe 8F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2012-03-07	Valid
N4971H	Piper PA-11	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Tennessee	Standard	2012-03-06	Valid
N666FK	Luscombe 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Tennessee	Standard	2012-03-06	Valid
N76692	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Smith Gordon J Manhattan, Kansas	Standard	2012-02-25	Valid
N6162H	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	D & D Air INC Valentine, Nebraska	Standard	2012-02-23	Valid
N6404M	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oregon	Standard	2012-02-16	Valid
N4290N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Albion Aerial Sprayers INC Sargent, Nebraska	Standard	2012-02-15	Valid
N4589M	Piper PA-11	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Colorado	Standard	2012-02-15	Valid
N1123N	Cassutt Special C-II-M	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Experimental	2012-02-13	Valid
N4460E	Aeronca 7DC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New York	Standard	2012-02-13	Valid
N2118F	Ercoupe 415-D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New Jersey	Standard	2012-02-09	Valid
N77931	Luscombe 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oklahoma	Standard	2012-02-09	Valid
N7217K	Aeronca 11CC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Minnesota	Standard	2012-02-07	Valid
N2459N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Illinois	Standard	2012-02-03	Valid
N92394	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Young Jeremy J Hood River, Oregon	Standard	2012-02-02	Valid
N1910K	Luscombe 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2012-01-26	Valid
N1755V	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Mcclean James Springfield, Missouri	Standard	2012-01-25	Valid
N76218	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2012-01-18	Valid
N140CE	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Pennsylvania	Standard	2012-01-12	Valid
N1811E	Aeronca 7AC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2012-01-12	Valid
N7023K	Garrett Craig G CG3	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Experimental	2012-01-11	Valid
N24KP	Powell/Tuttle TAILWIND W-8	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Virginia	Experimental	2012-01-09	Valid
N89842	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oklahoma	Standard	2012-01-03	Valid
N5612M	Taylorcraft BC12D-85	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Oregon	Standard	2011-12-29	Valid
N99050	Ercoupe 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Tennessee	Standard	2011-12-27	Valid
N2005N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	2011-12-16	Valid
N28782	Luscombe 8C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Illinois	Standard	2011-12-13	Valid
N4105E	Aeronca 11CC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner California	Standard	2011-12-06	Valid
N76377	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Klutts Jerry Rockwall, Texas	Standard	2011-11-30	Valid
N4405H	Piper PA-15	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Mississippi	Standard	2011-11-29	Valid
N81139	Funk B85C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Washington	Standard	2011-11-16	Valid
N93906	Ercoupe 415-D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Shiloh Aviation LLC Ramer, Tennessee	Standard	2011-11-10	Valid
N2199N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Skywagon Aero LLC Wilmington, Delaware	Standard	2011-11-07	Valid
N4229N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Aero-Mobil INC Wilmington, Delaware	Standard	2011-11-07	Valid
N85380	Aeronca 7AC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner North Dakota	Standard	2011-11-04	Valid
N38402	Piper J5A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Horst Aviation LLC New Holland, Pennsylvania	Standard	2011-11-02	Valid
N2299K	Luscombe 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Standard	2011-11-01	Valid
N9330H	Aeronca 7BCM	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Pennsylvania	Standard	2011-11-01	Valid
N76149	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Michigan	Standard	2011-10-26	Valid
N89222	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Standard	2011-10-24	Valid
N89157	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New York	Standard	2011-10-19	Valid
N37994	Piper J4E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Idaho	Standard	2011-10-18	Valid
N71299	Luscombe 8A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2011-10-13	Valid
N85186	Champion 7BCM	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner California	Standard	2011-10-07	Valid
N48120	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Virginia	Standard	2011-10-06	Valid
N46RH	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oregon	Standard	2011-10-05	Valid
N30916	Piper J5A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2011-09-28	Valid
N2518K	Luscombe 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Golden Coast Airways CORP Carolina, Puerto Rico	Standard	2011-09-27	Valid
N89480	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Colorado	Standard	2011-09-22	Valid
N89639	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner North Dakota	Standard	2011-09-19	Valid
N76611	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Tennessee	Standard	2011-09-13	Valid
N99615	Burdette CUBY PA-11	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Kansas	Experimental	2011-09-13	Valid
N2754N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Florida	Standard	2011-09-08	Valid
N1771N	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2011-09-07	Valid
N89109	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Aircraft Guaranty CORP Trustee Oklahoma City, Oklahoma	Standard	2011-09-01	Valid
N2781K	Luscombe 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Aircraft Guaranty CORP Trustee Oklahoma City, Oklahoma	Standard	2011-08-30	Valid
N2752E	Aeronca 7AC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	2011-08-25	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.