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
N4144H	Piper PA-15	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New York	Standard	2011-08-25	Valid
N78632	Piper PA-11	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner South Dakota	Multiple	2011-08-25	Valid
N42407	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Mccue Gregory P Cody, Wyoming	Standard	2011-08-19	Valid
N2026N	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Tre Aviation CORP Wilmington, Delaware	Standard	2011-08-18	Valid
N86012	Aeronca 11AC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Maine	Standard	2011-08-15	Valid
N2791H	Ercoupe 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Tennessee	Standard	2011-08-10	Valid
N2227N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Illinois	Standard	2011-08-09	Valid
N1864M	Aeronca 7BCM	Fixed-wing, single engine	172 Fayette INC La Grange, Texas	Standard	2011-08-08	Valid
N9752E	Aeronca 11AC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Tennessee	Standard	2011-08-04	Valid
N88657	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner California	Standard	2011-08-03	Valid
N33336	Globe GC-1A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Swift Museum Foundation INC Athens, Tennessee	Standard	2011-08-01	Valid
N2700N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Indiana	Standard	2011-07-28	Valid
N44DH	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2011-07-21	Valid
N95VA	Copp William H VARI-EZE	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Arizona	Experimental	2011-06-30	Valid
N3167N	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Hoff Bros INC Idaho Falls, Idaho	Standard	2011-06-29	Valid
N35277	Piper J5A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New York	Standard	2011-06-28	Valid
N2320N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	2011-06-27	Valid
N24466	Taylorcraft BL-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2011-06-23	Valid
N93499	Ercoupe 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Maine	Standard	2011-06-23	Valid
N2438V	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner South Dakota	Standard	2011-06-20	Valid
N72693	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Nebraska	Standard	2011-06-17	Valid
N17RB	Piper J-3	Fixed-wing, single engine	N17Rb LLC Fredericksburg, Pennsylvania	Experimental	2011-06-15	Valid
N89004	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2011-06-15	Valid
N4955V	Champion 7BCM	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	2011-06-10	Valid
N2500K	Luscombe 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2011-06-09	Valid
N1874N	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2011-06-08	Valid
N89911	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Krause Aviation LLC Geneva, Illinois	Standard	2011-06-07	Valid
N94415	Engineering & Research 415-G	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	2011-06-02	Valid
N34705	Rearwin 175	Fixed-wing, single engine	Wings Den LLC Wilmington, Delaware	Standard	2011-05-31	Valid
N85293	Aeronca 7AC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Tennessee	Standard	2011-05-19	Valid
N93306	Engineering & Research ERCOUPE 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Ercoupeaire LLC Blackwood, New Jersey	Standard	2011-05-14	Valid
N4100A	Aeronca 7BCM	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Georgia	Standard	2011-05-13	Valid
N89691	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Colorado	Standard	2011-05-13	Valid
N94819	Ercoupe 415-E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner South Carolina	Standard	2011-05-10	Valid
N37403	Interstate S-1A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner North Dakota	Standard	2011-05-04	Valid
N31F	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Lloyd Land Plane II LLC Brighton, Colorado	Standard	2011-05-03	Valid
N6459H	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner West Virginia	Standard	2011-05-02	Valid
N5613M	Philpot/Oder/Stuart/Obryan CLIP WING TAYLORCRFT	Fixed-wing, single engine	Stuart John R Taylorsville, Kentucky	Experimental	2011-04-30	Valid
N2052K	Luscombe 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Pennsylvania	Standard	2011-04-27	Valid
N4046E	Aeronca 11BC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner North Dakota	None on file	2011-04-27	Valid
N99894	Ercoupe 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Illinois	Standard	2011-04-27	Valid
N70181	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Illinois	Standard	2011-04-19	Valid
N90000	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2011-04-16	Valid
N94GB	Bourdreaux Gerrieth J PT 2	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Colorado	Standard	2011-04-14	Valid
N99235	Ercoupe 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Illinois	Standard	2011-04-12	Valid
N99703	Ercoupe 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Tennessee	Standard	2011-04-11	Valid
N91965	Piper J-3C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Arkansas	Standard	2011-04-04	Valid
N89202	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner South Dakota	Standard	2011-03-31	Valid
N1869K	Luscombe 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2011-03-29	Valid
N38322	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Multiple	2011-03-24	Valid
N2031V	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2011-03-21	Valid
N21638	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wisconsin	Restricted	2011-03-14	Valid
N99790	Ercoupe 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Louisiana	Standard	2011-03-14	Valid
N37406	Interstate S-1A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2011-03-07	Valid
N72677	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Arizona	Standard	2011-03-01	Valid
N2830H	Ercoupe 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Tennessee	Standard	2011-02-16	Valid
N90195	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Montana	Standard	2011-02-16	Valid
N90138	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Baker Air Service Baker, Montana	Standard	2011-02-15	Valid
N5112M	Taylorcraft BC12-D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Oklahoma	Standard	2011-02-08	Valid
N89473	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Montana	Standard	2011-01-27	Valid
N1528E	Aeronca 7DC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	2011-01-21	Valid
N89633	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oklahoma	Standard	2011-01-19	Valid
N70234	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Ls Aviators LLC Wilmington, Delaware	Standard	2011-01-18	Valid
N1613N	Funk B85C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2011-01-10	Valid
N94958	Taylorcraft BC12-D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2010-12-28	Valid
N2629K	Silvaire LUSCOMBE 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2010-12-17	Valid
N33614	Dart Greg DART SPECIAL	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New York	Experimental	2010-12-13	Valid
N82L	Aeronca 7BCM	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Pennsylvania	Standard	2010-12-13	Valid
N3689H	Ercoupe 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Tennessee	Standard	2010-12-02	Valid
N88176	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Cub II LLC Winchester, Virginia	Standard	2010-12-02	Valid
N87884	Walker Robert R Jr CUBBY	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Alaska	Experimental	2010-11-24	Valid
N2502H	Haas David P L2-DH	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oklahoma	Experimental	2010-11-22	Valid
N4006N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Maine	Standard	2010-11-18	Valid
N4303Y	Globe GC-1A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2010-11-16	Valid
N3014K	Superior CULVER V	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2010-11-10	Valid
N2209N	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Ready Aim Flyer LLC New Castle, Delaware	Standard	2010-11-02	Valid
N5381C	Cessna 140A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	2010-11-02	Valid
N4009B	Aeronca 7DC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Virginia	Standard	2010-11-01	Valid
N7435H	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Minnesota	Standard	2010-10-19	Valid
N48KJ	Bremer CASSUTT SPORT	Fixed-wing, single engine	Moroni Leonardo A Orlando, Florida	Experimental	2010-10-06	Valid
N1199B	Luscombe 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New York	Standard	2010-10-04	Valid
N70914	Piper J3C-65S	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New York	Standard	2010-09-30	Valid
N7243N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oregon	Standard	2010-09-14	Valid
N73094	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Minnesota	Standard	2010-09-09	Valid
N47212	Wilberding JUNIOR ACE-E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Experimental	2010-08-31	Valid
N1197B	Luscombe 8C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oregon	Standard	2010-08-26	Valid
N2573N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	2010-08-26	Valid
N1960V	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Illinois	Standard	2010-08-25	Valid
N76748	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2010-08-24	Valid
N153JD	Ercoupe 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2010-08-13	Valid
N2154N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Plane Fun INC Tr Trustee Snellville, Georgia	Standard	2010-08-11	Valid
N4046N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2010-08-11	Valid
N94367	Ercoupe 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Flying L Aircraft INC Fort Denaud, Florida	Standard	2010-08-10	Valid
N99226	Ercoupe 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Standard	2010-08-10	Valid
N35999	Piper J4E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Standard	2010-08-09	Valid
N190X	Ercoupe 415-D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Airline Pilots Historical Society Saint Charles, Illinois	Standard	2010-08-03	Valid
N7053U	Farmer R B DA5-A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Experimental	2010-08-03	Valid
N88257	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Aerial Banners North INC Pembroke Pines, Florida	Restricted	2010-08-03	Valid
N89398	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Pyziak William L Manhattan, Illinois	Standard	2010-07-28	Valid
N2470V	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wisconsin	Standard	2010-07-22	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.