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
N81742	Aeronca 7AC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alabama	Standard	2005-07-26	Valid
N547ET	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Mississippi	Standard	2005-07-19	Valid
N6204Y	Engineering & Research 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Kansas	Standard	2005-06-20	Valid
N2215N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Ansorge INC Elk Grove, California	Standard	2005-06-16	Valid
N73022	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	2005-06-10	Valid
N120X	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2005-06-08	Valid
N2345N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oklahoma	Standard	2005-05-25	Valid
N81545	Aeronca 7AC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Minnesota	Standard	2005-05-12	Valid
N2095A	Champion 7CCM	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Virginia	Standard	2005-04-07	Valid
N77439	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner California	Standard	2005-04-05	Valid
N37982	Piper J4E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Mt Air LLC Erie, Colorado	Standard	2005-03-29	Valid
N40916	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Mt Air LLC Erie, Colorado	Standard	2005-03-29	Valid
N72300	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Missouri	Standard	2005-03-29	Valid
N14881	Rose PARRAKEET A-1	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2005-03-28	Valid
N1430B	Luscombe 8F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Standard	2005-03-23	Valid
N1895V	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Indiana	Standard	2005-03-08	Valid
N4015B	Champion 7BCM	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Mississippi	Standard	2005-03-07	Valid
N93655	Ercoupe 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Indiana	Standard	2005-02-04	Valid
N1901N	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oklahoma	Standard	2005-01-28	Valid
N87187	Ercoupe 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Maryland	Standard	2005-01-20	Valid
N81083	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Montana	Standard	2005-01-19	Valid
N4023N	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wisconsin	Standard	2005-01-06	Valid
N1970K	Luscombe 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Illinois	Standard	2004-12-28	Valid
N5243M	Taylorcraft BC12D-85	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner California	Standard	2004-12-17	Valid
N140SG	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Georgia	Standard	2004-12-14	Valid
N3941E	Aeronca 11BC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Sadler George C Ludington, Michigan	Standard	2004-12-06	Valid
N907TC	Taylorcraft BC12D-85	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	2004-11-23	Valid
N84286	Aeronca 7AC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wisconsin	Standard	2004-11-19	Valid
N73034	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wisconsin	Standard	2004-11-16	Valid
N2411E	Aeronca 7AC	Fixed-wing, single engine	R H Lindsay & Assoc INC Canby, Oregon	Standard	2004-10-28	Valid
N4301H	Piper PA-15	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2004-10-25	Valid
N72499	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oklahoma	Standard	2004-10-15	Valid
N1274E	Aeronca 7AC-CONV	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New Hampshire	Standard	2004-10-14	Valid
N72648	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Minnesota	Standard	2004-10-08	Valid
N76948	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Kentucky	Standard	2004-09-29	Valid
N1167B	Luscombe 8A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Texas	Standard	2004-09-20	Valid
N2724N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	F F Enterprises Hadley, Minnesota	Standard	2004-09-15	Valid
N77165	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Montana	Standard	2004-09-10	Valid
N77714	Mcclish FUNK B85C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	2004-09-07	Valid
N1836K	Luscombe 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner New Mexico	Standard	2004-09-01	Valid
N1916K	Luscombe 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	2004-08-31	Valid
N4745M	Piper PA-11	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Colorado	Standard	2004-08-30	Valid
N2438N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Illinois	Standard	2004-07-30	Valid
N28205	Piper J4F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	2004-07-21	Valid
N76867	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New York	Standard	2004-07-21	Valid
N2062V	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2004-07-09	Valid
N89658	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2004-07-09	Valid
N99641	Ercoupe 415-D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Minnesota	Standard	2004-06-30	Valid
N471J	Johnson Stitts Playboy SA3A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Indiana	Experimental	2004-06-28	Valid
N4430H	Piper PA-15	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Illinois	Standard	2004-06-14	Valid
N990SU	Druckman Elihu I DRUCKMAN 102	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oregon	Experimental	2004-05-21	Valid
N31797	Aeronca 65-CA	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2004-05-19	Valid
N1999V	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wisconsin	Standard	2004-05-18	Valid
N3111N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Arizona	Standard	2004-05-05	Valid
N2588N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	2004-04-28	Valid
N28023	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Island Airways LLC Marion, Wisconsin	Standard	2004-04-21	Valid
N3121H	Engineering & Research ERCOUPE 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oklahoma	Standard	2004-04-20	Valid
N2182N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Mississippi	Standard	2004-04-19	Valid
N23DM	Meadows BABY ACE D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Experimental	2004-04-14	Valid
N82940	Aeronca 7AC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Classic Aviation INC Pella, Iowa	Standard	2004-04-13	Valid
N110X	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Standard	2004-04-12	Valid
N3798H	Ercoupe 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner South Carolina	Standard	2004-04-07	Valid
N3555H	Engineering & Research ERCOUPE 415-CD	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	2004-03-29	Valid
N73096	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wisconsin	Standard	2004-03-24	Valid
N2375K	Luscombe 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2004-03-22	Valid
N1907V	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner California	Standard	2004-03-10	Valid
N1751N	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2004-03-05	Valid
N2783K	Silvaire LUSCOMBE 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oklahoma	Standard	2004-02-18	Valid
N70923	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	2004-02-02	Valid
N94780	Forney E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner North Carolina	Standard	2004-01-27	Valid
N34881	Superior CULVER LFA	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Illinois	Standard	2004-01-23	Valid
N2200N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	2003-12-31	Valid
N2415E	Funk B85C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Missouri	Standard	2003-12-24	Valid
N1353B	Luscombe 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Louisiana	Standard	2003-12-17	Valid
N76039	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Pennsylvania	Standard	2003-12-09	Valid
N77599	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Nebraska	Multiple	2003-11-04	Valid
N72004	Silvaire LUSCOMBE 8A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2003-10-21	Valid
N2694N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Virginia	Standard	2003-10-07	Valid
N83066	Aeronca 7DC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Oklahoma	Standard	2003-09-24	Valid
N1946J	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Illinois	Standard	2003-09-23	Valid
N99115	Ercoupe 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner South Carolina	Standard	2003-09-22	Valid
N4232E	Aeronca 11CC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Illinois	Standard	2003-09-04	Valid
N3702C	Aeronca 7BCM	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wisconsin	Standard	2003-09-02	Valid
N76163	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Georgia	Standard	2003-08-06	Valid
N2180V	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wisconsin	Standard	2003-07-18	Valid
N140F	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	2003-07-16	Valid
N42344	Aeronca 7DC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Minnesota	Standard	2003-07-07	Valid
N83083	Aeronca 7BCM	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2003-07-01	Valid
N2121N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Oklahoma	Standard	2003-06-30	Valid
N43697	Taylorcraft BC12-D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2003-06-23	Valid
N37959	Piper J5A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	2003-06-04	Valid
N995PG	Engineering & Research 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Pratt Mark J Sikeston, Missouri	Standard	2003-05-19	Valid
N1706V	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Virginia	Standard	2003-05-16	Valid
N3267H	Engineering & Research ERCOUPE 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wisconsin	Standard	2003-05-12	Valid
N5606C	Cessna 140A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Alaska	Standard	2003-04-29	Valid
N71887	Luscombe 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2003-04-22	Valid
N557B	Moscone James CHRISTAVIA MK1	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Experimental	2003-04-21	Valid
N89129	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	2003-04-18	Valid
N2526N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Blair Stanley P Fort Myers, Florida	Standard	2003-04-10	Valid
N2533N	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Standard	2003-04-07	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.