Engines · piston (reciprocating) · data as of October 8, 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

The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/engine/continental-c85-series.json.

Aircraft newest certificates first · 4,671

Tail no.	Maker and model	Group	Owner and base	Certificate	Registered	Status
N2417N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oregon	Standard	2000-08-09	Valid
N32752	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alabama	Standard	2000-07-27	Valid
N77351	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Minnesota	Standard	2000-07-27	Valid
N94899	Ercoupe E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wisconsin	Standard	2000-07-21	Valid
N3518K	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2000-06-30	Valid
N92953	Commonwealth 185	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner New York	Standard	2000-06-30	Valid
N1675	James JODEL F-11	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Tennessee	Experimental	2000-06-15	Valid
N59356	Bowers Fly Baby 1-A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Georgia	Experimental	2000-06-12	Valid
N77442	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Withheld at owner's request	Standard	2000-05-23	Valid
N3157N	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2000-05-16	Valid
N1903V	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New Jersey	Standard	2000-05-09	Valid
N2231N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2000-05-01	Valid
N72115	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner North Carolina	Standard	2000-04-28	Valid
N77710	Funk B85C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Standard	2000-04-24	Valid
N433H	Aeronca 7BCM	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wisconsin	Standard	2000-04-14	Valid
N3114N	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Classic Aviation INC Pella, Iowa	Standard	2000-03-15	Valid
N94776	Ercoupe 415-E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Indiana	Standard	2000-03-15	Valid
N77735	Funk B85C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	2000-03-09	Valid
N92643	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Washington	Standard	2000-03-08	Valid
N1829N	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Georgia	Standard	2000-02-11	Valid
N2926H	Ercoupe 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Wisconsin	Standard	2000-02-10	Valid
N32811	Piper J3L-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Georgia	Standard	2000-02-10	Valid
N4446E	Aeronca 7CCM	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner West Virginia	Standard	2000-02-09	Valid
N71U	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	2000-01-20	Valid
N88133	Piper J-3	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner North Carolina	Standard	2000-01-13	Valid
N72457	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner North Carolina	Standard	1999-12-10	Valid
N86024	Aeronca 11AC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Tennessee	Standard	1999-12-09	Valid
N14XP	Mcholland XPA-11	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wyoming	Experimental	1999-12-02	Valid
N87348	Ercoupe 415-D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner North Carolina	Standard	1999-12-01	Valid
N3998E	Aeronca 11BC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wisconsin	Standard	1999-11-17	Valid
N5457R	Cessna 172F	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	1999-11-17	Valid
N89191	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alabama	Standard	1999-11-15	Valid
N3120N	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Georgia	Standard	1999-10-21	Valid
N2814N	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Grahn Victor A JR Bellevue, Michigan	Standard	1999-10-05	Valid
N139A	Aeronca 7BCM	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Tennessee	Standard	1999-09-24	Valid
N1951V	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Puerto Rico	Standard	1999-09-17	Valid
N83361	Champion AERONCA 7BCM	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner New York	Standard	1999-08-27	Valid
N292N	Engineering & Research 415-CD	Fixed-wing, single engine	Kki CORP Reno, Nevada	Standard	1999-08-25	Valid
N72652	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Colorado	Standard	1999-08-25	Valid
N76530	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Maine	Standard	1999-08-19	Valid
N9655H	Champion AERONCA 7BCM	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Pennsylvania	Standard	1999-08-09	Valid
N1472N	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wisconsin	Standard	1999-06-22	Valid
N71313	Luscombe 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Illinois	Standard	1999-06-21	Valid
N2486K	Luscombe 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	1999-06-16	Valid
N76314	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Idaho	Standard	1999-06-14	Valid
N3734H	Ercoupe 415-D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	1999-05-27	Valid
N30901	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	1999-04-15	Valid
N72540	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	1999-04-06	Valid
N4063A	Aeronca 7BCM	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Virginia	Standard	1999-04-02	Valid
N500BK	Ercoupe 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Wisconsin	Standard	1999-02-23	Valid
N99116	Ercoupe 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Minnesota	Standard	1999-02-05	Valid
N4236N	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Indiana	Standard	1999-01-28	Valid
N91T	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	1999-01-22	Valid
N85713	Aeronca 7DC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Sky High LLC Fort Defiance, Virginia	Standard	1998-12-03	Valid
N2333N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Georgia	Standard	1998-12-01	Valid
N89488	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	1998-11-14	Valid
N38645	Piper J5A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Florida	Standard	1998-11-09	Valid
N2782K	Silvaire LUSCOMBE 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New Mexico	Standard	1998-11-07	Valid
N1985V	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Miller William H JR Blue Mound, Illinois	Standard	1998-11-04	Valid
N76440	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Alldredge Aviation Auburn, Washington	Standard	1998-10-30	Valid
N2846E	Aeronca 7AC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	1998-10-22	Valid
N3TM	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Sea-Air LTD Aurora, Oregon	Standard	1998-10-20	Valid
N7179K	Heideman Wilbert D CORBEN JUNIOR ACE	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Indiana	Experimental	1998-10-17	Valid
N3099K	Superior CULVER V	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	1998-10-07	Valid
N76535	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner District of Columbia	Standard	1998-10-02	Valid
N90075	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Arizona	Standard	1998-09-26	Valid
N46YC	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Idaho	Standard	1998-09-11	Valid
N36EC	Engineering & Research ERCOUPE 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	1998-08-21	Valid
N93290	Commonwealth REARWIN 185	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New Mexico	Standard	1998-07-27	Valid
N3262H	Smith Ray OLDFIELD LAKES BIP85	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Experimental	1998-07-21	Valid
N51555	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner South Dakota	Standard	1998-06-22	Valid
N4363P	Desanti Michael P AEROMARINE KLEMM	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Colorado	Experimental	1998-06-15	Valid
N89563	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Arizona	Standard	1998-06-11	Valid
N3990E	Aeronca 11BC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Arkansas	Standard	1998-05-28	Valid
N72682	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Virginia	Standard	1998-05-11	Valid
N1829V	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Standard	1998-05-07	Valid
N2128N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Idaho	Standard	1998-04-30	Valid
N1999K	Luscombe 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Kansas	Standard	1998-04-29	Valid
N2449N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	1998-04-20	Valid
N82805	Aeronca 7AC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	1998-04-20	Valid
N1776V	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	1998-04-09	Valid
N72721	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oregon	Standard	1998-04-08	Valid
N92918	Rearwin 185	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Oklahoma	Standard	1998-03-16	Valid
N59625	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner North Carolina	Standard	1998-03-06	Valid
N11MS	Sparks AIRCAMPER	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Experimental	1998-02-10	Valid
N76680	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Alaska	Standard	1998-02-04	Valid
N53156	Spencer LITTLE STEARMAN	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Experimental	1998-01-31	Valid
N1946Z	Aeronca 7AC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner North Dakota	Standard	1998-01-26	Valid
N76BW	Braungart-Whitehead-Mcgrew BREEZY PUSHER	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Indiana	Experimental	1998-01-09	Valid
N3222H	Engineering & Research ERCOUPE 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	1998-01-07	Valid
N1601N	Funk B85C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Kansas	Standard	1997-12-29	Valid
N30244	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Arizona	Standard	1997-12-09	Valid
N85027	Aeronca 7BCM	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Nebraska	Standard	1997-11-23	Valid
N6035V	Aeronca 7BCM	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner North Dakota	Standard	1997-11-22	Valid
N38794	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner South Carolina	Standard	1997-11-10	Valid
N76033	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Indiana	Standard	1997-10-25	Valid
N85479	Aeronca 7AC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner South Dakota	Standard	1997-10-04	Valid
N2622N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	1997-10-02	Valid
N616PT	Engineering & Research ERCOUPE 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Indiana	Standard	1997-09-23	Valid
N2312K	Luscombe 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Minnesota	Standard	1997-09-10	Valid

Source: FAA Civil Aviation Registry, Releasable Aircraft Database (the engine reference table and each aircraft's engine code), October 8, 2026. Horsepower and thrust are the FAA's figures for the series, not for a particular aircraft.