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
N72943	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	1991-06-28	Valid
N72481	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Pennsylvania	Standard	1991-06-20	Valid
N2660N	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Illinois	Standard	1991-06-10	Valid
N76740	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Indiana	Standard	1991-05-24	Valid
N875EZ	Von Szilassy Peter VARIEZE	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Virginia	Experimental	1991-05-17	Valid
N77009	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New Hampshire	Standard	1991-05-16	Valid
N2834N	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Standard	1991-05-15	Valid
N1995V	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Georgia	Standard	1991-05-09	Valid
N89537	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Texas	Standard	1991-04-16	Valid
N30448	Luscombe 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Minnesota	Standard	1991-02-27	Valid
N76652	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Kansas	Standard	1991-01-10	Valid
N1786N	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	1991-01-09	Valid
N2037V	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Illinois	Restricted	1991-01-03	Valid
N89078	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Pennsylvania	Standard	1990-12-27	Valid
N80723	Globe GC-1A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Mississippi	Standard	1990-12-21	Valid
N4266N	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	1990-12-07	Valid
N98889	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Tennessee	Standard	1990-12-06	Valid
N26SX	Ewing Tom MUSTANG M-1	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Experimental	1990-11-21	Valid
N391Y	Smith Miniplane DSA-1	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Florida	Experimental	1990-10-31	Valid
N89249	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wisconsin	Standard	1990-10-30	Valid
N3150N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Kansas	Standard	1990-10-05	Valid
N2612E	Aeronca 7DC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Minnesota	Standard	1990-09-17	Valid
N1407B	Luscombe 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	1990-08-23	Valid
N3133N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	1990-07-28	Valid
N3966E	Aeronca 11AC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Minnesota	Standard	1990-07-27	Valid
N2043K	Luscombe 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	1990-07-19	Valid
N4178E	Aeronca 11CC	Fixed-wing, single engine	West Michigan Aviation INC Kalamazoo, Michigan	Standard	1990-07-03	Valid
N94189	Ercoupe 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Iowa	Standard	1990-06-29	Valid
N66330	Aeronca 7BCM	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner South Carolina	Standard	1990-06-26	Valid
N65K	Engineering & Research 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Standard	1990-06-22	Valid
N72902	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Kansas	Standard	1990-06-20	Valid
N67048	Commonwealth 185	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Missouri	Standard	1990-06-18	Valid
N16612	Solomon Glenn F AERONCA/SOLOMON	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Experimental	1990-06-05	Valid
N93358	Ercoupe 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New York	Standard	1990-05-15	Valid
N81190	Mcclish FUNK B85C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Pennsylvania	Standard	1990-05-12	Valid
N1867N	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Florida	Standard	1990-05-03	Valid
N2035V	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Colorado	Standard	1990-04-26	Valid
N3951E	Aeronca 11BC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Maine	Standard	1990-04-19	Valid
N2319V	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Standard	1990-04-10	Valid
N2514K	Luscombe 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner North Carolina	Standard	1990-03-30	Valid
N90163	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Indiana	Standard	1990-03-26	Valid
N3992H	Ercoupe 415-D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	1990-03-16	Valid
N70510	Piper J3C-85	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Restricted	1990-03-08	Valid
N2898N	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner South Carolina	Standard	1990-02-15	Valid
N2093N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Minnesota	Standard	1990-02-09	Valid
N140ED	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	1990-02-02	Valid
N3572	Standing STITS SKYCOUPE SA-7D	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oregon	Experimental	1990-01-09	Valid
N2390N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Indiana	Standard	1989-12-21	Valid
N93939	Engineering & Research ERCOUPE 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wisconsin	Standard	1989-12-13	Valid
N4378E	Aeronca 11CC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Jim Petik and Sons Keldron, South Dakota	Standard	1989-12-12	Valid
N3094N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Tennessee	Standard	1989-11-29	Valid
N90199	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wyoming	Standard	1989-11-29	Valid
N2383E	Aeronca 7DC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New Hampshire	Standard	1989-11-27	Valid
N4223N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Illinois	Standard	1989-11-03	Valid
N84070	Champion AERONCA 7BCM	Fixed-wing, single engine	Kraft AG Aviation INC Mapleton, North Dakota	Standard	1989-10-31	Valid
N72142	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	1989-10-05	Valid
N4237E	Champion 7BCM	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner North Dakota	Standard	1989-09-18	Valid
N77457	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Indiana	Standard	1989-09-06	Valid
N2780K	Silvaire LUSCOMBE 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Colorado	Standard	1989-08-30	Valid
N20110	Tridle Keith WAG AERO SPORT TR	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wisconsin	Experimental	1989-08-23	Valid
N1883N	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Minnesota	Standard	1989-08-15	Valid
N4698E	Champion 7EC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	1989-08-15	Valid
N89217	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner North Carolina	Standard	1989-08-01	Valid
N2475V	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Indiana	Standard	1989-07-27	Valid
N120MA	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alabama	Standard	1989-07-19	Valid
N89799	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oregon	Standard	1989-07-17	Valid
N30862	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	1989-06-21	Valid
N87340	Engineering & Research 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Standard	1989-06-09	Valid
N86296	Aeronca S11BC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Indiana	Standard	1989-05-31	Valid
N6476C	Aeronca 7BCM	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Michigan	Standard	1989-05-30	Valid
N76025	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wisconsin	Standard	1989-05-24	Valid
N6824D	Minicab GY-20	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Kansas	Experimental	1989-05-19	Valid
N95871	Taylorcraft BCS12D-4-85	Fixed-wing, single engine	Museum of Flight Seattle, Washington	Standard	1989-04-25	Valid
N90068	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	1989-03-08	Valid
N3170N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Oregon	Standard	1989-02-06	Valid
N2460N	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	1989-02-01	Valid
N1977K	Luscombe 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner North Carolina	Standard	1989-01-13	Valid
N8JD	Pitts Special PITTS 190	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Experimental	1989-01-04	Valid
N1840K	Luscombe 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Slack Jonathan D Bonfield, Illinois	Standard	1989-01-03	Valid
N4249E	Aeronca 11CC	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Minnesota	Standard	1988-12-15	Valid
N2284K	Luscombe 8E	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Washington	Standard	1988-12-14	Valid
N73045	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Strachan Darrel A San Jose, California	Standard	1988-12-07	Valid
N2435	Ahl-Pietenpol IMPROVED AIRCAMPER	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Arizona	None on file	1988-11-10	Valid
N1651V	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Kansas	Standard	1988-09-23	Valid
N4858S	Kramer-Kouger HK-8	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Florida	Experimental	1988-09-22	Valid
N72262	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Minnesota	Standard	1988-08-25	Valid
N72620	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner New Mexico	Standard	1988-08-16	Valid
N99591	Ercoupe 415-C	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wisconsin	Standard	1988-07-29	Valid
N72717	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Missouri	Standard	1988-07-23	Valid
N31005	Piper J3L-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Alaska	Standard	1988-07-14	Valid
N32887	Piper J5A	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Minnesota	Standard	1988-07-06	Valid
N2076V	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner North Carolina	Standard	1988-06-25	Valid
N2295N	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Co-owned owner Arizona	Standard	1988-06-18	Valid
N1840N	Cessna 120	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Utah	Standard	1988-06-06	Valid
N36JB	Bitzenhofer Donald E VARIEZE	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Wyoming	Experimental	1988-05-18	Valid
N32843	Piper J3C-65	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Ohio	Standard	1988-05-02	Valid
N2464N	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Texas	Standard	1988-04-29	Valid
N76693	Cessna 140	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner California	Standard	1988-04-18	Valid
N83673	Aeronca 7BCM	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner North Dakota	Standard	1988-04-07	Valid
N1096E	Champion AERONCA 7BCM	Fixed-wing, single engine	Individual owner Arkansas	Standard	1988-03-01	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.