Photograph:
Reims Cessna FR172P ZK-EXE (c/n 75232-02246) at Omaka, New Zealand in March 2013 (Steve Veigel)
Country of origin:
France
Description:
Four-seat touring and training monoplane
Power Plant:
One 157 kw (210 hp) Rolls Royce – Continental IO-360-D six-cylinder horizontally-opposed air-cooled engine
Specifications:
- Wingspan: 10.97 m (36 ft)
- Length: 8.20 m (26 ft 11 in)
- Height: 2.67 m (8 ft 9½ in)
- Wing area: 16.16 m² 174 sq ft)
- Never exceed speed: 293 km/h (182 mph)
- Max speed: 246 km/h (153 mph)
- Cruising speed: 233 km/h (145 mph)
- Take-off distance at sea level: 360 m (1,180 ft)
- Rate of climb at 130 km/h (80 mph) with four persons aboard: 198 m/min (650 ft/min)
- Fuel capacity with long-range tanks: 182 litres (40 imp gals)
- Range with standard fuel no reserves: 1,055 km (655 miles)
- Range with long-range tanks, no reserves: 1,327 km (825 miles)
- Loaded weight: 1,134 kg (2,500 lb)
History:
In 1960 the Cessna Aircraft Company of Wichita, Kansas, USA obtained a 49% holding in the French company Societe Nouvelle de Avions Max Holste, the name of this company later being changed to Reims Aviation SA. This latter company then obtained rights to Cessna designs for sale in Europe and Africa, and by 1983 had assembled 6,135 Cessna aircraft in a variety of models, many, such as the 150, 172 Skyhawk, 177 series and 182 Skylane receiving some modifications, being given new names such as F 152, FA 152, F 172 Skyhawk 100 and F 172 Skyhawk 100 II, the F 337P and the Reims-developed FTB 337. One variant of the Skyhawk became known as the FR-172 Reims-Rocket.
Main change in the design of the FR-172 was the replacement of the 108 kw (145 hp) Continental engine with the 157 kw (210 hp) fuel injected unit driving a constant speed propeller, an increase in weight by 68 kg (150 lb), and extra length in the cowl to take the larger engine. Otherwise the Rocket had all the standard equipment of the basic aircraft with the addition of a combined manifold pressure / fuel flow gauge.
Examples of a number of the French-built Cessnas have been registered in this region, including the Reims-Rocket with three examples being imported initially in 1968. What is believed to be the first example, a demonstrator for Rex Aviation, being an FR-172E, became VH-REH³ (c/n 0024) in June 1968, the registration being changed later than month to VH-REF². This aircraft was powered by a Teledyne Continental IO-360D engine driving a McCauley propeller and spent most of its life working in Western Australia. At least one example has been registered in New Zealand as ZK-EXE (c/n 75232-02246 – ex F-ODUF, F-GEUG, N9608L ntu).