Serial Numbers

[sphillips]

I'm sure this has been hashed before. My new Club book just came in the mail, and on page 10 it lists serial numbers for model year planes. S/N's 25000-25372 are not listed, though in my search on the FAA registry website for a "B" model, there are planes in this S/N range. Is this a typo in the book, and if so, what model year does this range of serial numbers represent, 1953, or, 1954?

Thanks,

Steve

[GAHorn]

It's an error of the book. Those are 1953 model-year 170-B aircraft.
Keep in mind that the year-model aircraft the FAA claims your aircraft is in the Registration Certificate is based on the FAA's records of when the aircraft was completed and met it's type design. Like automobiles, the airplane could be a 1953 "model" which was produced in 1952....and the FAA will show it to be a 1952 model, despite the fact it's actually Cessna's '53 model with all the improvements of the '53 model (such as full pressure-cool cowling, and improved cabin ventilation/heating.)

[cessna170bdriver]

The previous owner of N3498C, SN 26541 swore up and down that she was a 1954 model because it rolled out of the factory in October of 1954, and was delivered to the original owner in December of 1954. However she has all the earmarks of a 1955 model, such as squarish rear window, updated tailwheel steering, and 1955 control panel layout, not to mention an original 1955 owners manual.

When I sent in the registration in 1982, I listed her as a 1955 model, and evidently, the FAA took me at my word, as that is how she is currently listed in their online records.

Miles

[GAHorn]

Aww. That's a pity, Miles, that you have that ugly square rear window that doesn't match those beautiful "D"-shaped tailfeathers. (nudge-nudge, nick-nick, grin-grin)

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

At one time or another my aircraft has been registered as a 170, 170A and a 170B. It is currently registered as a 170A. It would seem what ever you put on the registration is what is going to appear on the registration card. There is no cross checking or review of past records.

[cessna170bdriver]

Aww. That's a pity, Miles, that you have that ugly square rear window that doesn't match those beautiful "D"-shaped tailfeathers. (nudge-nudge, nick-nick, grin-grin)

To each his own.

[sphillips]

there was one aircraft on the registry whose S/N fell into the range missing from the book, and the registry said it was a 1987 model. How about those apples!

[GAHorn]

Aircraft that left the factory new, but were shipped directly abroad, then later re-imported to the U.S. would recieve a first-time U.S. airworthiness certificate. The FAA would sometimes record that activity as a new aircraft and remark the year accordingly. My 1953 B-model, N146YS, serial 25713 left the factory in Nov. '52 and went directly to the Cessna distributor in El Salvador with the registration number YS-146 and with a Salvadorian airworthiness. It re-entered the U.S. in 1972 and was inspected for conformity by an FAA inspector (not a DAR) and even though it had an O-300-C engine, it was issued an original U.S. Airworthiness certificate and was recorded as a 1972 170-B. It was later recorded as a 1952 B-model. I haven't bothered them anymore over it.

[sphillips]

George, I ran across a '55 model that originally went to the Guatemalan Air "Farce".

[GAHorn]

Yes, ... and many times the civil airplanes that went down there in the 50's/60's did so as "agricultural" or "military" or "photo" aircraft, complete with spray bars and camera holes, or hardpoints, etc. The stuff was usually never used or was removed.
There was a heavy tax by many So/Central American countries on imported aircraft unless for specialty purposes like that, and many times a well-connected purchaser would arrange for the aircraft to be imported under that guise..then later it would be sold to the real end-user. My airplane left the factory with both "agriculture" AND photo kits in it. One of our other members actually ended up buying my airplanes original photo kit from the restorer and installing it in his own 170.

[n2582d]

... My new Club book ... on page 10 it lists serial numbers for model year planes. S/N's 25000-25372 are not listed, though in my search on the FAA registry website for a "B" model, there are planes in this S/N range. Is this a typo in the book, and if so, what model year does this range of serial numbers represent, 1953, or, 1954?

It's an error of the book. Those are 1953 model-year 170-B aircraft. ...

A typo about a typo. Cessna published around 22 Service News Letters over the years entitled "Cessna Aircraft Serial Numbers". The last of these listings was in SNL 94-06. They all indicate that for 1952 Cessna had two blocks of serial numbers; 20267-20999 and 25000-25372. According to Cessna (not the FAA) 1953 models ran from s/n 25373 thru 26038.

Here's a weird Production Card I stumbled across in Wichita State University's digital archives. Notice on the bottom right it says that the aircraft is a C-170. The s/n is 24000 which doesn't match any known 170 serial number. According to the FAA's database s/n 24000 and 24001 have an MMS code of 2074802 which is a Cessna 325. According to Bill Thompson, only four of these C-325s were made. They were basically L-19 cropdusters. He says they went to an ag operator in Arkansas for evaluation. So is that "170" on s/n 24000 a typo or not? One way to determine this would be if we could decode the listed engine serial number #45033-4-J. Is that an O-470 or an O-300?

Click twice to enlarge

Click twice to enlarge

[GAHorn]

…. According to Cessna (not the FAA) 1953 models ran from s/n 25373 thru 26038….

Correct, and the IPC confirms that, Figs 47 and 48 of the IPC illustrates that cowling difference.

[n2582d]

Reported to be S/N 25929, This serial number is not listed in the FAA's Deregistered Aircraft database. Registration number looked familiar. Younger than George’s plane. 210 HP. Muy bueno!
https://www.airhistory.net/photo/398516/YS-146P

Click to Enlarge

Likewise, TI-AHK -- slowly dissolving back to earth -- is a C-170A with a serial number not recorded by the FAA. s/n 20103

Two 1948 C-170's are recorded here as being exported to Guatemala. LG-BEE was s/n 18015 and was registered as N2512V prior to being exported. LG-BEG was s/n 18352 and was registered as N3933V prior to being exported. Here again we find two more 170's missing from the FAA's database of 170 serial numbers. If one is looking for an accurate count of Cessna 170's that left the factory, use Cessna's records rather than the FAA's.