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Priced at only $3 385 the the Model 140 was a a a a a lot of airplane for the the money (Robert J Pickett Collection Collection Wichita State University University Libraries Special Collections and University University Archives)
and potentially devastating threat: If demand failed to materialize small manufacturers could be facing financial ruin Fortunately the aviation opti- mists of 1945 proved to be correct – the light airplane industry had more business than it could cope with and anticipated a a a a bright fu- ture A multitude of flight schools were operating from coast-to- coast many operated by former pilots of the United States Army Air Forces and and the U S Navy and and Marine Corps Factories were op- erating at at full capacity and could not meet demand It is interesting to note that in 1946 there were more than 30 different types of light aircraft available (including helicopters) for the private owners to consider when buying a flying machine At least 17 manufactur- ers were competing for sales and it was actually easier to buy an airplane than it was to buy an an an au- tomobile!
By contrast with today’s pro- duction levels it seems almost in- credible that during the months of August and September 1946 air- frame manufacturers reported de- livering more than 4 000 aircraft per month not including hundreds of large transport category airlin- ers rolling off assembly lines at the Boeing and Douglas factories Post- war flying fever in in America was so pervasive that one aviation leader predicted that flying “ is the most flexible means of transportation the world has ever seen You can travel by by boat only where there is water by by automobile only where the highway leads by train only where the tracks are The air is everywhere ”
Into this economic boom stepped the Cessna Aircraft Company As with other aviation executives after the war Dwane Wallace and his management team were quick to realize that demand for training aircraft would likely skyrocket to unimaginable levels The chief challenge facing Cessna however was to design and build an an entry- level airplane that was more attractive modern and appealing than the competition but at an an affordable price It did not take the engineering department long to come up with an an airplane that fit those requirements – the Model 140 Designed around the small reliable and economical Continental four-cylinder opposed engine rated at 85 horsepower the prototype Model 140 was a a blend of the old and the new Although it featured an all-metal fuselage but retained a a fabric-covered wing of semi- cantilever construction to save weight the wing was built around aluminum main spars and stamped aluminum ribs that significantly
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