Cessna 177 Aircraft 1960s

The Cessna 177 Cardinal is a four-seat, fixed-gear single designed as a sleeker, more modern successor to the 172 - with a cantilever (strutless) wing, a wider cabin, and a stabilator tail giving it a distinctive, clean look. The original 1968 177 used a 150-hp Lycoming O-320 and cruised around 120 knots; later Cardinals moved to a 180-hp engine, and the retractable 177RG to 200 hp.

The Cardinal's design and the early-177 caveat. The Cardinal's strutless wing and forward-set doors give excellent visibility and ramp presence, and many owners consider it the best-handling and best-looking of the classic Cessna singles. The original 1968 150-hp 177, however, earned a reputation as underpowered, and its early stabilator drew handling criticism that Cessna addressed with a leading-edge slot and, from 1969, the 180-hp engine. Buyers should be clear which Cardinal they are evaluating.

177 versus 177B and 177RG. The 150-hp base 177 is the most affordable but least powerful Cardinal; the 180-hp 177B is the definitive fixed-gear Cardinal, with a constant-speed propeller and better all-round performance; the retractable 177RG (200 hp) is the fastest, cruising around 144 knots at the cost of gear-system maintenance. For most buyers the 177B is the sweet spot; the base 177 suits those who want the Cardinal's looks and handling at the lowest price and accept the lower power.

Buy it if you want the Cardinal's distinctive strutless-wing design, excellent visibility, and handling - and, for the base 150-hp 177, accept its lower power in exchange for the lowest entry price into the Cardinal line.