Textron Cessna C172S PIM, Pilot Operating Handbook

Page: 219 / 322

CESSNA SECTION 7
MODEL 172S NAV III AIRPLANE AND SYSTEM DESCRIPTION
GFC 700 AFCS
U.S.
INTRODUCTION
This section provides description and operation of the airplane and its
systems. Some equipment described herein is optional and may not be
installed in the airplane. Refer to Section 9, Supplements, for details of
other optional systems and equipment.
AIRFRAME
The airplane is an all metal, four-place, high wing, single-engine
airplane equipped with tricycle landing gear and is designed for general
utility and training purposes.
The construction of the fuselage is a conventional formed sheet metal
bulkhead, stringer, and skin design referred to as semimonocoque.
Major items of structure are the front and rear carry through spars to
which the wings are attached, a bulkhead and forgings for main landing
gear attachment at the base of the rear door posts, and a bulkhead with
attach fittings at the base of the forward door posts for the lower
attachment of the wing struts. Four engine mount stringers are also
attached to the forward door posts and extend forward to the firewall.
The externally braced wings, containing integral fuel tanks, are
constructed of a front and rear spar with formed sheet metal ribs,
doublers, and stringers. The entire structure is covered with aluminum
skin. The front spars are equipped with wing-to-fuselage and wing-to-
strut attach fittings. The aft spars are equipped with wing-to-fuselage
attach fittings, and are partial span spars. Conventional hinged ailerons
and single slot type flaps are attached to the trailing edge of the wings.
The ailerons are constructed of a forward spar containing balance
weights, formed sheet metal ribs and V type corrugated aluminum skin
joined together at the trailing edge. The flaps are constructed basically
the same as the ailerons, with the exception of the balance weights and
the addition of a formed sheet metal leading edge section.
The empennage (tail assembly) consists of a conventional vertical
stabilizer, rudder, horizontal stabilizer, and elevator. The vertical
stabilizer consists of a spar, formed sheet metal ribs and
reinforcements, a wraparound skin panel, formed leading edge skins
and a dorsal.
(Continued Next Page)
172SPHBUS-00
7-5