Most-produced aircraft in history

What to remember

More than 44,000 built: no aircraft has been produced in greater numbers than the Cessna 172. This American four-seat, single-engine, high-wing plane first flew in 1955, and production started in 1956.

It was developed from the Cessna 170, first made in 1948, but with tricycle landing gear. The Skyhawk name first applied to a trim package before covering all standard-production 172s, and in the 1980s the plane was briefly marketed as the Cutlass. In France, Reims Aviation built it under licence.

The 172 was also developed into the more powerful but less successful Cessna 175. Figures depend on the date: more than 44,000 built in 2017, more than 45,000 in 2023.