For Sale: N612SP—$92,000

N612SP is a lovely Cessna 172SP manufactured in 2000. I hate to sell it, but I was forced to let my medical certificate lapse and can no longer fly it.

The Plane

Engine and Propeller

The plane’s 180 horsepower engine powers the plane along at a respectable 124 knots at 8,500 feet with 75 percent power. At the recommended lean mixture with fuel allowances for engine start, taxi, takeoff, climb, and 45 minutes reserve, the plane can fly 518 nautical miles (4.26 hours). Climb to 10,000 feet, throttle back to 45 percent power, and you can extend your range to 638 nautical miles (6.72 hours). The long-range tanks carry a maximum of 53 gallons of usable fuel.

The plane has a Lycoming IO–360–L2A engine. The IO–360–L2A engine has four horizontally opposed cyliders. It is normally aspirated, direct drive, air-cooled, and fuel-injected, and it has a total displacement of 360 cubic inches. It uses 100LL aviation fuel (blue) and MIL–L–22851 aviation grade ashless dispersant oil (e.g., AeroShell W 100). The tach time on the engine is 1,985 hours. The compressions at the last annual were 73/80, 72/80, 70/80, and 74/80. It consumes very little oil.

The McCauley propeller has two blades, fixed pitch.

Avionics

The plane comes with a well-integrated set of Bendix/King avionics:

• KMA 26 Audio Selector Panel
• KLN 94 Global Positioning System
• 2 KX 155A Nav/Comm Radios with a KI 209A Indicator Head (with glideslope indicator) and a KI 208 Indicator Head (no glideslope indicator)
• KT 76C Transponder
• KR 87 Automatic Direction Finder
• KAP 140 Single Axis Autopilot

V-Speeds

The V-speeds are as follows:

Symbol	Speed	Knots Indicated Air Speed
VR	Rotation Speed	55
VX	Best Angle of Climb	56
VY	Best Rate of Climb	74
VG	Best Glide Speed	68
VNE	Never Exceed Speed	163
VNO	Maximum Structural Cruising Speed	129
VA	Maneuvering Speed: 2,550 Pounds 2,200 Pounds 1,900 Pounds	105 98 90
VFE	Maximum Flap Extended Speed: 10° Flaps 10° to 30° Flaps	110 85

Weight and Balance

The plane has a maximum ramp weight of 2558 pounds and a maximum useful load of 882 pounds.

Item Description	Weight (lbs.)	Arm (inches)	Moment (lb-inches)
Basic Empty Weight (including unusuable fuel and full oil)	1,675.9	39.345	65,938
Usable Fuel (at 6 lbs./gal.)		48.000
Pilot and Front Passenger (station 34 to 46)
Rear Passengers		73.000
*Baggage Area 1 (station 82 to 108; 120 lbs. max.)
*Baggage Area 2 (station 108 to 145; 50 lbs. max.)
Ramp Weight and Moment (add columns)
Fuel Allowance for Engine Start, Taxi, and Runup	–8.0		–-384
**Takeoff Weight and Moment
* The maximum allowable combined weight capacity for baggage areas 1 and 2 is 120 pounds.
** Divide the moment by the weight to compute the center of gravity. At maximum gross weight (2,550 lbs.) the center of gravity must be between 41 and 47 inches. As the plane’s weight decreases towards 1,950 lbs., the forward limit of the center of gravity approaches 35 inches.

Damage History and Logbooks

The plane incurred no damage while I owned it. A December 20, 2002, entry in the airframe logbook states, “Removed engine from firewall and replaced lower firewall assembly. Reinstalled engine to firewall and torque mount.”

The plane’s logbooks are complete. You may download them here.