Editing Cessna (section)

===Postwar boom===
[[File:Cessna Aircraft Company Wichita Plant.png|thumb|Main Cessna plant in [[Wichita, Kansas]], circa 1954]]

Cessna returned to commercial production in 1946, after the revocation of wartime production restrictions (L-48), with the release of the [[Cessna 120|Model 120]] and [[Cessna 140|Model 140]]. The approach was to introduce a new line of all-metal aircraft that used production tools, dies and jigs, rather than the hand-built [[tube-and-fabric construction]] process used before the war.<ref name="CH1940-1949"/><ref name="FlyingAug1945ReturnOfThePrivatePlane">{{cite magazine|last1=Ross|first1=John C.|date=August 1945|title=Return of the Private Plane|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SnmI9wL9KPIC|department=Civil Aviation|magazine=[[Flying (magazine)|Flying]]|publisher=[[Ziff Davis]]|volume=37|issue=2|page=78|issn=0015-4806|access-date=June 23, 2016|via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref>

The [[Cessna 140|Model 140]] was named by the US Flight Instructors Association as the "Outstanding Plane of the Year" in 1948.<ref name="CH1940-1949"/>

Cessna's first helicopter, the [[Cessna CH-1]], received [[FAA]] [[Type certificate|type certification]] in 1955.<ref name="CH1950-1959">{{cite web|title=Cessna History 1950–1959|url=http://www.cessna.com/CessnaHistory/His/History-1950-1959.html|url-status=dead|publisher=Cessna|access-date=May 25, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110610175837/http://www.cessna.com/CessnaHistory/His/History-1950-1959.html|archive-date=June 10, 2011}}</ref>
 
[[File:Cessna172-CatalinaTakeOff.JPG|thumb|right|[[Cessna 172]]]]

Cessna introduced the [[Cessna 172]] in 1956. It became the [[List of most-produced aircraft|most produced airplane]] in history.<ref name="CH1950-1959"/> During the post-World War II era, Cessna was known as one of the "Big Three" in general aviation aircraft manufacturing, along with [[Piper Aircraft|Piper]] and [[Beechcraft]].<ref>{{cite web| url = https://airfactsjournal.com/2014/10/retractable-singles-good-fad-ugly/| title = Air Facts - Retractable Singles: The Good, The Fad And The Ugly| date = October 9, 2014}}</ref>

In 1959, Cessna acquired [[Aircraft Radio Corporation]] (ARC), of Boonton, New Jersey, a leading manufacturer of aircraft radios. During these years, Cessna expanded the ARC product line, and rebranded ARC radios as "Cessna" radios, making them the "factory option" for [[avionics]] in new Cessnas. However, during this time, ARC radios suffered a severe decline in quality and popularity. Cessna kept ARC as a subsidiary until 1983, selling it to avionics-maker [[Sperry Corporation|Sperry]].<ref name="tubes">White, Gordon Eliot, [http://scr-274-n.info/GWAOPA.PDF "TUBES, TRANSISTORS, AND TAKEOVERS:  From Bakelite to back courses and from Boontown to Phoenix:  How the Aircraft Radio Corporation changed aviation,"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060823120607/http://www.scr-274-n.info/GWAOPA.PDF |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030903215732/http://scr-274-n.info/GWAOPA.PDF |archive-date=2003-09-03 |url-status=live |date=August 23, 2006 }} June, 1984, ''[[AOPA Pilot]],'' retrieved November 6, 2016.</ref><ref name="177 AvConsumer">[https://www.avweb.com/news/features/Used-Aircraft-Guide-Cessna-Cardinal-225924-1.html "Cessna 177 Cardinal,"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170428051538/https://www.avweb.com/news/features/Used-Aircraft-Guide-Cessna-Cardinal-225924-1.html |date=April 28, 2017 }} March 31, 2016, ''Aviation Consumer'' retrieved April 27, 2017</ref><ref name="used">Cox, Bill: "What Not To Buy" section in [https://www.planeandpilotmag.com/article/used-cessna-182-skylanes/ "Used Cessna 182 Skylanes,"] May 23, 2017, updated November 25, 2020, ''Plane and Pilot'', retrieved March 31, 2021;  "Unfortunately, ARC avionics [were troubled with] a number of problems, most [associated with] overheating and eventual failure. ...  Cessna buyers began purchasing airplanes [that were] naked of any avionics... flying them to [their] home base, [where they had] NARCO or King radios [installed by] local shops, [instead]."</ref>

In 1960, Cessna acquired [[McCauley Propeller Systems|McCauley Industrial Corporation]], of Ohio, a leading manufacturer of [[aircraft propellers|propellers]] for light aircraft.<ref name="artifact">Artifact note: [https://airandspace.si.edu/collection-objects/mccauley-industrial-corp-propeller-fixed-pitch-two-blade-metal/nasm_A19580112000 "McCauley Industrial Corp. Propeller, fixed-pitch, two-blade, metal,"],  NASM inventory number A19580112000, ''[[National Air and Space Museum]]'' (NASM), retrieved March 31, 2021</ref> McCauley became the world's leading producer of [[general aviation]] aircraft propellers,<ref name="key">Sator, Darwin: [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/21701647/dayton-daily-news/ "7 Key officials to retire early at McCauley,"]  December 10, 1982 , ''[[Dayton Daily News]]'' of [[Dayton, Ohio]], retrieved March 31, 2021</ref> largely through their installation on Cessna airplanes.

In 1960, Cessna affiliated itself with [[Reims Aviation]] of [[Reims]], France.<ref name="CH1960-1969">{{cite web|title=Cessna History 1960–1969|url=http://www.cessna.com/CessnaHistory/His/History-1960-1969.html|publisher=Cessna|access-date=May 25, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110318220824/http://www.cessna.com/CessnaHistory/His/History-1960-1969.html|archive-date=March 18, 2011}}</ref> In 1963, Cessna produced its 50,000th airplane, a Cessna 172.<ref name="CH1960-1969"/>

Cessna's first business jet, the [[Cessna Citation I]], performed its maiden flight on September 15, 1969.<ref name="CH1960-1969"/>

Cessna produced its 100,000th single-engine airplane in 1975.<ref name="CH1970-1979">{{cite web|title=Cessna History 1970-1979|url=http://www.cessna.com/CessnaHistory/His/History-1970-1979.html|url-status=dead|publisher=Cessna|access-date=May 25, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110516084410/http://www.cessna.com/CessnaHistory/His/History-1970-1979.html|archive-date=May 16, 2011}}</ref>

In 1985, Cessna ceased to be an independent company. It was purchased by [[General Dynamics]].<ref>General Dynamics buys Cessna ''[[Australian Aviation]]'' issue 30 January 1986 page 10</ref> Production of the [[Cessna Caravan]] began.<ref name="CH1980-1989">{{cite web|title=Cessna History 1980–1989|url=http://cessna.com/CessnaHistory/His/History-1980-1989.html|url-status=dead|publisher=Cessna|access-date=May 25, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110227150309/http://cessna.com/CessnaHistory/His/History-1980-1989.html|archive-date=February 27, 2011}}</ref> General Dynamics in turn sold Cessna to [[Textron]] in 1992.<ref name="CH1990-1999">{{cite web|title=Cessna History 1990–1999|url=http://www.cessna.com/CessnaHistory/His/History-1990-1999.html|url-status=dead|publisher=Cessna|access-date=May 25, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110528211600/http://www.cessna.com/CessnaHistory/His/History-1990-1999.html|archive-date=May 28, 2011}}</ref>

[[File:Cessna350N2546W01.jpg|thumb|right|[[Columbia Aircraft|Columbia]]-designed [[Cessna 350]]]]
Late in 2007, Cessna purchased the bankrupt [[Columbia Aircraft]] company for US$26.4M and would continue production of the Columbia 350 and 400 as the [[Cessna 350]] and [[Cessna 400]] at the Columbia factory in [[Bend, Oregon]].<ref name="Textron27">{{cite press release |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Textron's Cessna Aircraft Company to Acquire Assets of Columbia Aircraft|url=http://investor.textron.com/news/news-releases/press-release-details/2007/Textrons-Cessna-Aircraft-Company-to-Acquire-Assets-of-Columbia-Aircraft/default.aspx|location=Providence, RI|publisher=[[Textron]]|date=November 27, 2007|access-date=November 28, 2007}}</ref><ref name="AVweb">{{cite news|last1=Niles|first1=Russ|title=Cessna Gets Columbia|url=http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/Cessna_Buys_ColumbiaAircraftManufacturing_196671-1.html|access-date=November 29, 2007|publisher=AVweb|date=November 27, 2007|archive-date=February 19, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080219225208/http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/Cessna_Buys_ColumbiaAircraftManufacturing_196671-1.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> However, production of both aircraft had ended by 2018.