Aircraft model
COMMONWEALTH 185
Everything here is true of every aircraft of the type, not of any one aircraft.
What it is
| Seats | 2 |
|---|---|
| Landing gear | taildragger |
| Engines | 1 |
| Engine | Continental C-85-12 |
| Horsepower | 85 hp |
| Fuel | 100LL |
| Certification basis | CAR3 |
| Production start | 1946 |
| Production end | 1948 |
| Endorsements required | tailwheel |
Performance
| Cruise speed | 95 KTAS |
|---|---|
| Range | 350 nm |
| Service ceiling | 15,000 ft |
| Climb rate | 650 ft/min |
| Stall speed (Vso) | 38 KCAS |
| Takeoff over 50 ft | — |
| Landing over 50 ft | — |
Load and fuel
| Seats | 2 |
|---|---|
| Useful load | 600 lb |
| Full-fuel payload | 456 lb |
| Max takeoff weight | 1,450 lb |
| Empty weight | 850 lb |
| Usable fuel | 24 gal |
| Fuel burn at cruise | 4.8 gal/h |
Cost of ownership
| Price, low | $20,000 |
|---|---|
| Price, high | $40,000 |
| Prices as of | 2026 |
| Engine TBO | 1,800 h |
| Overhaul cost, low | $22,000 |
| Overhaul cost, high | $32,000 |
The fleet and its record
| Registered, all time | 194 |
|---|---|
| Active fleet | 62 |
| Median year built | 1946.0 |
| NTSB events, last 10 years | 2 |
| Fatal events, last 10 years | 0 |
| Events per 1,000 active, last 10 years | 32.26 per 1,000 active · base 62 active · thin base (low) |
| Personal-flying events per 1,000 active | 16.13 per 1,000 active · base 62 active · thin base (low) |
| Ownership transfers, last 24 months | 13 |
| Transfers per 100 active | 20.97 per 100 active · base 62 active · thin base (low) |
| Airworthiness directives | 1 |
| Directives, last 5 years | 0 |
| Rate confidence | low |
Peer scores
A score runs from 0 to 10 within the model's peer class: a position, not a grade, and the six are never added together.
| Peer class | Fixed wing single-engine, piston, 1 engine, 1-2 seats |
|---|---|
| Accident record | — · class median 38.17 · 194 models in class |
| Severity | — · class median 10.34 |
| Access | 9.9 of 10 · class median 1,020 |
| Support | 4.7 of 10 · class median 70 |
| Liquidity | 5.2 of 10 · class median 20.39 |