In 1947, enthusiasm reigned supreme in the general aircraft industry. With the release of the bold new Cessna 195, the Wichita, Kan., aircraft maker gleefully announced the introduction of a “completely practical, personal and company airliner.” Other great American companies who stood to enjoy a new profit stream from personal aircraft joined in the celebration. Phillips Petroleum ran an advertising campaign wishing “success to you and the new Cessna 195 Businessliner.” At that time, it was as close to a cabin-class single as you could get. Cessna attempted to convince customers that these were “four- to five-place airliners, not light planes,” and worked hard to position the C-195 and its lower-powered sibling, the C-190, as business airplanes. The plan was to build and sell 300 to 400 of the new Businessliners a year.

Unfortunately, they missed the market by a long shot. The Beechcraft Bonanza was new to the market in 1947, and Piper brought out the Comanche as competition as well. A big radial engine and conventional gear was instantly nostalgic for the business market in the early 1950s. Beech and Piper chose to pursue tricycle retractable gear and flat engines, both of which made for smaller, cheaper and faster airplanes. The Bonanza always was more affordable to buy and operate than the Businessliner. Cessna built 1,094 of the C-190-series airplanes; Beech eventually made more than 10,000 Bonanzas. If you measure success by numbers, the Beech beat the Cessna, but it didn’t look quite as cool.

The Cessna 195 is a throwback to classic design. If you like cool, you’ll turn your head when this work of art floats by in the flare. Tapered lines to the tail and a round rudder—a smooth, flowing line.

The big Cessna taildragger is an art-deco masterpiece, ahead of and behind its time. Some say it descended from the pre-war 1930s Airmaster. And perhaps Cessna misjudged the market acceptance for a big radial and conventional gear, but it built a strong airplane with a few innovations.

The Businessliner has aged better than its contemporary competition, the Beech 35 through C 35 Bonanza. Those airplanes had several airworthiness directives that affected the spars and ruddervators. The only significant AD on the 195 required a one-time X-ray of the spar, with brackets installed at the wing root and a recurring visual inspection for follow-up. The early light gear has posed a problem, and some have replaced it with a thicker-gauge spring gear. But all things considered, there are few peccadilloes for this 55-year-old airplane.

A number of innovations were tried on the Businessliner, ranging from the cantilever high wing to a push-button baggage door (with the button flush mounted in the door frame), a parking brake that locked the controls, as well as the brakes and a hinged engine mount for easier access. The C-195 is a five-seater with a bench seat for three in the back. No scrimping on roominess here. The U.S. Air Force bought a few airplanes, known as the LC-126. They added a Pratt & Whitney R-985 450-hp radial and made it a six-passenger airplane. The warbird version served as a rescue platform in the rough and severe weather environment of Alaska. For several years, the 10th Rescue Squadron flew it and saved many lives. The 10th even put the airplane on skis and floats, serving successfully in that role.

The C-195 shared a few ideas with the Beechcraft Bonanzas, with such things as vernier engine controls and a retractable step. Later models of the C-195 featured a crosswind gear that allowed the wheels to swivel for slight drift or a crab during landing. Cessna advertised an operating cost of $30 to $35 an hour, based on 600 hours a year of usage. Some of its claims and innovations were perhaps a little optimistic. Others have been dropped completely through the years, but nothing takes away from the beautiful, flowing lines of this classic airplane.