Cessna 165 The Cessna Model C - 165 Airmaster is a single - engine aircraft manufactured by the Cessna Aircraft Company . The Airmaster played an important role in the revitalization of the Cessna aircraft company in the 1930s after the crash of the aviation industry during the Great Depression . Development . Initial model . In the middle of the 1930s , as the Great Depression came to an end , the U . S . economy began to strengthen . This was good news for the Cessna Aircraft Company as Dwane Wallace ( Clyde Cessna ' s nephew who was a recently - graduated aeronautical engineer ) decided to assist his uncle in building more modern airplanes . The design of the first Airmaster is credited to Dwane L . Wallace , and the first flight of the C - 34 model was in June 1935 . Not long after introduction of the C - 34 , Clyde Cessna retired from aircraft - building activity , leaving the company to his nephew . Later models . The original Airmaster , the C - 34 , evolved into more advanced versions of the Airmaster . The C - 37 had a wider cabin , improved undercarriage and electric flaps . The C - 38 had a taller vertical tail , curved undercarriage legs and a landing flap under the fuselage . Changes common to both the C - 37 and C - 38 included wider fuselages and landing gears along with rubber engine mounts to hold the Warner Super Scarab engine . The final revisions of the C - 34 were the C - 145 and the C - 165 , of which 80 were built . On these models , the belly flaps added on the C - 38 were removed and the overall length of the fuselage was increased . The only difference between the C - 145 and C - 165 was the engine horsepower , with the latter having an upgraded Warner engine . End of the line . It was with the beginning of World War II that the Airmaster line came to an end . The welded tubular fuselage , fabric covered body , extensive wood work , wooden wings and radial engines , all characteristic of 1930s - era aircraft technology , became too expensive and slow to produce . The old style aircraft was quickly replaced with aircraft constructed from aluminium with strut braced wings first seen in the Cessna 120 . Design . The design of the C - 34 incorporates characteristics that were borrowed from previous models of Cessna Aircraft . These similarities include the high mounted cantilever wing and the narrow design of the cabin windows . The wings and tail surfaces were composed entirely of wood while the fuselage was structured with steel tubing coupled with wooden stringers and formers . Both C - 145 and C - 165 models were offered with floats . Survivors . As of December 31 , 2006 there are 69 aircraft in the FAA database with the listed Models ( totals ) being C - 165 ( 30 ) , C - 145 ( 10 ) , C - 34 ( 8 ) , C - 37 ( 14 ) , and C - 38 ( 7 ) . All are listed as powered by either the Warner SS165 or Warner SS40 & 50 engines ( except that one is listed as powered by an SS185 ) . The year of manufacture for these aircraft ranges from 1934 to 1941 and the serial numbers range from 254 to 588 . It is not known how many actually exist and are in flying condition . There is also a C - 34 ( Serial No . 339 ) which is registered on the Australian register ( VH - UYG ) , this aircraft is owned by Aeromil and housed at the Sunshine Coast Airport , Queensland .