From the breaking news thread:
This is one of my pet peeves. Once upon a time, ‘little airplanes’ were called ‘Piper Cubs’ by the non-flying public. The Piper J-3 Cub was indeed ubiquitous; but there were Aeroncas and Cessnas and any number of manufacturers that may or may not have a passing resemblance to the Cub. Somewhere along the line, ‘every’ ‘little airplane’ came to be known as a ‘Cessna’ (probably because of the relative rarity of Cubs in later years). At least the article says ‘Cessna-style’, but it still makes my teeth itch.
A classic Cessna 172 can haul a half-ton load as far as 700 miles.
It’s true that a Skyhawk can fly almost 700 miles (at 55% power at 12,000 feet). A Skyhawk has a gross weight of about 2,450 pounds and an empty weight of about 1,700 pounds. It carries 56 gallons of fuel, at six pounds per gallon: 336 pounds. That leaves a ‘payload’ of 414 pounds. I assume the 56 gallon fuel capacity is with the optional long-range tanks. The Skyhawks I’ve flown had a capacity of 42 gallons. Smaller tanks reduce the range, but increase the weight it can carry. But that’s still only a quarter of a ton.