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Weight & balance · Cessna

Cessna 152 weight and balance calculator

Enter the empty weight and CG from your aircraft's weight-and-balance record, then the people, baggage and fuel. The calculator works out the moment for each station, the takeoff, landing and zero-fuel CG, and plots them on the Cessna 152 CG envelope.

StationWeightArm (in)Moment
Basic empty weight34,944
Pilot and passenger39.013,260
Baggage area 1max 120 lb64.01,280
Baggage area 2max 40 lb84.00
Fuel (usable)= 147 lb (6 lb/gal)42.06,174
Takeoff1,627 lb34.2155,658
Landingburn 1,555 lb33.8552,634
Zero fuel1,480 lb33.4449,484

CG = total moment ÷ total weight = 55,658 ÷ 1,627 = 34.21 in.

Cessna 152 CG envelope with takeoff, landing and zero-fuel points30323436389001,0001,1001,2001,3001,4001,5001,6001,7001,800CG (inches aft of datum)lbNormal · max 1,670 lbTakeoffLandingZFW
Takeoff and landing are inside the normal envelope. Forward limit at this weight 32.43 in, aft limit 36.50 in; 43 lb below maximum weight.

Cessna 152 loading stations

Seats at arm 39 in, fuel at 42 in (24.5 gal usable), baggage area 1 at 64 in (120 lb) and baggage area 2 at 84 in (40 lb; 120 lb combined). Maximum weight 1,670 lb.

StationArm (in aft of datum)Limit
Basic empty weightfrom your W&B record—
Pilot and passenger39.0—
Baggage area 164.0120 lb
Baggage area 284.040 lb
Fuel (usable)42.024.5 gal usable

Cessna 152 CG envelope

Normal category — maximum 1,670 lb

  • Forward limit: 31.0 in from 1,000 to 1,350 lb, then a straight line to 32.65 in at 1,670 lb.
  • Aft limit: 36.5 in at all weights.

Worked example

With the sample numbers above — pilot and passenger 340 lb, baggage area 1 20 lb, fuel (usable) 147 lb and an empty weight of 1,120 lb at 31.2 in:

  1. Moments: 1,120 × 31.2 = 34,944; 340 × 39.0 = 13,260; 20 × 64.0 = 1,280; 147 × 42.0 = 6,174 (lb-in).
  2. Totals: 1,627 lb and 55,658 lb-in, so the takeoff CG is 55,658 ÷ 1,627 = 34.21 in.
  3. At 1,627 lb the envelope allows 32.43–36.50 in, so the takeoff point is inside the limits.
  4. After burning 12 gal (72 lb at 42.0 in) the landing weight is 1,555 lb with the CG at 33.85 in — still inside. Burning fuel moves this airplane's CG forward, because the fuel sits behind the CG.
Cessna 152 worked example on the CG envelope30323436389001,0001,1001,2001,3001,4001,5001,6001,7001,800CG (inches aft of datum)lbNormal · max 1,670 lbTakeoffLandingZFW

The empty weight and empty CG differ from one C152 to the next — always use the current weight-and-balance record for the tail number you are flying. Fuel is 6 lb per US gallon (avgas).

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