Weight & balance · Cessna

Cessna 172N / 172M 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 172N / 172M CG envelope.

Station	Weight	Arm (in)	Moment
Basic empty weight	Basic empty weightlb	Empty CG arm	55,380
Pilot and front passenger	Pilot and front passengerlb	37.0	12,580
Rear passengers	Rear passengerslb	73.0	0
Baggage area 1max 120 lb	Baggage area 1lb	95.0	1,900
Baggage area 2max 50 lb	Baggage area 2lb	123.0	0
Fuel (usable)	Fuelgal= 240 lb (6 lb/gal)	48.0	11,520
Takeoff	2,020 lb	40.29	81,380
Landingburn Fuel burnedgal	1,948 lb	40.00	77,924
Zero fuel	1,780 lb	39.25	69,860

CG = total moment ÷ total weight = 81,380 ÷ 2,020 = 40.29 in.

Takeoff and landing are inside the normal envelope. Forward limit at this weight 35.70 in, aft limit 47.30 in; 280 lb below maximum weight.

Cessna 172N / 172M loading stations

Typical POH values (the N and M share this envelope). Front seats at 37 in, rear seats 73, baggage 1 at 95 (120 lb), baggage 2 at 123 (50 lb), fuel at 48 (40 gal usable). Maximum weight 2,300 lb normal, 2,000 lb utility.

Station	Arm (in aft of datum)	Limit
Basic empty weight	from your W&B record	—
Pilot and front passenger	37.0	—
Rear passengers	73.0	—
Baggage area 1	95.0	120 lb
Baggage area 2	123.0	50 lb
Fuel (usable)	48.0	40 gal usable

Cessna 172N / 172M CG envelope

Normal category — maximum 2,300 lb

Forward limit: 35.0 in from 1,500 to 1,950 lb, then a straight line to 38.5 in at 2,300 lb.
Aft limit: 47.3 in at all weights.

Utility category — maximum 2,000 lb

Forward limit: 35.0 in from 1,500 to 1,950 lb, then a straight line to 35.5 in at 2,000 lb.
Aft limit: 40.5 in at all weights.

Worked example

With the sample numbers above — pilot and front passenger 340 lb, baggage area 1 20 lb, fuel (usable) 240 lb and an empty weight of 1,420 lb at 39.0 in:

Moments: 1,420 × 39.0 = 55,380; 340 × 37.0 = 12,580; 20 × 95.0 = 1,900; 240 × 48.0 = 11,520 (lb-in).
Totals: 2,020 lb and 81,380 lb-in, so the takeoff CG is 81,380 ÷ 2,020 = 40.29 in.
At 2,020 lb the envelope allows 35.70–47.30 in, so the takeoff point is inside the limits.
After burning 12 gal (72 lb at 48.0 in) the landing weight is 1,948 lb with the CG at 40.00 in — still inside. Burning fuel moves this airplane's CG forward, because the fuel sits behind the CG.

The empty weight and empty CG differ from one C172N/M 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).

TOGA EFB · free app

Save your C172N/M once, reuse it every flight

In TOGA EFB you register each tail number's empty weight and CG once; the loading sheet, envelope check and briefing sheet use it from then on — offline too.

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