Weight & balance · Cessna

Cessna 172S 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 172S CG envelope.

Station	Weight	Arm (in)	Moment
Basic empty weight	Basic empty weightlb	Empty CG arm	66,354
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	2,263 lb	40.81	92,354
Landingburn Fuel burnedgal	2,191 lb	40.57	88,898
Zero fuel	2,023 lb	39.96	80,834

CG = total moment ÷ total weight = 92,354 ÷ 2,263 = 40.81 in.

Takeoff and landing are inside the normal envelope. Forward limit at this weight 38.13 in, aft limit 47.30 in; 287 lb below maximum weight.

Cessna 172S loading stations

From the POH section 6. Front seats at 37 in (adjustable 34–46), rear seats 73, baggage 1 at 95 (120 lb), baggage 2 at 123 (50 lb; 120 lb combined), fuel at 48 (53 gal usable). Maximum weight 2,550 lb normal, 2,200 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	53 gal usable

Cessna 172S CG envelope

Normal category — maximum 2,550 lb

Forward limit: 35.0 in from 1,500 to 1,950 lb, then a straight line to 41.0 in at 2,550 lb.
Aft limit: 47.3 in at all weights.

Utility category — maximum 2,200 lb

Forward limit: 35.0 in from 1,500 to 1,950 lb, then a straight line to 40.5 in at 2,200 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 1,663 lb at 39.9 in:

Moments: 1,663 × 39.9 = 66,354; 340 × 37.0 = 12,580; 20 × 95.0 = 1,900; 240 × 48.0 = 11,520 (lb-in).
Totals: 2,263 lb and 92,354 lb-in, so the takeoff CG is 92,354 ÷ 2,263 = 40.81 in.
At 2,263 lb the envelope allows 38.13–47.30 in, so the takeoff point is inside the limits.
After burning 12 gal (72 lb at 48.0 in) the landing weight is 2,191 lb with the CG at 40.57 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 C172S 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 C172S 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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