Cessna 152 V Speeds / weight and balance
 

Fellow students and PPLers,

I am about to start training in a Cessna 152.
I am looking for some guidance on the accepted v speeds for this aircraft, and on a separate note, the typical weight and balance figures, and observations on how the handling of the 152 changes as fuel is burnt and load is reduced.

Other feedback - good and bad on this aircraft type for use as a trainer would be much valued.

NSW.

Cessna 152
 

Sorry, I can't find my POH but as far as weight and balance goes the empty weight can vary quite a lot and you must use the figures in the official weight and balance document. As far as handling changes with fuel burn, these are insignificant.

Go to the school and read the real copy of the real POH for the aircraft you are going to fly.

Or, possibly better, don't bother. Your instructor will teach you this stuff, and will be a lot less irritated if he doesn't first have to un-teach you some wrong numbers you've picked up from elsewhere!

Re W&B: it's easy to overload a 152 - just put two not-all-that-heavy-honest-guv grown up men in it and fill the tanks. It's not easy to get it out of balance, (once you work out that if you've got two heavy pilots they're probably also tall so you probably don't have the seats in their most forward position).

As Malcolm says, no change you'll notice with fuel burn.
Whether it's good or bad as a trainer, well now, you risk getting into religious war territory here ...

As gertrude says learn of the instructor but as a rough idea:-
Flaps up -vne 149 red line
" -caution 111-149 yellow arc
" -normal operating 40-111 green arc
Flaps down normal operating 35-85 white arc
" vfe 85 top of white arc
makimum take off and landing weight is 1667lbs(758kg)
unladen weight 1170lbs(530kg)

Hope this helps
David

Gday NSW,

Here's the V-speeds you need.

All speeds below are expressed in KIAS - Knots Indicated Air Speed.

However, as others have said, do not take these as correct. You must check them with your school and FI. Of course, the gospel is the Pilots Operating Handbook which the school will have which relates specifically to the particular 152 you will be flying in.

Have fun with your training.

- NF.

Vr (Rotate;) Short field take off 54 / normal take off 55
Vx (Best angle of climb speed) 55
Vy (Best rate of climb speed) 67
Vs (Stall speed / min. steady flight for control) 40
Vso (Stall speed in land. config. @ most forward Centre of Gravity) 35
Vfe (Max flap extended speed) 85
Va (Mnvrg speed w/full/abrupt ctrl movements) 93
Vno (Max struct. cruise speed, except in smooth air but only with caution) 111
Vne (Max speed limit at any time) 149