Cessna A152 Aerobat: Identity, Exceptions and Technical Guide

The U.S. A152 Aerobat is a separate Acrobatic-category identity with two exceptional serial cases and its own certified-speed group. It was approved alongside the standard 152, but it should not be treated as a standard aircraft with a sales label added. Serial research, loading groups and handbook selection all need the Aerobat relationship to remain explicit.

Compare it with the standard U.S. 152 and Reims FA152 without merging their authority or document scope. The family model guide explains those distinctions, while the serial reference preserves the full exceptional-identity evidence.

Certification and Model-Year Context

the identity records 1978-1985 model-year coverage and approval on 16 March 1977 under 3A19. Approval date is a certification event, while model-year ranges organize production identity. Neither establishes an individual aircraft's delivery date or present configuration.

A1500433 and the 681 Notation Case

A1500433 belongs to A152 despite its A150 prefix and is excluded from the A150L ordinary range. The exceptional identity must take priority over a prefix or interval-only lookup. Otherwise, later engine, manual and loading research could start from the wrong legal model.

The short serial 681 and later notation A15200681 are retained as one source-qualified exceptional case. Their coexistence is not evidence of two aircraft. Do not invent a general zero-padding rule from this particular relationship or count every spelling as separate physical production.

A Disputed Model-Year Boundary

The source preserves disagreement over A1520944-A1520948 between the FAA and manufacturer year boundaries. Its primary treatment follows the TCDS while keeping the competing evidence visible. This is a model-year research distinction, not proof of an exact calendar manufacture date.

For a handbook or service-table question in that interval, retain the conflict and examine the aircraft documents. A convenient adjacent-year copy is not an adequate reason to suppress the discrepancy. The manuals guide explains the additional title-page and revision checks.

Engine and Propeller Relationships

The source changes the factory engine relationship from O-235-L2C through A1521014 to N2C from A1521015, while also recognizing approved rework. The engine guide distinguishes the aircraft ratings from engine-manufacturer figures. The installed engine must still be established from its identification and records.

The McCauley application remains attached to its actual engine and aircraft conditions. Shared propeller values do not erase the Aerobat's separate operating category or prove component compliance. The propeller guide provides the installation and hub-research context.

Aerobat Limits and Loading

The A152 certified-speed group is separate from standard Model 152. Its weight-and-balance groups also expressly place A1500433 in the early group and 681 in the later group. Those relationships demonstrate why exceptional identities must survive every later technical lookup.

A later ramp allowance is not a higher takeoff allowance, and a shared weight figure does not establish every operating or maneuver condition. Current aircraft documentation, actual empty weight and configuration are needed. An installed alteration can also introduce limitations that the Aerobat model name does not cancel.

Publications and Remaining Evidence Boundaries

The handbook and document rows below explicitly name A152, including standard/Aerobat family boundaries. A paired publication entry is not permission to choose either manual without checking its model and aircraft scope. The 3A19 reference supplies identity authority rather than a complete operational document.

The detailed performance series in the family reference names standard Model 152 and is not inherited here. Use the actual Aerobat handbook and supplements for performance. Likewise, ADs and known issues require their own installed-equipment and effectivity decisions. This page establishes source relationships, not current equipment, condition or compliance.

Compare the Four Model Identities

• Cessna 152
• Reims/Cessna F152
• Reims/Cessna FA152 Aerobat

The AD 80-06-03 reference explicitly retains A1500433 in its A152 cable-clamp context. The prefix must not override the accepted special identity. The 152-versus-A152 comparison connects category, engine effectivity and exceptional serials with the correct aircraft records.