Cessna 152 Performance by Year, Power and Fuel Configuration

Cessna 152 performance is a set of condition-dependent results rather than one cruise speed, climb rate or range. the source distinguishes maximum speed, cruise, climb, ceiling, takeoff, landing and several range definitions. Some entries preserve detailed fuel and reserve conditions; others are published model-year headlines with less complete context. This page keeps that difference visible.

For focused questions across the two families, use the performance topic guide. This Cessna 152 reference retains the detailed family records and their applicability.

The metric series here explicitly identifies standard Model 152. It is not an automatic performance assignment to A152, F152 or FA152. Use the model guide to establish the aircraft, and the manuals reference to locate its controlling handbook and supplements. The purpose of the tables is informed comparison and source research, not a substitute calculation for an individual flight.

Cruise Speed and Maximum Speed

Cruise speed belongs with power, altitude and source conditions. The 1981 entry records 107 kt at 75 percent power and 8,000 ft, while the 1985 entry records 106 kt at 75 percent and 8,500 ft. These are not identical operating points. A one-knot difference should not be presented as a controlled comparison of two aircraft without preserving the altitude and source context.

Maximum speed is a separate metric. It is not the same as normal cruise, and neither published result substitutes for a certified airspeed limit. The specifications guide separates Vne, Vno, Va and Vfe from the performance series. Confusing a headline maximum with a limit would give the number the wrong technical meaning.

Engine configuration matters as well. The O-235 reference distinguishes L2C and N2C installation ratings and effectivity. The website does not calculate modified-aircraft cruise by multiplying a stock result by a power ratio. The appropriate aircraft or alteration documents must establish performance for the actual installed configuration.

The 152 entries use knots for these speed examples and nautical miles for the detailed range examples. Earlier aircraft references can use miles per hour or other presentation conventions. Before comparing a 152 result with the Cessna 150 performance reference, identify the units as well as the metric and conditions. A numerical difference caused by unlike units is not an aircraft performance difference, and conversion alone cannot repair an unmatched power or altitude basis.

Climb Rate and Service Ceiling

The sea-level climb entries are distinct from service ceiling. A sea-level result does not describe climb at every altitude, and a single ceiling figure cannot supply a complete climb schedule. Where the extracted row does not specify weight or atmospheric conditions, those conditions remain unestablished in that row.

For example, the 1981 and 1985 summaries both record a sea-level rate of climb of 715 fpm and a service ceiling of 14,700 ft. Repetition does not establish that every aircraft will reproduce those results. It also does not prove that the detailed handbook charts or all operating assumptions are identical between the years.

Owners comparing a performance claim should distinguish published evidence from measured aircraft condition. A quoted climb result is not an engine assessment. Pilots need the actual aircraft configuration and matching performance information, while buyers need records and inspection to investigate condition independently of the source's historical figures.

Takeoff Ground Roll and Obstacle Distance

Takeoff ground roll and takeoff distance over a 50-foot obstacle describe different quantities. The airborne segment is not included merely because a ground-roll figure is labeled takeoff. Keep the obstacle height, units and metric name together when copying a figure into a comparison or research note.

the 1981 and 1985 headline records distinguish 725 ft ground roll from 1,340 ft over the obstacle. Those entries illustrate the scale of the difference in what is being measured; they do not supply every condition needed for a flight-specific runway assessment. An empty condition field must not be silently filled from another year's row.

The loading reference and fuel guide explain related configuration questions. Actual weight, tank installation and aircraft documentation remain necessary. The site does not derive runway corrections or make a shorter published distance applicable by choosing a favorable value from another source.

Landing Ground Roll and Obstacle Distance

Landing data requires the same separation of ground roll from total distance over the stated obstacle. A ground-roll result is not an all-inclusive landing-distance figure. The metric label should remain part of any comparison rather than disappearing when the numerical column is copied elsewhere.

the 1981 and 1985 summaries retain 475 ft ground roll and 1,200 ft over 50 ft. As with takeoff, the extracted headline records do not reproduce a complete operating chart. Source conditions and the aircraft's current handbook are needed before a pilot can assess an actual runway question.

A longer published figure is not automatically a universally conservative substitute for inapplicable data. If the aircraft configuration or source basis does not match, choosing a larger number does not establish validity. The useful response is to identify the correct performance source, preserve its conditions and evaluate the actual aircraft through its controlling documentation.

Standard and Long-Range Tank Results

The range tables distinguish 24.5 gallons of usable fuel for the standard configuration and 37.5 gallons for the long-range configuration in the detailed entries. Both the amount of usable fuel and the installed tank option matter. A long-tank range row is not a claim that every aircraft of that year carries long-range tanks.

The 1981 cruise-range entries record 320 nm with standard usable fuel and 545 nm with long tanks at 75 percent power and 8,000 ft. Their reserve basis includes start, taxi, takeoff and climb plus a 45-minute reserve. These conditions are part of the result, not an optional footnote that can be omitted from a comparison.

The 1985 cruise-range entries instead record 315 nm and 540 nm at 75 percent and 8,500 ft. Comparing those with the 1981 entries requires retaining both altitude and source differences. A range difference does not alone establish a uniform advantage in aircraft efficiency or condition.

Maximum and Optimum Range

Maximum-range and optimum-range labels are preserved separately from cruise range. They need not use the same power or altitude assumptions. Where power is blank, the reference leaves it blank instead of borrowing the power from a cruise row. This prevents a familiar label from creating a false equivalence between unlike operating points.

The detailed 1981 maximum-range records use 10,000 ft and distinguish 415 nm standard-tank from 690 nm long-tank results. The 1985 records retain different maximum-range values at that altitude. The table supplies the source evidence; it does not infer endurance, fuel flow or a universal operational reserve from an incomplete row.

The fuel-capacity guide explains why total, usable and reserve quantities are different. Unusable fuel is not a pilot-selected reserve, and a reserve stated in one source is not automatically the legal or operational requirement for every flight. Keep the published basis intact and use the controlling aircraft information for planning.

Stall Figures and Operating Limits

The model-year stall summary retains flaps-up and flaps-down entries as different configurations. A single generic stall speed would lose that distinction. Their source status also matters: a published summary is not the complete statement of every weight, configuration or indicated/calibrated relationship in an aircraft handbook.

These annual rows can name 152/A152 jointly, while the detailed performance metric series names 152. The difference in source scope remains visible rather than being flattened into one broad family assignment. Neither table overrides the separate standard and Aerobat certified-speed groups.

Reims, Aerobat and Modified-Aircraft Boundaries

A common engine or propeller application does not establish identical performance for every model. Reims authority, Aerobat category and approved alterations require their own documents. Missing exact-model performance evidence is not filled by assigning the U.S. standard series to another identity.

For a meaningful comparison, write down the model, year, configuration, metric, units and every stated condition before comparing the values. Leave unknown conditions unknown. The Cessna 152 pillar connects those research layers, while the source links and aircraft handbook determine what a particular figure can establish.

Individual Cessna 152 Model References

• Cessna 152 - 1978-1985
• Cessna A152 Aerobat - 1978-1985
• Reims/Cessna F152 - 1978-1986
• Reims/Cessna FA152 Aerobat - 1978-1986

Related Cessna 152 Subjects

• Cessna 152 aircraft reference
• Serial ranges and identity exceptions
• Models and Variants
• Specifications and Certified Limits
• Engines and Applicability
• Propellers and Approved Applications
• Fuel Capacity and Tanks
• Weight, CG and Loading
• Systems and Production Changes
• Airworthiness Directives
• Known Issues and Prebuy Research
• Manuals and Documents