The Cessna 152 is a two-seat, high-wing training airplane that the FAA approved in March 1977 and Cessna built for the 1978 through 1985 model years. It has a 110 hp Lycoming O-235 engine (108 hp on later serial numbers), a 1,670 lb maximum weight, 24.5 gallons of usable fuel in standard tanks and a 149 KIAS never-exceed speed. The 1980 model handbook lists Vx 55 KIAS, Vy 67 KIAS and a 60 KIAS best glide speed, but the POH for your airplane’s serial number always has the final word.
Part of our Training Aircraft guide. Flying a four-seat trainer instead? See the Cessna 172, Piper Cherokee and Warrior and Diamond DA40 guides.
Cessna 152 specs at a glance
Limits below come from the FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 3A19 (Revision 51), which covers every Cessna 150 and 152. Performance figures come from Cessna’s 1980 Model 152 information manual, a copy of the POH, and assume a new airplane at maximum weight on a standard day.
| Specification | Cessna 152 | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Seats | 2 | TCDS 3A19 |
| Engine | Lycoming O-235-L2C, 110 hp at 2,550 rpm; O-235-N2C, 108 hp, from S/N 15285595 or when reworked per Cessna kit | TCDS 3A19 |
| Propeller | McCauley two-blade, fixed pitch, 69 in maximum diameter | TCDS 3A19, POH |
| Fuel | 100LL or 100 minimum grade avgas | TCDS 3A19 |
| Maximum weight | 1,670 lb takeoff and landing; 1,675 lb ramp | TCDS 3A19 |
| Standard empty weight / useful load | 1,109 lb / 566 lb (152); 1,142 lb / 533 lb (152 II) | 1980 POH |
| Fuel capacity | 26 gal total, 24.5 usable (standard); 39 gal total, 37.5 usable (long range) | TCDS 3A19, POH |
| Baggage | 120 lb maximum | TCDS 3A19 |
| Cruise speed | 107 knots at 75 percent power at 8,000 ft | 1980 POH |
| Rate of climb, sea level | 715 fpm | 1980 POH |
| Service ceiling | 14,700 ft | 1980 POH |
| Takeoff: ground roll, over 50 ft | 725 ft, 1,340 ft | 1980 POH |
| Landing: ground roll, over 50 ft | 475 ft, 1,200 ft | 1980 POH |
| Flaps | 0 to 30 degrees | TCDS 3A19 |
The handbook notes that its speed figures assume optional speed fairings worth about 2 knots. Your rental’s real empty weight is in its own weight and balance record, not in the brochure numbers above.
Cessna 152 V-speeds
The first four rows are limits that appear in both the data sheet and the handbook. The rest are the 1980 handbook’s recommended speeds at 1,670 lb. If V-speeds are new to you, start there.
| Speed | KIAS | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Vne, never exceed (red line) | 149 | TCDS 3A19, POH |
| Vno, maximum structural cruising (top of green arc) | 111 | TCDS 3A19, POH |
| Va, maneuvering: 1,670 / 1,500 / 1,350 lb | 104 / 98 / 93 | POH (TCDS lists 104) |
| Vfe, maximum flap extended | 85 | TCDS 3A19, POH |
| Vx, best angle of climb (sea level to 10,000 ft) | 55 | 1980 POH |
| Vy, best rate of climb (sea level) | 67 | 1980 POH |
| Nosewheel lift-off, normal takeoff | 50 | 1980 POH |
| Best glide | 60 | 1980 POH |
| Normal approach, flaps 30 degrees | 55 to 65 | 1980 POH |
| Short field approach, flaps 30 degrees | 54 | 1980 POH |
| Stall, flaps up / flaps down, power off | 48 / 43 KCAS | 1980 POH |
| Maximum demonstrated crosswind | 12 knots | 1980 POH |
The green arc starts at 40 KIAS and the white arc at 35 KIAS. Notice that maneuvering speed drops as weight drops: a 152 flown solo is lighter than 1,670 lb, so its Va is lower than the 104 KIAS placarded for 1,670 lb. Our Cessna 172 V-speeds page explains why, and the stalls guide covers what the stall speeds mean.
History and production years
The 152 is the last chapter of a type certificate that began with the Model 150, approved on July 10, 1958. Data sheet 3A19 lists the 150 through 150M, then the Model 152, approved March 16, 1977, plus the A152 Aerobat, a version certificated in the acrobatic category. Its serial number table runs from the 1978 model year through the 1985 model year.
Two engine versions exist. Airplanes through S/N 15285594 have the 110 hp O-235-L2C. Serial numbers 15285595 and on, and earlier airplanes reworked under Cessna kits SK152-15 or SK152-16, have the 108 hp O-235-N2C. Both turn a maximum of 2,550 rpm.
Why the 152 is a classic trainer
Much of the 152’s appeal to flight schools is written in its handbook:
- Simple systems. A carbureted four-cylinder engine, a fixed-pitch propeller, fixed tricycle gear and fuel that flows by gravity. There is very little for a new student to manage beyond flying the airplane.
- Conventional stalls with plenty of warning. The handbook describes conventional stall characteristics, with a horn that sounds 5 to 10 knots before the stall. The horn is pneumatic: you check it on preflight by drawing air through the opening on the left wing’s leading edge.
- Utility category. The Model 152 is certificated in the utility category (the A152 Aerobat is a separate acrobatic category model), and the handbook approves spins, chandelles, lazy eights and steep turns. That matters later if you train for a commercial or flight instructor certificate.
- Two seats. One student and one instructor is exactly the training mission. The trade-off is weight, covered below.
Engine and fuel system
The 1980 handbook describes the fuel system plainly: two vented wing tanks feed by gravity to a fuel shutoff valve, then through a strainer to the carburetor. There is no left, right or both selector to manage, only the shutoff valve, which stays ON in flight. A few details students miss:
- Usable fuel. Standard tanks hold 26 gallons, of which 24.5 are usable; long-range tanks hold 39 gallons with 37.5 usable. Plan with usable fuel, never tank capacity.
- Top off twice. The handbook warns that fuel cross-feeds between the tanks, so re-top each tank after fueling to be sure you have full capacity.
- Carburetor heat. The O-235 is carbureted, so the run-up includes a carburetor heat check and the before-landing checklist calls for it as the POH directs. Our aircraft engine guide explains carburetor ice.
- Endurance. At 75 percent power at 8,000 ft, the handbook lists 320 nm and 3.1 hours with standard tanks, including start, taxi, climb and a 45-minute reserve. Lessons are flown lower and slower, so use the cruise tables in Section 5.
Useful load with two adults: do the math
The 152 is a two-seat airplane, but two seats do not mean two adults of any size plus full fuel. Here is the arithmetic for a new standard 152 from the 1980 handbook:
- Maximum useful load: 566 lb.
- Full standard fuel: 24.5 gallons at the handbook’s 6 pounds per gallon is 147 lb.
- What is left for both occupants plus baggage: 566 minus 147 = 419 lb.
Two 200 lb adults with full fuel leave just 19 lb for headsets, a flight bag and charts, and two 220 lb adults would be over maximum weight before anything else goes aboard. A 152 II, with its extra standard equipment, starts with only 533 lb of useful load, and an older airplane with added avionics may have less. The fix is usually reduced fuel, which shortens your reserve, so run a real weight and balance calculation with your airplane’s actual empty weight before every flight. The center of gravity range is narrow too: 31.0 to 36.5 inches aft of the firewall at 1,350 lb or less, tightening to 32.65 to 36.5 inches at 1,670 lb.
Ask your flight school for the 152’s current empty weight and arm from its weight and balance record, and save a filled-in loading form for you and your instructor. You will reuse it on every dual lesson.
Cessna 152 vs 150 vs 172
All three are high-wing Cessnas with fixed gear and fixed-pitch propellers. The numbers below are from the FAA data sheets (3A19 for the 150 and 152, 3A12 for the 172).
| Cessna 150M | Cessna 152 | Cessna 172N | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seats | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Engine | Continental O-200-A, 100 hp | Lycoming O-235, 110 or 108 hp | Lycoming O-320-H2AD, 160 hp |
| Minimum fuel grade | 80/87 | 100LL/100 | 100/130 or 100LL/100, by serial number |
| Maximum weight | 1,600 lb | 1,670 lb | 2,300 lb |
| Usable fuel, standard tanks | 22.5 gal | 24.5 gal | 40 gal |
| Flap travel | 0 to 40 degrees | 0 to 30 degrees | 0 to 40 degrees |
| Vne | 141 KIAS (1976 and 1977) | 149 KIAS | 160 KCAS (1977 to 1979) |
| Category | Utility | Utility | Normal and utility |
The practical differences: the 152 has a little more power, weight allowance and fuel than the 150, and its flaps stop at 30 degrees instead of 40. The 172 carries two more seats and far more useful load, which is why many schools use it for cross-countries and checkrides. Read our Cessna 172 specs guide for every 172 model.
What students should know
Spins: utility category, with conditions
The 152 handbook says the airplane is certificated in the utility category and approves intentional spins, with conditions: no spins with flaps extended, none with baggage or an occupied child’s seat, and none before dual instruction from an instructor familiar with the 152’s spin characteristics. It recommends entries high enough that recovery is complete 4,000 ft or more above the ground. A Piper Warrior II is different: its handbook prohibits spins in both its normal and utility categories, so never assume one trainer’s approvals carry over to another (see our Piper Cherokee guide). The 152 handbook lists spins among its approved aerobatic maneuvers, so the limits in 14 CFR 91.303, including no aerobatic flight below 1,500 ft above the surface, apply.
Your solo endorsement is make and model specific
Under 14 CFR 61.87(n), your solo endorsement names the specific make and model, and your presolo knowledge test covers that make and model’s flight characteristics and limitations. Switching from a 152 to a 172 before solo means new training and a new endorsement.
Match the handbook to the serial number
Cessna published a separate handbook for nearly every 152 model year, and data sheet 3A19 lists the part numbers by serial range: D1136-13 for 1979 models and D1210-13 for 1982 models, for example. Our POH guide explains how to read one and why an information manual is a study copy, not a replacement for the airplane’s own handbook.
What you'll need
A checklist and the information manual for your 152's model year make the numbers above easy to study and use.
More aircraft checklists, sorted by make and model, are in the PilotMall checklist collection.
Tips for flying the Cessna 152
- Takeoff. The 1980 handbook’s normal takeoff uses 0 to 10 degrees of flap, lifts the nosewheel at 50 KIAS and climbs out at 65 to 75 KIAS. On hot days, check the takeoff chart: with only 110 hp, density altitude eats climb performance quickly.
- Flaps. Extend flaps below 85 KIAS. Full flap is 30 degrees, and the balked landing procedure retracts to 20 degrees at full power, then the rest slowly. Our flaps guide covers the aerodynamics.
- Approach speed. The book calls for 55 to 65 KIAS with full flaps, and 54 KIAS for a short field approach. A light 152 floats if you carry extra speed.
- Stall practice. Expect the horn 5 to 10 knots before the break. Practice the entries and recoveries in our power-on and power-off stalls guide.
- Look up. A high wing hides traffic above and behind you in turns. FAA Advisory Circular 90-48E notes that high-wing airplanes restrict the view above and recommends banking from time to time to uncover blind spots.
Every number on this page is a published value for a standard airplane. Modifications, engine conversions and installed equipment change the limits, so your airplane’s POH or flight manual and its supplements govern.
Frequently asked questions
How many seats does a Cessna 152 have?
Two, side by side. The FAA type certificate data sheet lists two seats, with an optional child’s jump seat in the baggage area on some airplanes, and the handbook limits the baggage area, including that seat, to 120 pounds.
What are the V-speeds for a Cessna 152?
The FAA data sheet and handbook list Vne 149 KIAS, Vno 111 KIAS, Va 104 KIAS at 1,670 pounds and Vfe 85 KIAS. The 1980 model handbook adds Vx 55 KIAS, Vy 67 KIAS at sea level and a 60 KIAS best glide speed. Check the POH for your airplane’s serial number.
How much fuel does a Cessna 152 hold?
Standard tanks hold 26 gallons, of which 24.5 are usable. Optional long-range tanks hold 39 gallons, with 37.5 usable. The engine requires 100LL or 100 minimum grade aviation gasoline.
Can you spin a Cessna 152?
Yes, within the handbook’s limits. The 152 is certificated in the utility category and its handbook approves intentional spins with the flaps up, no baggage and no one in the child’s seat, after dual instruction from an instructor familiar with the airplane’s spin characteristics.
Is the Cessna 152 or the 172 better for training?
Both work well. The 152 is a simple two-seat trainer with a 1,670 pound maximum weight, so two larger adults may need to carry less fuel. The four-seat 172 has more power and useful load. Choose the airplane your school maintains well and learn its handbook.