Cessna 150/152 Weight & Balance Calculator
Two-seat trainer W&B where every pound is visible: the 150/152's tight useful load, side-by-side seating, and the full-fuel-two-adults problem solved honestly.
The 150/152's lesson is weight, not balance — side-by-side seats at 39 in keep CG tame, but two FAA-standard adults plus full tanks exceeds gross in most airframes. The tool computes the fuel that actually fits.
Formula
⚠️ For planning and education only. Weight & balance must be computed from YOUR aircraft's actual empty weight, arm and current equipment list, and verified against the POH/AFM envelope before flight.
Two-seat trainer W&B where every pound is visible: the 150/152's tight useful load, side-by-side seating, and the full-fuel-two-adults problem solved honestly.
About Cessna 150/152 Weight & Balance Calculator
Generations soloed in Cessna 150s and 152s, and nearly all of them flew their first weight-and-balance surprise in one: two ordinary adults and full tanks simply don't fit under the 1,600/1,670-pound gross. This calculator embraces the two-seater's real question — not 'are we balanced?' (the side-by-side bench keeps CG docile) but 'how much fuel can we legally carry?' — and answers it directly, alongside the standard weight/CG computation.
How to use Cessna 150/152 Weight & Balance Calculator
- 1Enter — sensible defaults are pre-filled so you see a worked result immediately.
- 2Read the live results: .
- 3Check the "With your numbers" line to see the formula arms: seats 39 / fuel 42 / baggage 64 in; gross: C150 1,600 lb · C152 1,670 lb substituted step by step.
- 4Adjust inputs (or flip the unit toggle) until the scenario matches yours, then copy or share the result.
Why use Cessna 150/152 Weight & Balance Calculator?
- ✓Instant, free and private — every calculation runs in your browser, nothing is uploaded
- ✓Built on the published formula arms: seats 39 / fuel 42 / baggage 64 in; gross: C150 1,600 lb · C152 1,670 lb with sources cited on the page
- ✓The 150/152's lesson is weight, not balance — side-by-side seats at 39 in keep CG tame, but two FAA-standard adults plus full tanks exceeds gross in most airframes. The tool computes the fuel that actually fits.
- ✓Switch units, tweak any input and watch every result update live
Frequently asked questions
Can a 152 really not carry two adults and full fuel?+
Run the numbers: 1,110 lb empty + 360 lb of adults + 26 gal (156 lb) + flight bag = 1,640+ lb against a 1,670 gross — and that's with below-average adults. Most training pairs operate 4–8 gallons below full tanks. The tool's 'max fuel with this cabin load' output is the number every 150/152 renter should know cold.
Is partial-fuel operation actually safe practice?+
It's standard practice, managed with discipline: confirm quantity visually (calibrated dipstick — the gauges are famously vague at partial fill), recompute endurance honestly, and respect day-VFR reserves. The risk isn't partial fuel; it's partial fuel assumed to be full. The 152 fleet has flown millions of safe hours at 18 gallons.
Why does the 150/152 rarely have CG problems?+
Geometry: both occupants sit at one arm (39 in) near the loaded CG, fuel lives at 42, and the baggage shelf (64 in, 120 lb max) is the only meaningful aft lever. Unless you stuff the shelf to its limit with a light pilot, the CG stays mid-band. Weight hits the wall long before balance does — the opposite of four-seat aft-bench aircraft.
What's the difference between the C150 and C152 for loading?+
The 152's Lycoming O-235 and 1,670 lb gross (vs the 150's Continental O-200 and 1,600 lb) bought about 70 lb of useful load — yet empty weights also crept up, so real-world payload gains are smaller than the placard suggests. Select your model in the tool; more importantly, use your airframe's actual empty weight, where 50 lb of variation lives.
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