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Payload vs. Range
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Range
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En route
Fuel burned
Direct cost
Fuel cost
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Mission Profile
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Estimated Ownership Costs
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About the Cessna 152
Type certificated 1977
Overview
The Cessna 152 is a two-seat, fixed-gear, high-wing trainer produced from 1977 to 1985 as the direct successor to the Cessna 150. It became one of the standard primary trainers in general aviation, and thousands remain active in flight schools and private hands worldwide. The airframe is simple, forgiving, and exceptionally well-documented, which is what made it a default choice for ab initio training for decades.
The 152 is, in essence, what the 150 became when 80-octane avgas disappeared. Its Lycoming O-235-L2C was chosen to run on 100LL, which the 150’s Continental O-200 – designed around 80/87 – tolerates but does not enjoy, fouling plugs on the extra lead. With the new engine came 110 horsepower, a 2,400-hour TBO against the O-200’s 1,800, and a 70-pound lift in gross weight. Everything else is recognisably the same aeroplane: the high-wing view, the benign stall, the wide CG envelope the line was built around, and an aerobatic A152 variant carried over from the A150. It is not a fast or capable cross-country airplane, and it was never meant to be.
Key Features for GA Buyers
- Proven trainer airframe. The handling was deliberately designed to be forgiving: high wing for visibility and stability, a wide CG envelope, and a clean stall around 43 knots that gives ample warning and recovers predictably. The same qualities make it an accessible first airplane for newly certificated pilots.
- Low operating costs. At about 6 gallons per hour on the Lycoming O-235-L2C and a long 2,400-hour TBO, the 152 is inexpensive to run, with our cost model putting direct operating cost near $70 per hour. Annuals are straightforward: no retractable gear, no turbocharger, no constant-speed prop to maintain.
- Parts and maintenance ecosystem. Thousands remain on the FAA registry with a deep network of experienced shops, so parts availability and mechanic familiarity are non-issues.
- Mogas STC available. An STC permits the use of automotive gasoline, which can cut fuel costs at fields where mogas is available.
Trade-offs
- Two seats, low useful load. Useful load is about 589 lb; with full usable fuel (24.5 gallons, 147 lb) that leaves roughly 442 lb for occupants and baggage, so two adults with bags need to watch weight and balance.
- Slow cruise. Around 107 knots true is a training and local-flying speed, not a cross-country one; trips beyond about 150 nm become a test of patience.
- Aging fleet. Production ended in 1985, so every 152 is now around forty years old. Airframe condition, corrosion history, and the records of a high-cycle trainer all deserve close scrutiny at pre-buy.
- Valve adjustments every 100 hours. The O-235-L2C uses solid tappets, so valve clearances must be checked every 100 hours, a recurring cost separate from the annual that catches some owners off guard.
- Limited utility beyond training. Once a pilot is building hours, the 152 is quickly too small for practical personal travel, and most owners step up to a four-seat airplane.
See Also
- Cessna 150 – the predecessor; mechanically similar, marginally less power, and widely available at lower prices Compare
- Cessna 172 Skyhawk – the natural step-up; four seats, more useful load, and practical cross-country capability Compare
- Piper Tomahawk PA38 – the primary contemporary competitor in the training market; low-wing design with more responsive handling Compare
Featured in our buying guides
Technical Specifications
Dimensions & Weights
- Height
- 8 ft
- Length
- 24 ft
- Parking area (ft²2)
- 1,257 ft²
- Max Takeoff Weight
- Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 1,670 lbs
- Max Landing Weight
- Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 1,670 lbs
- Useful Load
- 589 lbs
- Fuel Capacity
- Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 25 gal
Performance
- Cruise Speed
- 107 KTAS
- Never-Exceed (VNE)
- Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 149 KIAS
- Max Structural Cruise (VNO)
- Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 111 KIAS
- Approach Speed
- 56 KIAS
- Stall, Clean (VS1)
- 43 KIAS
- Range
- 477 NM
- Service Ceiling
- 14,700 ft
- Rate of Climb
- 715 fpm
- Takeoff over 50 ft obstacle
- 1,340 ft
- Landing over 50 ft obstacle
- 1,200 ft
Engine
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Sources
Where the figures on this page come from. Cessna 152 specifications are traced to published references; estimated values are flagged inline next to the figure.
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FAA TCDS 3A19 (Rev 50), Model 152, Airspeed Limits (IAS) dyzz9obi78pm5.cloudfront.net
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Pilot's Operating Handbook, Cessna 152, Section 1 PERFORMANCE -- SPECIFICATIONS (the standard-day summary page) wayman.edu
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Pilot's Operating Handbook, Cessna 152 (1978 Model 152, Change 2), Section 5, Figure 5-10 LANDING DISTANCE / SHORT FIELD (the underlying chart) longislandaviators.com
Similar to the Cessna 152
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