Cessna 177 Cardinal RG vs Mooney M20C

Side-by-side specs, range, and operating costs.

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Dimensions & configuration

Representative planforms, drawn to shared scale.

Cessna 177 Cardinal RG
36 ft × 27 ft ⭥ 9 ft
1× Piston Retractable Unpressurized
Mooney M20C
35 ft × 23 ft ⭥ 8 ft
1× Piston Retractable Unpressurized

Flight Profile

Service ceiling, range, and climb rate.

Tap legend to isolate

Arc represents the climb-cruise-descent profile based on published service ceiling and range. Climb rate annotated on ascent. FL180 (18,000 ft) shown for reference.

Mission Performance

Stall, approach, cruise, range, ceiling and climb: best values are at the top.

Mission performance specifications
Specification Cessna 177 Cardinal RGMooney M20C
Stall speed 57 kt61 kt
Approach speed 61 kt65 kt
Cruise speed 148 kt148 kt
Range 895 nm650 nm
Service ceiling 17100 ft17200 ft
Rate of climb 925 fpm1010 fpm
Fuel burn 10.0 gph9.5 gph

Each axis is scaled independently across the compared aircraft and printed in its own units; every vertex sits at the published figure. Higher is better on all axes: Stall, Approach and Fuel Burn are inverted (lower = higher). A missing figure breaks the line at that axis.

Fuel Burn & Range

Range, endurance, and what the fuel costs by the hour.

Cessna 177 Cardinal RG Avgas
10.0 gph
Baseline
895 nm range 14.8 nm/gal 60 gal usable $65 fuel/hr 6h 00m endurance
Cessna 177 Cardinal RG: 10.0 gph at cruise, 895 nautical mile published range, 6 hour 0 minute endurance, 14.8 nautical miles per gallon.
Mooney M20C Avgas
9.5 gph
Baseline
650 nm range 15.6 nm/gal 52 gal usable $62 fuel/hr 5h 28m endurance
Mooney M20C: 9.5 gph at cruise, 650 nautical mile published range, 5 hour 28 minute endurance, 15.6 nautical miles per gallon.
Avgas range each cell = 1 hr of cruise · width scales with speed tank-dry · at this cruise burn

Bars show published still-air range: select a cell to view cruise-hours and fuel usage. Endurance is full tank at the displayed cruise burn rate; the extra is reserve and economy margin. Estimates only. Always verify against the POH.

Runway Performance

Density altitude adjusted estimates

Outside Air Temp
0°F57°F115°F
Field Elevation
SL4,0008,000 ft

Takeoff over 50 ft obstacle

Landing ground roll

Density Altitude

Monte cristo

Base distance DA penalty
Scale: 6,000 ft

FAA 10%/1,000 ft DA rule of thumb (FAA-H-8083-25B). Turboprops and jets are less sensitive in practice. Always verify against the POH.

Estimated Operating Costs

Hourly direct and annual fixed costs

Scale:
Cessna 177 Cardinal RG Avgas
$133 /hr
Baseline
Cessna 177 Cardinal RG: $133 per flight hour — fuel $65, maintenance and reserve $68.
Mooney M20C Avgas
$96 /hr
Baseline
Mooney M20C: $96 per flight hour — fuel $62, maintenance and reserve $34.
Cessna 177 Cardinal RG Piston
$11,400 /yr Baseline
Cessna 177 Cardinal RG: $11,400 per year — insurance $2,400, hangar $6,000, annual inspection $3,000.
Mooney M20C Piston
$10,710 /yr Baseline
Mooney M20C: $10,710 per year — insurance $2,500, hangar $5,710, annual inspection $2,500.

Estimates only. Hourly direct operating cost, based on fuel price and reserves; Annual fixed costs (insurance, hangar, and inspection). Costs vary by location, pilot profile, and market conditions. See individual aircraft pages for source notes.

Capability & limits

Payload vs useful load limit

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Cessna 177 Cardinal RG Piston
4 / 4 seats 60 gal / 60 gal fuel 672 lbs wet payload 1,032 lbs useful 2,800 lbs MTOW
Mooney M20C Piston
4 / 4 seats 52 gal / 52 gal fuel 638 lbs wet payload 950 lbs useful 2,575 lbs MTOW

Shows selected occupants against full fuel, within the aircraft's useful-load limit. Fuel weight at 6.7 lb/gal jet-A, 6.0 lb/gal avgas; pax and luggage are 190 + 30 . Change payload weights in global settings.

Payload-Range Map

Origin: · two fingers to move map

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