Cessna Skyhawk 172/Cutlass vs Piper Cherokee

Side-by-side specs, range, and real operating costs for up to 5 aircraft.

Aircraft

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Mission Performance

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Values normalised across compared aircraft. Fuel Economy is inverted (lower burn = higher score). See table below for raw figures.

Mission Performance Details

Metric Cessna Skyhawk 172/Cutlass Cessna Piper Cherokee Piper Aircraft, Inc
Stall Speed 53 kts 55 kts
Approach Speed 61 kts 74 kts
Cruise Speed 124 kts 118 kts
Range 640 nm 455 nm
Service Ceiling 14,000 ft 14,300 ft
Rate of Climb 730 fpm 660 fpm
Fuel Burn 9.0 gph 9.0 gph

Flight Profile

Service ceiling, range, and climb rate.

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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.

Fuel Burn

Based on published cruise fuel flow

Fuel price ($/gal)
$
Trip distance
50 nm1,0002,000 nm
Metric Cessna Skyhawk 172/Cutlass Cessna Piper Cherokee Piper Aircraft, Inc
Burn Rate
Trip Fuel
Trip Cost
Cost / hr

Trip time estimated from published cruise speed and distance. Fuel burn is a published cruise figure; actual consumption varies with altitude, loading, and conditions.

Runway Performance

Density altitude adjusted estimates

Outside Air Temp
0°F57°F115°F
Field Elevation
SL4,0008,000 ft
Density Altitude
Base distance DA penalty
Scale: 6,000 ft

Takeoff over 50 ft obstacle

Landing ground roll

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

Metric Cessna Skyhawk 172/Cutlass Cessna Piper Cherokee Piper Aircraft, Inc
Fuel Cost per hour $56/hr $56/hr
Direct Operating Cost per hour $125/hr $110/hr
Annual Fixed Costs
Insurance $2,500/yr $1,100/yr
Hangar $6,900/yr $2,400/yr
Annual Inspection $2,000/yr $1,750/yr
Total Fixed $11,400/yr $5,250/yr

Estimates only. Costs vary by location, pilot profile, and market conditions. See individual aircraft pages for source notes.

Capability, Limits & Dimensions

Metric Cessna Skyhawk 172/Cutlass Cessna Piper Cherokee Piper Aircraft, Inc
Useful Load 895 lbs 949 lbs
MTOW 2,550 lbs 2,150 lbs
Seating 4 4
Fuel Capacity 56 gal 50 gal
Engines 1× Piston 1× Piston
Landing Gear Fixed Fixed
Pressurized No No
Dimensions
Wingspan 36.1 ft 30.0 ft
Length 27.2 ft 23.3 ft
Tail Height 8.9 ft 7.3 ft

Payload-Range Map

Full fuel ← → Max payload

Origin: · click map to move