Cessna 172N Skyhawk Specs: Weights, V-Speeds, Cruise

Q: How much fuel does a Cessna 172N Skyhawk hold?

40 gallons usable. At a high-cruise burn of 8.4 GPH that is roughly 4.8 hours to dry tanks. Plan with reserves, never to zero.

Q: What is the useful load of a Cessna 172N Skyhawk?

About 870 lb for a typically equipped example (2300 lb max gross minus a typical empty weight of 1430 lb). Use your aircraft's own weight-and-balance records, not type averages.

Q: What is the Vne of a Cessna 172N Skyhawk?

VNE (never exceed) is 158 kt and VNO (max structural cruising) is 127 kt. Verify against the POH for your serial number.

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In the FlightDecide app since 2026-07-16. Reviewed 2026-09-28. 4 of 6 tables from the handbook. Anything marked “Not yet verified against the handbook” comes from FlightDecide's earlier library and hasn't been checked against the printed page.

Cessna 172N Skyhawk preflight numbers at a glance: max gross weight 2300 lb, typical useful load 870 lb, 40 gal usable fuel, cruise up to about 122 KTAS (reference figure at 8000 ft, standard day). 4 of the 6 performance tables below are read from the published POH/AFM; treat the ones marked “Not yet verified against the handbook” as estimates. Use them for planning and study, and confirm against the POH for your specific serial number before flight.

Cessna 172N Skyhawk specs and key numbers

Not yet verified against the handbook

Engine	Lycoming O-320-H2AD
Propeller	Sensenich 76EM8S5-0-58
Max gross weight	2300 lb
Empty weight (typical)	1430 lb
Useful load (typical)	870 lb
Usable fuel	40 gal
Service ceiling	14,200 ft

Cessna 172N Skyhawk V-speeds

Not yet verified against the handbook

Knots indicated (KIAS) unless the POH states otherwise. Speeds vary by model year and serial; the placarded speeds and your POH govern.

Speed	Value	Meaning
V_S0	40 kt	Stall, landing configuration
V_S1	50 kt	Stall, clean configuration
V_X	62 kt	Best angle of climb
V_Y	73 kt	Best rate of climb
V_FE	85 kt	Max flaps extended
V_NO	127 kt	Max structural cruising
V_NE	158 kt	Never exceed
Best glide	65 kt	Best glide speed

Cessna 172N Skyhawk cruise performance

Not yet verified against the handbook

Source not verified: these rows are the library's earlier transcription, and the pages they cite have not been checked against the handbook. True airspeed and fuel flow depend on altitude, power setting, temperature and leaning technique.

Source: Figure 5-7

Recommended lean mixture: 98 published rows
Pressure altitude	RPM	ISA-20 °C			ISA			ISA+20 °C
Pressure altitude	RPM	%	TAS	GPH	%	TAS	GPH	%	TAS	GPH
2,000 ft	2,100	50	95	5.8	47	94	5.6	45	93	5.4
2,000 ft	2,200	56	101	6.3	53	100	6.1	50	99	5.8
2,000 ft	2,300	64	106	7.1	60	105	6.7	56	105	6.3
2,000 ft	2,400	72	111	8.0	67	111	7.5	63	110	7.1
2,000 ft	2,500				75	116	8.4	71	115	7.9
4,000 ft	2,100	48	94	5.6	46	93	5.5	44	92	5.3
4,000 ft	2,200	54	100	6.1	51	99	5.9	48	98	5.7
4,000 ft	2,300	60	105	6.8	57	105	6.4	54	104	6.1
4,000 ft	2,400	68	111	7.6	64	110	7.1	60	109	6.7
4,000 ft	2,500	76	116	8.5	71	115	8.0	67	115	7.5
4,000 ft	2,550				75	118	8.4	71	118	7.9
6,000 ft	2,100	46	93	5.5	44	92	5.4	42	91	5.2
6,000 ft	2,200	51	99	5.9	49	98	5.7	47	97	5.5
6,000 ft	2,300	57	105	6.5	54	104	6.2	52	103	5.9
6,000 ft	2,400	64	110	7.2	60	109	6.8	57	108	6.4
6,000 ft	2,500	72	116	8.1	67	115	7.6	64	114	7.1
6,000 ft	2,600				75	120	8.4	71	120	7.9
8,000 ft	2,200	49	98	5.7	47	97	5.5	45	96	5.4
8,000 ft	2,300	55	104	6.2	52	103	6.0	50	102	5.8
8,000 ft	2,400	61	110	6.9	58	109	6.5	55	108	6.2
8,000 ft	2,500	68	115	7.7	64	114	7.2	60	113	6.8
8,000 ft	2,600	76	120	8.6	71	120	8.0	67	119	7.5
8,000 ft	2,650				75	122	8.4	71	122	7.9
10,000 ft	2,200	47	97	5.6	45	96	5.4	44	95	5.3
10,000 ft	2,300	52	103	6.0	50	102	5.8	48	101	5.6
10,000 ft	2,400	58	109	6.5	55	108	6.2	52	107	6.0
10,000 ft	2,500	65	114	7.3	61	114	6.8	58	112	6.5
10,000 ft	2,600	72	120	8.1	68	119	7.6	64	118	7.1
10,000 ft	2,650	76	122	8.5	71	122	8.0	67	121	7.5
12,000 ft	2,200	46	96	5.5	44	95	5.4	43	94	5.3
12,000 ft	2,300	50	102	5.8	48	101	5.6	46	100	5.5
12,000 ft	2,400	56	108	6.3	53	107	6.0	51	106	5.8
12,000 ft	2,500	62	114	6.9	58	113	6.5	55	111	6.2
12,000 ft	2,600	68	119	7.7	64	118	7.2	61	117	6.8

How much runway does a Cessna 172N Skyhawk need?

Handbook figures at 2300 lb, 0 ft pressure altitude, 10 °C. Real-world technique, wind, surface, and density altitude move these substantially, so apply your own margin (many pilots use 1.5× the book number) and run the numbers for the actual conditions.

Handbook figure	Distance
Takeoff ground roll	775 ft
Takeoff over a 50 ft obstacle	1390 ft
Landing ground roll	510 ft
Landing over a 50 ft obstacle	1235 ft

See how density altitude stretches these distances on a hot day.

Takeoff distance

Flaps up, full throttle prior to brake release, paved level dry runway, zero wind

Source: Pilot's Operating Handbook and FAA Approved Airplane Flight Manual, Cessna Model 172N Skyhawk · Takeoff Distance - Short Field

Ground roll (bold) and total distance over a 50 ft obstacle at 2,300 lb
Pressure altitude	0 °C	10 °C	20 °C	30 °C	40 °C
Sea level	720 / 1,300	775 / 1,390	835 / 1,490	895 / 1,590	960 / 1,700
1,000 ft	790 / 1,420	850 / 1,525	915 / 1,630	980 / 1,745	1,050 / 1,865
2,000 ft	865 / 1,555	930 / 1,670	1,000 / 1,790	1,075 / 1,915	1,155 / 2,055
3,000 ft	950 / 1,710	1,025 / 1,835	1,100 / 1,970	1,185 / 2,115	1,270 / 2,265
4,000 ft	1,045 / 1,880	1,125 / 2,025	1,210 / 2,175	1,300 / 2,335	1,400 / 2,510
5,000 ft	1,150 / 2,075	1,240 / 2,240	1,335 / 2,410	1,435 / 2,595	1,540 / 2,795
6,000 ft	1,265 / 2,305	1,365 / 2,485	1,475 / 2,680	1,585 / 2,895	1,705 / 3,125
7,000 ft	1,400 / 2,565	1,510 / 2,770	1,630 / 3,000	1,755 / 3,245	1,890 / 3,515
8,000 ft	1,550 / 2,870	1,675 / 3,110	1,805 / 3,375	1,945 / 3,670	2,095 / 3,990
9,000 ft	1,716 / 3,211	1,858 / 3,492	1,999 / 3,797	2,156 / 4,151	2,322 / 4,529
10,000 ft	1,900 / 3,593	2,061 / 3,920	2,213 / 4,271	2,389 / 4,694	2,574 / 5,141

from the handbook extrapolated beyond the handbook

Landing distance

Flaps 40 deg, power off, maximum braking, paved level dry runway, zero wind

Source: Pilot's Operating Handbook and FAA Approved Airplane Flight Manual, Cessna Model 172N Skyhawk · Landing Distance - Short Field

Ground roll (bold) and total distance over a 50 ft obstacle at 2,300 lb
Pressure altitude	0 °C	10 °C	20 °C	30 °C	40 °C
Sea level	495 / 1,205	510 / 1,235	530 / 1,265	545 / 1,295	565 / 1,330
1,000 ft	510 / 1,235	530 / 1,265	550 / 1,300	565 / 1,330	585 / 1,365
2,000 ft	530 / 1,265	550 / 1,300	570 / 1,335	590 / 1,370	610 / 1,405
3,000 ft	550 / 1,300	570 / 1,335	590 / 1,370	610 / 1,405	630 / 1,440
4,000 ft	570 / 1,335	590 / 1,370	615 / 1,410	635 / 1,445	655 / 1,480
5,000 ft	590 / 1,370	615 / 1,415	635 / 1,450	655 / 1,485	680 / 1,525
6,000 ft	615 / 1,415	640 / 1,455	660 / 1,490	685 / 1,535	705 / 1,570
7,000 ft	640 / 1,455	660 / 1,495	685 / 1,535	710 / 1,575	730 / 1,615
8,000 ft	665 / 1,500	690 / 1,540	710 / 1,580	735 / 1,620	760 / 1,665
9,000 ft	691 / 1,546	721 / 1,586	736 / 1,626	761 / 1,666	791 / 1,717
10,000 ft	718 / 1,594	754 / 1,634	763 / 1,674	788 / 1,714	824 / 1,770

from the handbook extrapolated beyond the handbook

Common Questions

How fast does a Cessna 172N Skyhawk cruise?

Per the library's cruise table, not yet verified against the handbook, up to about 122 KTAS at 8000 ft on a standard day, burning roughly 8.4 GPH at that setting. Typical everyday cruise settings run slower and leaner; see the table above.

How much fuel does a Cessna 172N Skyhawk hold?

40 gallons usable. At a high-cruise burn of 8.4 GPH that is roughly 4.8 hours to dry tanks. Plan with reserves, never to zero.

What is the useful load of a Cessna 172N Skyhawk?

About 870 lb for a typically equipped example (2300 lb max gross minus a typical empty weight of 1430 lb). Your aircraft's actual empty weight and CG come from its own weight-and-balance records. Always use those, not type averages.

What is the Vne of a Cessna 172N Skyhawk?

V_NE (never exceed) is 158 kt and V_NO (max structural cruising) is 127 kt. Full V-speed table above; verify against the POH for your serial.

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Reference data for planning and study: approximate, and not a substitute for the FAA-approved AFM/POH for your specific aircraft, an official weather briefing, or your judgment as pilot in command (14 CFR 91.3). Source: Cessna Model 172N Skyhawk Pilot's Operating Handbook, Cessna Aircraft Company (1977 issue). Cruise performance rows transcribed verbatim from Section 5 Performance, Figure 5-7 Cruise Performance, page 5-16. Conditions: 2300 lb, Recommended Lean Mixture at all altitudes. Engine red line (Lycoming O-320-H2AD): 2700 RPM, Section 2 Limitations page 2-4. Data synced from the FlightDecide aircraft library on 2026-09-28.