V-speeds, cruise performance, fuel, and weights, digitized from the POH for planning and study.
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Cessna 177 Cardinal preflight numbers at a glance: max gross weight 2500 lb, typical useful load 920 lb, 49 gal usable fuel, cruise up to about 120 KTAS (POH figure at 2500 ft, standard day). All figures below come from the FlightDecide curated aircraft library, digitized from the published POH/AFM. Use them for planning and study, and confirm against the POH for your specific serial number before flight.
| Engine | Lycoming O-360-A2F (180 HP) |
| Propeller | McCauley 1C160/DTM7557 |
| Max gross weight | 2500 lb |
| Empty weight (typical) | 1580 lb |
| Useful load (typical) | 920 lb |
| Usable fuel | 49 gal |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| VS0 | 44 kt | Stall, landing configuration |
| VS1 | 54 kt | Stall, clean configuration |
| VX | 60 kt | Best angle of climb |
| VY | 80 kt | Best rate of climb |
| VA | 104 kt | Design maneuvering speed (at max gross) |
| VFE | 92 kt | Max flaps extended |
| VNO | 138 kt | Max structural cruising |
| VNE | 165 kt | Never exceed |
| Best glide | 74 kt | Best glide speed |
Transcribed from the POH cruise tables. True airspeed and fuel flow depend on altitude, power setting, temperature, and leaning technique.
| Pressure alt (ft) | RPM | % power | TAS (kt) | Fuel (GPH) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2500 | 2100 | 46 | 82 | 5.7 |
| 2500 | 2400 | 55 | 103 | 7.3 |
| 2500 | 2700 | 89 | 120 | 9.9 |
| 5000 | 2200 | 48 | 87 | 5.8 |
| 5000 | 2500 | 69 | 109 | 7.6 |
| 5000 | 2700 | 84 | 119 | 9.3 |
| 7500 | 2300 | 51 | 91 | 6 |
| 7500 | 2500 | 64 | 107 | 7.2 |
| 7500 | 2700 | 79 | 118 | 8.7 |
| 10,000 | 2300 | 48 | 85 | 5.8 |
| 10,000 | 2500 | 60 | 104 | 6.8 |
| 10,000 | 2650 | 70 | 114 | 7.8 |
| 12,500 | 2400 | 50 | 90 | 5.9 |
| 12,500 | 2500 | 56 | 100 | 6.4 |
| 12,500 | 2600 | 62 | 108 | 7 |
Standard-day (ISA) rows shown, sampled across the POH table for readability; the FlightDecide app carries the full digitized table, including non-standard temperatures.
Book figures at 2500 lb, 0 ft pressure altitude, 15 °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.
| POH figure | Distance |
|---|---|
| Takeoff ground roll | 890 ft |
| Takeoff over a 50 ft obstacle | 1335 ft |
| Landing ground roll | 440 ft |
| Landing over a 50 ft obstacle | 750 ft |
| Rate of climb | 840 fpm |
See how density altitude stretches these distances on a hot day.
Common QuestionsPer the POH cruise table, up to about 120 KTAS at 2500 ft on a standard day, burning roughly 9.9 GPH at that setting. Typical everyday cruise settings run slower and leaner; see the table above.
49 gallons usable. At a high-cruise burn of 9.9 GPH that is roughly 4.9 hours to dry tanks. Plan with reserves, never to zero.
About 920 lb for a typically equipped example (2500 lb max gross minus a typical empty weight of 1580 lb). Your aircraft's actual empty weight and CG come from its own weight-and-balance records. Always use those, not type averages.
VNE (never exceed) is 165 kt and VNO (max structural cruising) is 138 kt. Full V-speed table above; verify against the POH for your serial.
Check today's wind against your personal crosswind maximum.
See what heat and elevation do to these takeoff and climb numbers.
Fold these numbers into a structured preflight decision.
FlightDecide ships this aircraft as a built-in profile: it computes your fuel, weight and balance, and takeoff/landing performance for the actual conditions, scores 8 risk categories against your personal minimums, and explains the result in plain language.
Get FlightDecide on the App StoreReference 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 177 and Cardinal Owner's Manual, Cessna Aircraft Company (1968 issue). Cruise performance rows transcribed verbatim from Section V Operational Data, Figure 5-4 Cruise & Range Performance, page 5-4. Conditions: 2350 Pounds Gross Weight, Standard Conditions, Zero Wind, Lean Mixture, 48 Gallons of Fuel (No Reserve). Engine red line (Lycoming O-320-E2D 150 HP): 2700 RPM, per POH Section III Operating Limitations. Data synced from the FlightDecide aircraft library on 2026-07-17.