V-speeds, cruise performance, fuel, and weights, digitized from the POH for planning and study.
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Piper PA-18 Super Cub preflight numbers at a glance: max gross weight 1750 lb, typical useful load 725 lb, 36 gal usable fuel, cruise up to about 96.7 KTAS (POH figure at 8000 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-320-A2B (150 HP) |
| Propeller | Sensenich 76EM8S5 |
| Max gross weight | 1750 lb |
| Empty weight (typical) | 1025 lb |
| Useful load (typical) | 725 lb |
| Usable fuel | 36 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 | 37 kt | Stall, landing configuration |
| VS1 | 41 kt | Stall, clean configuration |
| VX | 61 kt | Best angle of climb |
| VY | 65 kt | Best rate of climb |
| VA | 83 kt | Design maneuvering speed (at max gross) |
| VFE | 74 kt | Max flaps extended |
| VNO | 105 kt | Max structural cruising |
| VNE | 133 kt | Never exceed |
| Best glide | 67 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 | TAS (kt) | Fuel (GPH) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 2000 | 88.9 | 5.8 |
| 2000 | 2300 | 91.2 | 6.5 |
| 2000 | 2500 | 92.8 | 6.9 |
| 4000 | 2000 | 90.2 | 5.7 |
| 4000 | 2300 | 92.5 | 6.3 |
| 4000 | 2500 | 94.1 | 6.8 |
| 6000 | 2000 | 91.5 | 5.5 |
| 6000 | 2300 | 93.8 | 6.2 |
| 6000 | 2500 | 95.4 | 6.6 |
| 8000 | 2000 | 92.8 | 5.4 |
| 8000 | 2300 | 95.2 | 6 |
| 8000 | 2500 | 96.7 | 6.5 |
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 1750 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 | 200 ft |
| Takeoff over a 50 ft obstacle | 350 ft |
| Landing ground roll | 280 ft |
| Landing over a 50 ft obstacle | 520 ft |
| Rate of climb | 960 fpm |
See how density altitude stretches these distances on a hot day.
Common QuestionsPer the POH cruise table, up to about 96.7 KTAS at 8000 ft on a standard day, burning roughly 6.5 GPH at that setting. Typical everyday cruise settings run slower and leaner; see the table above.
36 gallons usable. At a high-cruise burn of 6.5 GPH that is roughly 5.5 hours to dry tanks. Plan with reserves, never to zero.
About 725 lb for a typically equipped example (1750 lb max gross minus a typical empty weight of 1025 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 133 kt and VNO (max structural cruising) is 105 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: Piper PA-18 Super Cub Pilot's Operating Handbook, Piper Aircraft Corporation Data synced from the FlightDecide aircraft library on 2026-07-17.