V-speeds, cruise performance, fuel, and weights, digitized from the POH for planning and study.
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In the FlightDecide app since 2026-07-16. Reviewed 2026-09-28. 5 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.
Piper PA-28-161 Warrior II preflight numbers at a glance: max gross weight 2440 lb, typical useful load 930 lb, 48 gal usable fuel, cruise up to about 120.6 KTAS (reference figure at 8000 ft, standard day). 5 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.
Not yet verified against the handbook
| Engine | Lycoming O-320-D3G |
| Propeller | Sensenich 74DM6S5-0-62 |
| Max gross weight | 2440 lb |
| Empty weight (typical) | 1510 lb |
| Useful load (typical) | 930 lb |
| Usable fuel | 48 gal |
| Service ceiling | 14,100 ft |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| VS0 | 44 kt | Stall, landing configuration |
| VS1 | 50 kt | Stall, clean configuration |
| VX | 63 kt | Best angle of climb |
| VY | 79 kt | Best rate of climb |
| VA | 111 kt | Design maneuvering speed (at max gross) |
| VFE | 103 kt | Max flaps extended |
| VNO | 126 kt | Max structural cruising |
| VNE | 160 kt | Never exceed |
| Best glide | 73 kt | Best glide speed |
Not yet verified against the handbook
Source not verified: the library's record cites no handbook page for these rows. True airspeed and fuel flow depend on altitude, power setting, temperature, and leaning technique.
| Pressure alt (ft) | RPM | TAS (kt) | Fuel (GPH) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 2100 | 96 | 7 |
| 2000 | 2400 | 108.6 | 8.8 |
| 2000 | 2600 | 117 | 10 |
| 4000 | 2100 | 97.2 | 6.8 |
| 4000 | 2400 | 109.8 | 8.6 |
| 4000 | 2600 | 118.2 | 9.8 |
| 6000 | 2100 | 98.4 | 6.6 |
| 6000 | 2400 | 111 | 8.4 |
| 6000 | 2600 | 119.4 | 9.6 |
| 8000 | 2100 | 99.6 | 6.4 |
| 8000 | 2400 | 112.2 | 8.2 |
| 8000 | 2600 | 120.6 | 9.4 |
Standard-day (ISA) rows shown, sampled across the POH table for readability; the FlightDecide app carries the full digitized table, including non-standard temperatures.
Figures read off the handbook's charts at 2440 lb, 0 ft pressure altitude, 20 °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.
| From the handbook | Distance |
|---|---|
| Takeoff ground roll | 1220 ft |
| Takeoff over a 50 ft obstacle | 2140 ft |
| Landing ground roll | 635 ft |
| Landing over a 50 ft obstacle | 1170 ft |
| Rate of climb | 490 fpm |
See how density altitude stretches these distances on a hot day.
ASSOCIATED CONDITIONS: PAVED, LEVEL, DRY RUNWAY; FULL POWER BEFORE BRAKE RELEASE; FLAPS 0 deg. Read at the sheets' own REF. LINE - 2440 LBS. and REF. LINE - NO WIND, so these are max-gross, zero-wind figures. At the 2440 lb reference line the sheets give LIFT OFF SPEED 52 KIAS and 50 FT. BARRIER SPEED 57 KIAS.
Source: Pilot's Operating Handbook and FAA Approved Airplane Flight Manual, Piper PA-28-161 Warrior II, Report VB-1180 (issued August 13, 1982; revised July 17, 2015) · Takeoff
| Pressure altitude | 0 °C | 10 °C | 20 °C | 30 °C | 40 °C |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea level | 825 / 1,660 | 1,022 / 1,900 | 1,220 / 2,140 | 1,420 / 2,390 | 1,620 / 2,640 |
| 1,000 ft | 1,055 / 1,920 | 1,248 / 2,185 | 1,440 / 2,450 | 1,635 / 2,730 | 1,830 / 3,010 |
| 2,000 ft | 1,270 / 2,210 | 1,460 / 2,480 | 1,650 / 2,750 | 1,842 / 3,030 | 2,035 / 3,310 |
| 3,000 ft | 1,485 / 2,500 | 1,668 / 2,790 | 1,850 / 3,080 | 2,035 / 3,390 | 2,220 / 3,700 |
| 4,000 ft | 1,690 / 2,860 | 1,872 / 3,170 | 2,055 / 3,480 | 2,245 / 3,812 | 2,435 / 4,145 |
| 5,000 ft | 1,923 / 3,272 | 2,103 / 3,602 | 2,283 / 3,932 | 2,477 / 4,288 | 2,671 / 4,644 |
| 6,000 ft | 2,189 / 3,743 | 2,361 / 4,092 | 2,536 / 4,443 | 2,732 / 4,822 | 2,929 / 5,202 |
| 7,000 ft | 2,491 / 4,282 | 2,651 / 4,650 | 2,817 / 5,020 | 3,014 / 5,423 | 3,213 / 5,828 |
read from the handbook's chart interpolated extrapolated beyond the handbook
This handbook publishes performance as charts, not tables. Two people read these figures off its curves, independently, and they are shown only where the readings agreed, so they are close to what the chart shows rather than exact, within about 25 ft. Reading the chart's own worked example back from them comes out 10.6 ft from the answer it prints.
ASSOCIATED CONDITIONS: POWER OFF, FLAPS - 40 deg; PAVED LEVEL DRY RUNWAY, MAXIMUM BRAKING. Read at the sheets' weight reference line (2440 lb) and REF. LINE - NO WIND. At that reference line Figure 5-35 gives APPROACH SPEED 65 KIAS and TOUCH DOWN SPEED 45 KIAS.
Source: Pilot's Operating Handbook and FAA Approved Airplane Flight Manual, Piper PA-28-161 Warrior II, Report VB-1180 (issued August 13, 1982; revised July 17, 2015) · Landing
| Pressure altitude | 0 °C | 10 °C | 20 °C | 30 °C | 40 °C |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea level | 595 / 1,110 | 615 / 1,140 | 635 / 1,170 | 658 / 1,200 | 680 / 1,230 |
| 1,000 ft | 615 / 1,140 | 636 / 1,170 | 658 / 1,200 | 681 / 1,232 | 705 / 1,265 |
| 2,000 ft | 635 / 1,170 | 658 / 1,200 | 680 / 1,230 | 705 / 1,265 | 730 / 1,300 |
| 3,000 ft | 660 / 1,202 | 684 / 1,234 | 708 / 1,265 | 732 / 1,300 | 758 / 1,335 |
| 4,000 ft | 685 / 1,235 | 710 / 1,268 | 735 / 1,300 | 760 / 1,335 | 785 / 1,370 |
| 5,000 ft | 708 / 1,272 | 734 / 1,306 | 760 / 1,340 | 786 / 1,375 | 812 / 1,410 |
| 6,000 ft | 730 / 1,310 | 758 / 1,345 | 785 / 1,380 | 812 / 1,415 | 840 / 1,450 |
| 7,000 ft | 760 / 1,350 | 788 / 1,388 | 815 / 1,425 | 842 / 1,465 | 870 / 1,505 |
| 8,000 ft | 791 / 1,391 | 819 / 1,431 | 846 / 1,471 | 874 / 1,517 | 901 / 1,562 |
| 9,000 ft | 824 / 1,434 | 851 / 1,477 | 878 / 1,519 | 906 / 1,570 | 933 / 1,621 |
| 10,000 ft | 858 / 1,477 | 885 / 1,523 | 912 / 1,569 | 939 / 1,626 | 967 / 1,683 |
read from the handbook's chart interpolated extrapolated beyond the handbook
This handbook publishes performance as charts, not tables. Two people read these figures off its curves, independently, and they are shown only where the readings agreed, so they are close to what the chart shows rather than exact, within about 25 ft. Reading the chart's own worked example back from them comes out 3.8 ft from the answer it prints.
ASSOCIATED CONDITIONS: GROSS WEIGHT 2440 LBS., FULL THROTTLE, LEAN MIXTURE PER LYCOMING INSTRUCTIONS, 79 KIAS. NOTE: REDUCE RATE OF CLIMB BY 40 FPM WHEN THE WHEEL FAIRINGS ARE REMOVED. This sheet has no weight or wind panel at all - it is drawn for 2440 lb only - so no reference line is involved.
Source: Pilot's Operating Handbook and FAA Approved Airplane Flight Manual, Piper PA-28-161 Warrior II, Report VB-1180 (issued August 13, 1982; revised July 17, 2015) · Climb
| Pressure altitude | -20 °C | 0 °C | 20 °C | 40 °C |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea level | 870 | 740 | 610 | 505 |
| 1,000 ft | 800 | 675 | 550 | 445 |
| 2,000 ft | 730 | 610 | 490 | 385 |
| 3,000 ft | 660 | 545 | 430 | 325 |
| 4,000 ft | 600 | 485 | 370 | 265 |
| 5,000 ft | 540 | 425 | 310 | 210 |
| 6,000 ft | 465 | 360 | 255 | 150 |
| 7,000 ft | 415 | 305 | 195 | 95 |
| 8,000 ft | 365 | 250 | 135 | 40 |
| 9,000 ft | 315 | 195 | 75 | -15 |
| 10,000 ft | 265 | 140 | 15 | -70 |
read from the handbook's chart extrapolated beyond the handbook
This handbook publishes performance as charts, not tables. Two people read these figures off its curves, independently, and they are shown only where the readings agreed, so they are close to what the chart shows rather than exact, within about 25 fpm. Reading the chart's own worked example back from them comes out 7 fpm from the answer it prints.
Common QuestionsPer the library's cruise table, not yet verified against the handbook, up to about 120.6 KTAS at 8000 ft on a standard day, burning roughly 9.4 GPH at that setting. Typical everyday cruise settings run slower and leaner; see the table above.
48 gallons usable. At a high-cruise burn of 9.4 GPH that is roughly 5.1 hours to dry tanks. Plan with reserves, never to zero.
About 930 lb for a typically equipped example (2440 lb max gross minus a typical empty weight of 1510 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 160 kt and VNO (max structural cruising) is 126 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-28-161 Warrior II Owner's Handbook, Piper Aircraft Corporation Data synced from the FlightDecide aircraft library on 2026-09-28.