V-speeds, cruise performance, fuel, and weights, digitized from the POH for planning and study.
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Piper PA-28-181 Archer III preflight numbers at a glance: max gross weight 2550 lb, typical useful load 1000 lb, 48 gal usable fuel, cruise up to about 119 KTAS (POH figure at 10,000 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-A4M |
| Propeller | Sensenich 76EM8S5-0-62 |
| Max gross weight | 2550 lb |
| Empty weight (typical) | 1550 lb |
| Useful load (typical) | 1000 lb |
| Usable fuel | 48 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 | 45 kt | Stall, landing configuration |
| VS1 | 50 kt | Stall, clean configuration |
| VX | 64 kt | Best angle of climb |
| VY | 76 kt | Best rate of climb |
| VA | 113 kt | Design maneuvering speed (at max gross) |
| VFE | 102 kt | Max flaps extended |
| VNO | 125 kt | Max structural cruising |
| VNE | 154 kt | Never exceed |
| Best glide | 76 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10,000 | 2360 | 55 | 108 | 8.2 |
| 10,000 | 2515 | 65 | 119 | 9.5 |
Book figures at 2550 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 | 1626 ft |
| Takeoff over a 50 ft obstacle | 2080 ft |
| Landing ground roll | 494 ft |
| Landing over a 50 ft obstacle | 1236 ft |
| Rate of climb | 705 fpm |
See how density altitude stretches these distances on a hot day.
Common QuestionsPer the POH cruise table, up to about 119 KTAS at 10,000 ft on a standard day, burning roughly 9.5 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 9.5 GPH that is roughly 5.1 hours to dry tanks. Plan with reserves, never to zero.
About 1000 lb for a typically equipped example (2550 lb max gross minus a typical empty weight of 1550 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 154 kt and VNO (max structural cruising) is 125 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-28-181 Archer III Pilot's Operating Handbook, Piper Aircraft Corporation. Cruise performance rows transcribed verbatim from POH/Information Manual Report VB-1563 (issued 1994-08-19, revised 1995-02-24), Section 5 Performance, pages 5-21/5-22/5-23 (Engine/Cruise Performance for Non-ISA OAT, Figures 5-20 / 5-20a / 5-20b) at constant 55% / 65% / 75% power; weight 2550 lbs with wheel pants and strut fairings installed. Data synced from the FlightDecide aircraft library on 2026-07-17.