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. 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.
Piper PA-44-180 Seminole preflight numbers at a glance: max gross weight 3800 lb, typical useful load 1266 lb, 108 gal usable fuel, cruise up to about 162 KTAS (reference figure at 2000 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.
Not yet verified against the handbook
| Engine | 2x Lycoming O-360-E1A6D (left) / LO-360-E1A6D (right, counter-rotating) (180 HP each) |
| Propeller | Hartzell HC-C2YK-2CEUF/FC7666A-2R (L) / HC-C2YK-2CLEUF/FJC7666A-2R (R) |
| Max gross weight | 3800 lb |
| Empty weight (typical) | 2534 lb |
| Useful load (typical) | 1266 lb |
| Usable fuel | 108 gal |
| Service ceiling | 15,000 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 | 55 kt | Stall, landing configuration |
| VS1 | 57 kt | Stall, clean configuration |
| VX | 82 kt | Best angle of climb |
| VY | 88 kt | Best rate of climb |
| VXSE | 82 kt | Best angle of climb, single engine |
| VYSE | 88 kt | Best rate of climb, single engine |
| VA | 135 kt | Design maneuvering speed (at max gross) |
| VFE | 111 kt | Max flaps extended |
| VNO | 169 kt | Max structural cruising |
| VNE | 202 kt | Never exceed |
| VMC | 56 kt | Min control, one engine inoperative |
| Best glide | 88 kt | Best glide speed |
Not yet verified against the handbook
From the manufacturer's published specification, not the handbook's cruise tables. True airspeed and fuel flow depend on altitude, power setting, temperature, and leaning technique.
| Pressure alt (ft) | MP (inHg) | % power | TAS (kt) | Fuel (GPH) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 21.7 | 55 | 138 | 17.4 |
| 2000 | 24.2 | 65 | 152 | 20.4 |
| 2000 | 25.9 | 75 | 162 | 23.4 |
| 4000 | — | 75 | 162 | 23.4 |
| 5000 | 23.2 | 65 | 152 | 20.4 |
| 5500 | — | 55 | 138 | 17.4 |
| 6000 | — | 75 | 162 | 23.4 |
| 8000 | 20 | 55 | 138 | 17.4 |
| 8000 | — | 65 | 152 | 20.4 |
| 12,000 | — | 55 | 138 | 17.4 |
Not yet verified against the handbook: rate of climb
Figures read off the handbook's charts at 3800 lb, 0 ft pressure altitude, 20 °C. The rate of climb is an estimate, at 15 °C, not yet checked against the handbook. 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.
| Figure | Distance |
|---|---|
| Takeoff ground roll | 1300 ft |
| Takeoff over a 50 ft obstacle | 2330 ft |
| Landing ground roll | 595 ft |
| Landing over a 50 ft obstacle | 1410 ft |
| Rate of climb | 1340 fpm |
See how density altitude stretches these distances on a hot day.
NORMAL PROCEDURE TAKEOFF -- both engines operating. WING FLAPS 0 deg; 2700 RPM & FULL THROTTLE BEFORE BRAKE RELEASE; PAVED LEVEL DRY RUNWAY; COWL FLAPS OPEN. Lift-off speed 75 KIAS at 3800 lb (71 at 3400, 66 at 3000, 62 at 2600); barrier speed (Fig 5-11) 88 KIAS at 3800 lb (83 at 3400, 78 at 3000, 73 at 2600). Fig 5-11 also carries a CAUTION over a shaded area of its WEIGHT panel: 'Best one engine inoperative rate of climb is less than 50 FPM if T.O. wt. is in the shaded area.' -- that shading is in the weight panel and does not touch the 3800 lb reference line these readings are taken at.
Source: Pilot's Operating Handbook and FAA Approved Airplane Flight Manual, Piper PA-44-180 Seminole · Takeoff
| Pressure altitude | 0 °C | 10 °C | 20 °C | 30 °C | 40 °C |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea level | 1,035 / 1,835 | 1,168 / 2,082 | 1,300 / 2,330 | 1,450 / 2,592 | 1,600 / 2,855 |
| 1,000 ft | 1,180 / 2,085 | 1,325 / 2,340 | 1,470 / 2,595 | 1,632 / 2,878 | 1,795 / 3,160 |
| 2,000 ft | 1,315 / 2,355 | 1,472 / 2,628 | 1,630 / 2,900 | 1,802 / 3,205 | 1,975 / 3,510 |
| 3,000 ft | 1,470 / 2,610 | 1,648 / 2,952 | 1,825 / 3,295 | 2,028 / 3,695 | 2,230 / 4,095 |
| 4,000 ft | 1,640 / 2,940 | 1,838 / 3,338 | 2,035 / 3,735 | 2,260 / 4,178 | 2,485 / 4,620 |
| 5,000 ft | 1,830 / 3,312 | 2,049 / 3,773 | 2,269 / 4,234 | 2,519 / 4,723 | 2,769 / 5,212 |
| 6,000 ft | 2,041 / 3,730 | 2,286 / 4,265 | 2,530 / 4,799 | 2,808 / 5,340 | 3,086 / 5,881 |
| 7,000 ft | 2,277 / 4,202 | 2,549 / 4,821 | 2,821 / 5,440 | 3,130 / 6,037 | 3,439 / 6,634 |
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 15.4 ft from the answer it prints.
LANDING, *STANDARD BRAKES, SHORT FIELD EFFORT. WING FLAPS 40 deg -- POWER OFF; COWL FLAPS OPEN; PAVED LEVEL DRY RUNWAY; FULL STALL TOUCHDOWN; (Fig 5-45) APPROACH SPEED AS SCHEDULED -- 75 KIAS at 3800 lb, 72 at 3500, 67 at 3000, 61 at 2500. *NOTE (Fig 5-43): 'REDUCE LANDING GROUND ROLL BY 35% IF OPTIONAL LANDING GEAR HEAVY DUTY GROUP NO. 1 IS INSTALLED. (SEE EQUIPMENT LIST)'. *NOTE (Fig 5-45): 'Reduce total landing distance by 15% if optional landing gear heavy duty Group No. 1 is installed. (See Equipment List)'. This handbook prints only one landing chart pair and it is the short-field one; there is no separate normal-procedure landing chart.
Source: Pilot's Operating Handbook and FAA Approved Airplane Flight Manual, Piper PA-44-180 Seminole · Landing
| Pressure altitude | 0 °C | 10 °C | 20 °C | 30 °C | 40 °C |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea level | 555 / 1,370 | 575 / 1,390 | 595 / 1,410 | 618 / 1,430 | 640 / 1,450 |
| 1,000 ft | 575 / 1,390 | 595 / 1,412 | 615 / 1,435 | 638 / 1,455 | 660 / 1,475 |
| 2,000 ft | 595 / 1,415 | 615 / 1,435 | 635 / 1,455 | 658 / 1,478 | 680 / 1,500 |
| 3,000 ft | 615 / 1,435 | 638 / 1,458 | 660 / 1,480 | 685 / 1,505 | 710 / 1,530 |
| 4,000 ft | 640 / 1,455 | 662 / 1,480 | 685 / 1,505 | 710 / 1,530 | 735 / 1,555 |
| 5,000 ft | 665 / 1,480 | 688 / 1,505 | 710 / 1,530 | 735 / 1,555 | 760 / 1,580 |
| 6,000 ft | 691 / 1,505 | 713 / 1,530 | 736 / 1,555 | 761 / 1,580 | 786 / 1,605 |
| 7,000 ft | 718 / 1,531 | 740 / 1,556 | 763 / 1,581 | 788 / 1,606 | 813 / 1,631 |
| 8,000 ft | 746 / 1,558 | 768 / 1,583 | 791 / 1,608 | 815 / 1,632 | 840 / 1,657 |
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 2.6 ft from the answer it prints.
Common QuestionsPer the library's cruise table, not yet verified against the handbook, up to about 162 KTAS at 2000 ft on a standard day, burning roughly 23.4 GPH at that setting. Typical everyday cruise settings run slower and leaner; see the table above.
108 gallons usable. At a high-cruise burn of 23.4 GPH that is roughly 4.6 hours to dry tanks. Plan with reserves, never to zero.
About 1266 lb for a typically equipped example (3800 lb max gross minus a typical empty weight of 2534 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 202 kt and VNO (max structural cruising) is 169 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: PA-44-180 Seminole POH, Piper Aircraft Corporation | FD-215: cruise re-digitized on POH axis (best_power, medium conf), fuel total both-engines for twins. Data synced from the FlightDecide aircraft library on 2026-09-28.