SINGLE-ENGINE PISTON
Piper PA-18
One model from FAA type certificate data sheet 1A2. Every figure below is quoted from the sheet. Open any “Source” to see the words it comes from.
THE DATA SHEET
- Authority
- Federal Aviation Administration (United States)
- Sheet
- Type Certificate Data Sheet 1A2
- Revision
- 38
- Date
- August 7, 2006
- Holder
- Piper Aircraft, Inc.
- Licence
- US Government work, public domain (17 U.S.C. 105)
Open the sheet on the FAA Dynamic Regulatory System (opens in a new tab)
Performance figures (stall speeds, take-off and landing distances, climb, cruise and fuel burn) are in the aircraft's flight manual (POH/AFM), which we cannot reproduce. Always use the flight manual for the aircraft you fly.
This is a United States Federal Aviation Administration sheet. We show it as a US certification document, not as an Australian or New Zealand rule. Units are the sheet's own: pounds, US gallons and quarts, and knots or mph as stated.
How we copied the sheet. Quotes are from our stored text copy of the sheet, taken from the text layer of the FAA's online viewer. We rebuilt lines from the text positions, joined wrapped lines, marked wide gaps between table cells with |, removed page headers and footers, and replaced symbol-font characters with the symbols they print as. Check the original sheet before relying on any figure.
Models not shown. The sheet covers 18 models, including the PA-19, the agricultural PA-18A and the seaplane PA-18S versions. We include the landplane PA-18 "150".
SPEC SHEET
Piper PA-18: PA-18 "150"
The sheet's heading for this modelModel PA-18 "150", 2 PCLM (Normal and Utility Categories)
Source for the model heading
III. - Model PA-18 "150", 2 PCLM (Normal and Utility Categories), Approved October 1, 1954;
Engine
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320The sheet lists optional engines in its equipment items.
Source for Engine
Engines | Lycoming O-320
- Rated power
- 150 hp
Source for Rated power
Engine Limits | All operations, 2700 r.p.m. (150 hp.)
- Engine speed limit
- 2,700 rpm
Source for Engine speed limit
Engine Limits | All operations, 2700 r.p.m. (150 hp.)
- Propeller
Left out. The sheet lists propellers as equipment items, not in this model's section.
Fuel and oil
- Fuel capacity
- 36 US gal≈ 136 L (converted)
Source for Fuel capacity
Fuel Capacity | 36 gallons at (2 wing tanks at +24)
- Usable fuel
Not in the type certificate data sheet
- Oil capacity
- 8 US qt≈ 7.6 L (converted)
Source for Oil capacity
Oil Capacity | 8 quarts at | (-36)
Weights and loading
- Maximum weight
- Normal category1,750 lb≈ 794 kg (converted)
Source for Maximum weight, Normal category
Maximum Weight | Normal: 1750 lb.
Utility category1,500 lb≈ 680 kg (converted)Source for Maximum weight, Utility category
Utility: 1500 lb.
- Seats
- 2
Source for Seats
Number of Seats | 2 at (+11) and (+37)
- Baggage limit
- 50 lbnormal category only≈ 22.7 kg (converted)
Source for Baggage limit
Maximum Baggage | 50 lb. at (+57) | (Normal Category only)
- C.G. range
- Normal: (+14.0) to (+20.0) at 1750 lb; (+10.5) to (+20.0) at 1300 lb or less
Source for C.G. range
C. G. Range | Normal: (+14.0) to (+20.0) at 1750 lb. (+10.5) to (+20.0) at 1300 lb. or less
Airspeed limits
- Never exceed speed (Vne)
- 133 kt true indicatedThe sheet gives mph first, with knots in brackets. We show the knots.
Source for Never exceed speed (Vne)
(TRUE INDICATED) | Never exceed | 153 mph | (133 knots)
- Maximum structural cruising speed (Vno)
- 105 kt true indicated
Source for Maximum structural cruising speed (Vno)
Maximum Structural Cruise | 121 mph | (105 knots)
- Manoeuvring speed (Va)
- 83 kt true indicated
Source for Manoeuvring speed (Va)
Airspeed Limits | Maneuvering | 96 mph | (83 knots)
- Maximum flap extended speed (Vfe)
- 74 kt true indicated
Source for Maximum flap extended speed (Vfe)
Flaps extended | 85 mph | (74 knots)
Reference
- Datum
- Wing leading edge
Source for Datum
Datum | Wing leading edge
- Certification basis
- CAR 3, as amended November 1, 1949
Source for Certification basis
Certification Basis | Type Certification No. 1A2 (CAR 3, as amended November 1, 1949).
COCKPIT
The PA-18 "150" limits on an airspeed indicator
Where the sheet gives them in knots, the dial shows Vne as a red line, the caution range from Vno to Vne as a yellow arc, a green tick at Vno and white ticks at the flap limit speeds (Vfe). The sheet gives flap limits, not instrument markings, and the stall speeds where the green and white arcs start are not in it.
- Airspeed indicator
- Attitude indicator
- Altimeter
- Turn coordinator
- Heading indicator
- Vertical speed indicator
- Tachometer
- Oil temperature
- Oil pressure
- Fuel quantity
- Suction gauge
What the dial shows
- Red line: never exceed speed (Vne)133 kt true indicated
Source for the red line
(TRUE INDICATED) | Never exceed | 153 mph | (133 knots)
- Yellow arc: caution rangeFrom Vno to Vne, 105 kt true indicated to 133 kt true indicated
- Green tick: Vno, top of the green arc105 kt true indicated
Source for the green tick
Maximum Structural Cruise | 121 mph | (105 knots)
- White tick: Vfe, a flap limit speed74 kt true indicated
Source for the white tick
Flaps extended | 85 mph | (74 knots)
- Marks are drawn at the sheet's speeds in knots, which the sheet calls true indicated.
- White tick marks the flap limit speed (Vfe) the sheet gives. The sheet gives flap limits, not instrument markings, so the flight manual says where this aircraft's white arc ends.
- The low ends of the white and green arcs are stall speeds. They come from the flight manual, so we have left them unmarked.
The other instruments are drawn at rest and are not linked to this aircraft. Learn what each instrument shows in the cockpit explorer.
For learning only. Not for flight planning or use in flight. Figures are certification limits from Federal Aviation Administration, Type Certificate Data Sheet 1A2, Revision 38, retrieved 31 October 2026. Conversions marked “converted” are our own arithmetic. No manufacturer images are used. The instruments are drawn by us. Back to all aircraft.