SINGLE-ENGINE PISTON
Piper PA-38 Tomahawk
One model from FAA type certificate data sheet A18SO. 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 A18SO
- Revision
- 6
- Date
- March 4, 2022
- 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 one model, and it is included.
SPEC SHEET
Piper PA-38 Tomahawk: PA-38-112
Tomahawk
The sheet's heading for this modelModel PA-38-112 (Tomahawk), 2 PCLM (Normal and Utility Category)
Source for the model heading
I. - Model PA-38-112 (Tomahawk), 2 PCLM (Normal and Utility Category), Approved December 20, 1977.
Engine
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C or O-235-L2A
Source for Engine
Engine | Lycoming O-235-L2C (Slick Magnetos) with carburetor setting 10-5199 or Lycoming O-235-L2A
- Rated power
- 112 hp
Source for Rated power
Engine Limits | For all operations, 2600 r.p.m. (112 hp)
- Engine speed limit
- 2,600 rpm
Source for Engine speed limit
Engine Limits | For all operations, 2600 r.p.m. (112 hp)
- Propeller
- Sensenich 72CK-0-56
Source for Propeller
Propeller and Propeller Limits Sensenich 72CK-0-56
Fuel and oil
- Fuel capacity
- 32 US gal≈ 121 L (converted)
Source for Fuel capacity
Fuel Capacity | 32 gallons at (+75.4) (2 wing tanks)
- Usable fuel
Not in the type certificate data sheet
- Oil capacity
- 6 US qt≈ 5.7 L (converted)
Source for Oil capacity
Oil Capacity | 6 quarts at (+24.4) (4 quarts usable)
Weights and loading
- Maximum weight
- Normal and Utility category1,670 lb≈ 757 kg (converted)
Source for Maximum weight, Normal and Utility category
Maximum Weight | 1670 lb. (Normal and Utility Category)
- Seats
- 2
Source for Seats
Number of Seats | 2 (2 at +85.5)
- Baggage limit
- 100 lb≈ 45.4 kg (converted)
Source for Baggage limit
Maximum Baggage | 100 lb. (+115.0)
- C.G. range
- (+72.4) to (+78.5) at 1277 lb or less; (+73.5) to (+78.5) at 1670 lb
Source for C.G. range
(+72.4) | to | (+78.5) | at | 1277 lb. or less (+73.5) | to | (+78.5) | at | 1670 lb.
Airspeed limits
- Never exceed speed (Vne)
- 143 kt CAS
Source for Never exceed speed (Vne)
Airspeed Limits (CAS) | Never exceed | 143 knots
- Maximum structural cruising speed (Vno)
- 108 kt CAS
Source for Maximum structural cruising speed (Vno)
Maximum structural cruising | 108 knots
- Manoeuvring speed (Va)
- 101 kt CAS
Source for Manoeuvring speed (Va)
Maneuvering | 101 knots
- Maximum flap extended speed (Vfe)
- 87 kt CAS
Source for Maximum flap extended speed (Vfe)
Flaps extended | 87 knots
Reference
- Datum
- 66.25 inches forward of wing leading edge
Source for Datum
Datum | 66.25 inches forward of wing leading edge.
- Certification basis
- FAR Part 23, effective February 1, 1965, as amended by 23-16, effective February 14, 1975
Source for Certification basis
FAR Part 23, effective February 1, 1965, as amended by Amendment by 23-16, effective February 14, 1975
COCKPIT
The PA-38-112 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)143 kt CAS
Source for the red line
Airspeed Limits (CAS) | Never exceed | 143 knots
- Yellow arc: caution rangeFrom Vno to Vne, 108 kt CAS to 143 kt CAS
- Green tick: Vno, top of the green arc108 kt CAS
Source for the green tick
Maximum structural cruising | 108 knots
- White tick: Vfe, a flap limit speed87 kt CAS
Source for the white tick
Flaps extended | 87 knots
- Marks are drawn at the sheet's speeds in knots CAS. Some airspeed indicators are marked in IAS instead, so check the flight manual for how this aircraft's own indicator is marked.
- 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 A18SO, Revision 6, 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.