Piper PA-28-181 Archer II / III weight and balance
The 180 hp Archer shares the Warrior’s airframe geometry and its flat 93.0 in aft limit, but carries 110 lb more and has a forward limit that moves aft much faster - from 82.0 in at 2,050 lb to 88.6 in at 2,550 lb. A heavy Archer with nothing in the back can therefore fail on the FORWARD limit, which is the opposite of the failure mode most pilots are trained to expect.
Flying under EASA rules? This is the PA-28-181's mass and balance: the same moments and the same centre-of-gravity limits.
Check this is your variant before you use a number
The Archer II (TCDS 2A13 section XV-A) and Archer III (section XV-B) carry identical weights, CG ranges, seat stations, baggage limit and fuel figures, so one profile covers both. This profile does NOT take the 2,558 lb ramp weight: the TCDS grants it to serials 28-8090001 and up only, so ramp and takeoff are both held at 2,550 lb. The Piper Pilot 100i (section XV-C) is a different, three-seat aeroplane and is not modelled here.
PA-28-181 weight and balance calculator
Four seats, up to 200 lb of baggage, non-aerobatic operations.
Loaded result
Within limitsPiper PA-28-181 Archer II / III · Normal category · data checked 2026-10-07
The printed sheet carries the aircraft, the date, every station, all three points of the flight and the full safety notice - free, no sign-up, and it prints offline.
CG envelope
Takeoff and landing plotted against the Piper PA-28-181 Archer II / III normal-category envelope.
- Normal envelope
- Takeoff
- Landing
- Fuel burning off
Each point is labelled IN or OUT, and both must sit inside the envelope.
Datum: 78.4 in forward of the inboard intersection of the straight and tapered wing sections. All arms are inches aft of that (TCDS 2A13, Data Pertinent To All Models). Full limits and sources
Loading
Weights in pounds; fuel in US gallons. Arms are fixed by the airframe.
The POH sample loading problem (VB-790 Figure 6-9: 1,547.0 lb at 86.4 in). It is a printed example, not your airframe - replace both numbers from your aircraft W&B record.
Your rule sets it: under 14 CFR 91.151 (VFR), at least 30 minutes at normal cruising speed by day and 45 at night; the EASA and UK minutes are on the fuel reserves page.
Loadouts
Saved on this device only - a loadout is never sent to us.
Breakdown
Weight x arm = moment, per station.
Certificated limits
Datum: 78.4 in forward of the inboard intersection of the straight and tapered wing sections. All arms are inches aft of that (TCDS 2A13, Data Pertinent To All Models).
Normal category
Four seats, up to 200 lb of baggage, non-aerobatic operations.
| Maximum ramp weight | 2,550 lb |
|---|---|
| Maximum takeoff weight | 2,550 lb |
| Maximum landing weight | 2,550 lb |
| Weight (lb) | Forward limit (in) | Aft limit (in) |
|---|---|---|
| 2,050 | 82.00 | 93.00 |
| 2,550 (max) | 88.60 | 93.00 |
Source: FAA TCDS 2A13 Rev 64, section XV-A.
Utility category
Two seats up front only, for the higher-load-factor manoeuvres.
| Maximum ramp weight | 2,130 lb |
|---|---|
| Maximum takeoff weight | 2,130 lb |
| Maximum landing weight | 2,130 lb |
| Weight (lb) | Forward limit (in) | Aft limit (in) |
|---|---|---|
| 2,050 | 82.00 | 93.00 |
| 2,130 (max) | 83.00 | 93.00 |
Loading restriction. No baggage and no rear passengers. The calculator treats a load in any of those places as a violation in this category, not a caution.
Source: FAA TCDS 2A13 Rev 64, section XV-A (2 PCLM); POH VB-790 Figure 6-11 loading-form footnote.
Station arms
| Station | Arm (in) | Range (in) | Max (lb) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Front seats (pilot + passenger) | 80.5 | - | - |
| Rear seats | 118.1 | - | - |
| Fuel (usable) | 95.0 | - | 288 |
| Baggage | 142.8 | - | 200 |
Fuel: 48.0 US gallons usable at 6.00 lb per gallon = 288 lb. Only usable fuel is charged to the fuel station - the unusable remainder is already inside the certificated empty weight.
Worked example
Two adults up front (340 lb), one in the back (170 lb), 40 of the 48 usable gallons and a 30 lb bag, burning 18 gal on the trip.
Empty weight 1,547 lb at 86.40 in. The POH sample loading problem (VB-790 Figure 6-9: 1,547.0 lb at 86.4 in). It is a printed example, not your airframe - replace both numbers from your aircraft W&B record.
| Item | Weight (lb) | Arm (in) | Moment (in-lb) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weight (from your W&B record) | 1,547 | 86.4 | 133,661 |
| Front seats (pilot + passenger) | 340 | 80.5 | 27,370 |
| Rear seats | 170 | 118.1 | 20,077 |
| Fuel (usable) | 240 | 95.0 | 22,800 |
| Baggage | 30 | 142.8 | 4,284 |
| Ramp | 2,327 | 89.47 | 208,192 |
| Takeoff | 2,327 | 89.47 | 208,192 |
| Less trip fuel (18 gal) | -108 | 95.0 | -10,260 |
| Landing | 2,219 | 89.20 | 197,932 |
At 2,327 lb the Normal-category limits are 85.66 to 93.00 in, so a takeoff CG of 89.47 in is inside the envelope. Burning the 18 gal of trip fuel at the 95.0 in fuel arm moves the CG forward to 89.20 in at 2,219 lb, against limits of 84.23 to 93.00 in there. Both ends of the flight are inside the envelope, which is the check that matters.
What catches people out on the PA-28-181
- The forward limit climbs 6.6 in over 500 lb. Two heavy adults up front, full tanks and an empty back seat is the classic Archer forward-CG case.
- Utility category is 2,130 lb, front seats only, no baggage and no rear passengers - and it is a full 420 lb below the normal-category maximum.
- Only 48 of the 50 gallons are usable; the other 2 (12 lb at station 103.0) are already in the empty weight.
- Later serials are approved to a 2,558 lb ramp weight. This tool holds ramp at 2,550 lb because that is correct for every Archer II; if your POH prints the ramp allowance you have 8 lb more on the ground than shown here.
Where every figure on this page comes from
- FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 2A13, Revision 64, 18 September 2023 (Piper PA-28 series), sections XV-A and XV-BBoth CG envelopes, normal and utility weights, seat and baggage stations, fuel capacity and arm, unusable fuel, datum, propeller.
- Piper PA-28-181 Cherokee Archer II POH, Report VB-790, issued 18 June 1976, Section 6Figure 6-11 loading form (p. 6-12): station arms, the 48 gal usable-fuel maximum and the utility-category footnote; Figure 6-9 sample loading problem (p. 6-11): the example empty weight.
Figures checked - the date of this profile's last data revision, printed on every result and on the planning sheet. Each revision is explained in the corrections log.
FAA Type Certificate Data Sheets are United States government works and are in the public domain. Handbook figures are quoted for identification and reference; KeepBlueUp is independent and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or approved by any manufacturer or aviation authority. Where a figure could not be quoted from a public document it is not on this page at all.