Takeoff Distances

Takeoff distance is published at three weights, and within each weight as a column for standard conditions plus a row showing what temperature does at sea level. The conditions block above the numbers is part of the answer: fly a different speed or a different flap setting and the table no longer applies.

At a glance

• Conditions (all three weight tables)grass runway, flaps T/O, throttle levers full forward, 65 KIAS at lift-off, 70 KIAS over the 50 ft obstacle
• 1230 kg (2712 lb), ISA — ground roll / distance over 50 ft, in metresS.L. 301/394; 1000 ft 330/432; 2000 ft 362/474; 3000 ft 398/521; 4000 ft 438/573; 5000 ft 481/630; 6000 ft 530/694; 7000 ft 584/765; 8000 ft 645/844; 9000 ft 712/932; 10000 ft 786/1029
• 1230 kg, sea level, ground roll by temperature (m)−25 °C 207; 0 °C 263; 25 °C 328; 50 °C 401
• 1230 kg, sea level, distance over 50 ft by temperature (m)−25 °C 271; 0 °C 345; 25 °C 429; 50 °C 525
• 1080 kg (2381 lb), ISA — ground roll / over 50 ft (m)S.L. 215/281; 1000 ft 235/308; 2000 ft 258/338; 3000 ft 284/372; 4000 ft 312/409; 5000 ft 343/449; 6000 ft 378/495; 7000 ft 417/545; 8000 ft 460/602; 9000 ft 508/664; 10000 ft 561/734
• 1080 kg, sea level, ground roll / over 50 ft by temperature (m)−25 °C 148/193; 0 °C 188/246; 25 °C 234/306; 50 °C 286/374
• 930 kg (2051 lb), ISA — ground roll / over 50 ft (m)S.L. 146/190; 1000 ft 160/209; 2000 ft 175/229; 3000 ft 192/252; 4000 ft 212/277; 5000 ft 233/305; 6000 ft 256/335; 7000 ft 282/370; 8000 ft 312/408; 9000 ft 344/450; 10000 ft 380/498
• 930 kg, sea level, ground roll / over 50 ft by temperature (m)−25 °C 100/131; 0 °C 127/167; 25 °C 158/207; 50 °C 194/254

The conditions behind every figure

All three tables share one conditions block: a grass runway, flaps T/O, throttle levers full forward, 65 KIAS at lift-off and 70 KIAS over the 50 ft obstacle. Grass is the baseline surface — a paved runway is a correction, not the published case.

What the tables give you, and what they do not

Each weight table is tabulated from sea level to 10000 ft pressure altitude. The figures above are the standard-conditions column in full, plus the sea-level row across the four tabulated temperatures. The interior of each grid — a non-standard temperature at a non-sea-level altitude — is not reproduced here, so use the aeroplane's own tables when you need one of those cells.

The shape of the numbers

Read down any standard-conditions column and the distances grow steadily with pressure altitude: at 1230 kg the ground roll rises from 301 m at sea level to 786 m at 10000 ft, and the distance over the 50 ft obstacle from 394 m to 1029 m.

Read across the sea-level temperature row and the same pattern appears against temperature: at 1230 kg the ground roll runs from 207 m at −25 °C to 401 m at 50 °C. Weight moves the numbers the hardest — at sea level in standard conditions the 930 kg ground roll of 146 m is under half the 301 m required at 1230 kg.

Check yourself

• What flap setting, lift-off speed and obstacle speed do the takeoff tables assume?

• What runway surface is the published baseline?

• At 1230 kg in standard conditions, what ground roll and 50 ft distance apply at sea level?

• How does the 1230 kg sea-level ground roll change between −25 °C and 50 °C?

• At sea level in standard conditions, how does the 930 kg ground roll compare with the 1230 kg figure?

Study aid — always fly your aircraft's current AFM/POH.