Club Homepage Forums Classified Ads Buy & Sell - Airplanes Only Shopping for a 150

I recently joined the Club because I think I want to own a C150. In looking at the ads in the usual places, I found a plane that is very interesting. The seller advised me the useful load was 445 lbs. The plane didn't seem to be overloaded with stuff, so I'm wondering what is a typical useful load in real life. BTW, the plane is an M model. I would like to have someone in the right seat with reasonable fuel. Thanks. I really couldn't find the perfect place to post this question, so hope it fits well enough in this topic.

Welcome to the Club, Tommy. Your post is in the right place, no worries.

The 150's max takeoff weight is 1600 lbs. If the seller said the useful load was 445 lbs, that means its empty weight (with oil and unusable fuel) is 1155 lbs. A bit heavier than most, but not terrible. Take a look at THIS THREAD where forum members reported the REAL weight of their planes.

Subtract your weight and that of the passenger/CFI from 445, and the result is what you can legally carry in fuel & baggage. If it's too little, lose some weight, carry less fuel, or ditch the passenger .

Welcome, Tommy, to the best type club in the country!

We have a 150H. It is probably in the other thread Hung linked, but for convenience we can carry full fuel (around 135 lbs.) and still have 386.4 lbs. for pilot, passenger and baggage.

Good luck in your search, and again, welcome!

Thanks for the welcome. This is a very informative club and forum! Glad to be here.

Thanks, Hung. I did read the 'empty weight' thread. And I was aware that the M and L models were heavier than earlier models. Useful load is more of an issue than I thought. I learned in a C150D many years ago, and I can't remember doing w&b before our flights.

Hey Tommy,

Here is a shameless plug. I have a 150G for sale. 516lbs useful load. Here is the link to the ad. I would give a substantial discount to a club member. Barnstormers ad for my 150 [barnstormers.com]

Pete

My M model has 457 lb useful load. I have removed the wheel pants and brackets, hardware, etc, and pulled out the useless LORAN unit that was still in the panel for some unknown reason when I bought it just a year ago. I have not been officially ready-weighed, but useful load has increased by a modest 15 pounds (my estimate- calculations by a properly licensed professional actually indicate a couple more pounds in my favor) giving me 337# of humans and stuff to fly around with and still have full fuel at takeoff.

* I have flown Pete’s airplane. It’s a great airplane, (I can see it from my house, it’s tied down next to mine,) and it is solid, well taken care of, runs and flies spectacularly, and I would have bought it if he was selling it a year ago when I bought my M.

Tommy. Pete's 150 seems like a real attractive deal based on engine times, overall condition. I don't know Pete but just based on the add, it would be worth a closer look. Just my two cents. Mike.

Very nice. Just wondering what happened to the exhaust stacks? I didn't see any below the cowl openings.

Those photos were taken when we were waiting on the new mufflers to arrive. Good eyes! It has them now.

Pete