207 

Federal Aviation Administration, DOT 

§ 25.29 

procedures established by the applicant 
and provided in the airplane flight 
manual. 

[Doc. No. 5066, 29 FR 18291, Dec. 24, 1964, as 
amended by Amdt. 25–23, 35 FR 5671, Apr. 8, 
1970; Amdt. 25–42, 43 FR 2320, Jan. 16, 1978; 
Amdt. 25–72, 55 FR 29774, July 20, 1990; Amdt. 
25–121, 72 FR 44665, Aug. 8, 2007 Amdt. 25–135, 
76 FR 74654, Dec. 1, 2011; Amdt. 25–140, 79 FR 
65524, Nov. 4, 2014] 

§ 25.23

Load distribution limits. 

(a) Ranges of weights and centers of 

gravity within which the airplane may 
be safely operated must be established. 
If a weight and center of gravity com-
bination is allowable only within cer-
tain load distribution limits (such as 
spanwise) that could be inadvertently 
exceeded, these limits and the cor-
responding weight and center of grav-
ity combinations must be established. 

(b) The load distribution limits may 

not exceed— 

(1) The selected limits; 
(2) The limits at which the structure 

is proven; or 

(3) The limits at which compliance 

with each applicable flight require-
ment of this subpart is shown. 

§ 25.25

Weight limits. 

(a) 

Maximum weights. Maximum 

weights corresponding to the airplane 
operating conditions (such as ramp, 
ground or water taxi, takeoff, en route, 
and landing), environmental conditions 
(such as altitude and temperature), and 
loading conditions (such as zero fuel 
weight, center of gravity position and 
weight distribution) must be estab-
lished so that they are not more than— 

(1) The highest weight selected by 

the applicant for the particular condi-
tions; or 

(2) The highest weight at which com-

pliance with each applicable structural 
loading and flight requirement is 
shown, except that for airplanes 
equipped with standby power rocket 
engines the maximum weight must not 
be more than the highest weight estab-
lished in accordance with appendix E of 
this part; or 

(3) The highest weight at which com-

pliance is shown with the certification 
requirements of Part 36 of this chapter. 

(b) 

Minimum weight. The minimum 

weight (the lowest weight at which 

compliance with each applicable re-
quirement of this part is shown) must 
be established so that it is not less 
than— 

(1) The lowest weight selected by the 

applicant; 

(2) The design minimum weight (the 

lowest weight at which compliance 
with each structural loading condition 
of this part is shown); or 

(3) The lowest weight at which com-

pliance with each applicable flight re-
quirement is shown. 

[Doc. No. 5066, 29 FR 18291, Dec. 24, 1964, as 
amended by Amdt. 25–23, 35 FR 5671, Apr. 8, 
1970; Amdt. 25–63, 53 FR 16365, May 6, 1988] 

§ 25.27

Center of gravity limits. 

The extreme forward and the extreme 

aft center of gravity limitations must 
be established for each practicably sep-
arable operating condition. No such 
limit may lie beyond— 

(a) The extremes selected by the ap-

plicant; 

(b) The extremes within which the 

structure is proven; or 

(c) The extremes within which com-

pliance with each applicable flight re-
quirement is shown. 

§ 25.29

Empty weight and cor-

responding center of gravity. 

(a) The empty weight and cor-

responding center of gravity must be 
determined by weighing the airplane 
with— 

(1) Fixed ballast; 
(2) Unusable fuel determined under 

§ 25.959; and 

(3) Full operating fluids, including— 
(i) Oil; 
(ii) Hydraulic fluid; and 
(iii) Other fluids required for normal 

operation of airplane systems, except 
potable water, lavatory precharge 
water, and fluids intended for injection 
in the engine. 

(b) The condition of the airplane at 

the time of determining empty weight 
must be one that is well defined and 
can be easily repeated. 

[Doc. No. 5066, 29 FR 18291, Dec. 24, 1964, as 
amended by Amdt. 25–42, 43 FR 2320, Jan. 16, 
1978; Amdt. 25–72, 55 FR 29774, July 20, 1990] 

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