tman wrote:
I did. CG is pretty much center of the acceptable range.
C172 410lbs in the front seats, 170lbs in the back, 30lbs in the baggage
area, fuel to tabs -- CG is "good". Same situation, empty fuel. CG
good too.

A lot of ppl are talking about CG issues. Hey maybe I better check my
math before I fly this thing!


That's because CG is particularly critical when you're heavy. That's one of the
reasons I used to prefer the PA-32 over the C-210 for my runs to the islands.
The PA-32s all have this huge baggage compartment aft of the engine but forward
of the passenger compartment. It allowed me to stuff it full of the heaviest
crap I had to carry. Then loading all the beef in the back would leave me with
a quite acceptable CG. 6 people, baggage, full fuel (didn't mean to do that)
and hot summer day. Slow climbing but I eventually waddled up to 8,000 feet and
had a completely normal flight from that point on.

OTOH, I once took four folks down to Florida in a modified C-172 that had 180 HP
and a constant speed prop. The lardasses in the back threw me into an aft CG
situation that was acceptable until I got 20 degrees of flaps down; then I
didn't have enough trim authority to get all the pressure off the yoke. I had
to muscle it in... a rather uncomfortable situation for a fingertip kind of
flier. Sure did flare easily though...

Somebody said something about you've never carried four passengers in a C-172?
If that's the case I take back what I said earlier about making the flight. You
definitely want to take a few rides around the local area with some folks in the
back... it's not the same as just 2 guys in the front.

The other thing to consider is the very limited baggage space of the C-172.
When you pack it, you want the load as forward as you can make it. As the arm
gets longer, it's amazing the effect of weight back there.

I'm not much for experimenting heavily (pardon the pun) when I have only limited
experience. Will the C-172 fly 50 or even 100 lbs overgrossed? I know it will.
I also know I wouldn't want an inexperienced pilot behind the controls when I
did it. And a cold day would be helpful.



--
Mortimer Schnerd, RN
mschnerdatcarolina.rr.com