Weight and balance, ballast, trim when flying alone

Mxsmanic wrote:
Gig 601XL Builder writes:

I want you to do an easy experiment that will show you the problem with
a non gravity feed system that uses a "both" position.

Take a glass of water and two drinking straws. Put one of the straws in
the water and hold the other out side of the glass. Now put both straws
in your mouth and suck. Unless you are doing something to block the
straw that isn't in the water you will find it very hard to get a drink.
The same thing happens with a non gravity feed fuel system in the "both"
mode.

Add a fuel pump.

Where would you place the fuel pump to deal with the problem?

Gig 601XL Builder writes:

Where would you place the fuel pump to deal with the problem?

That would depend on the aircraft. I don't know where it is placed in a
Bonanza.

Mxsmanic wrote in
:

writes:

You can run one tank dry in a Bonanza and have the other at 35
gallons and only need 1/4 twist of the aileron trim to keep things
balanced.

1/4 twist = 1/4 rotation of the knob (90 degrees of rotation)?

If that's true, then I suppose the weight of the pilot must be far
less significant in comparison.

I doubt there is a Bonanza flying with a "Both" selection.

I've seen pictures of selectors with a "both" position, although
apparently they don't come that way from the factory. Odd that such a
position isn't standard. Dreamfleet puts such a selector in its
Bonanza (one of the very few departures from reality) because MSFS
supposedly exaggerates fuel imbalances. I always leave it in that
position.


They don't do it because they don't build airplanes for idiots.

Like you , for instance.


Bertie

Mxsmanic wrote in
:

I've seen pictures of selectors with a "both" position, although
apparently they don't come that way from the factory. Odd that such a
position isn't standard.

It's odd to non-pilots.

Even pilots who fly planes with a "Both" position understand why some planes
don't have one.

" wrote in
:

On Jan 15, 9:20 pm, Mxsmanic wrote:
I never burn fuel from a single side at a time, so I cannot comment
on that. Both the Bonanza and the Baron let you draw fuel from both
tanks, and that's how I leave it set.

If you are heavy and alone in the plane, it has a distinct tendency
to bank towards the heavy side. The Bonanza does this, anyway, so
it's harder to notice, but the Baron will do it, only not as
obviously. When I first started flying these aircraft I noticed odd
banking tendencies and it took a while for it to dawn on me that the
aircraft was simply loaded unevenly.

You can run one tank dry in a Bonanza and have the other at 35 gallons
and only need 1/4 twist of the aileron trim to keep things balanced. I
haven't tried draining one side tank and tip tank, though, but that's
not the recommended procedure IAW the STC, so I won't be trying it.

I doubt there is a Bonanza flying with a "Both" selection.


Bad idea in a low wing airplane. It's going to favor one tank until it's
dry and then your engine will quit with one tank nearly full!


Bertie

You can run one tank dry in a Bonanza and have the other at 35 gallons
and only need 1/4 twist of the aileron trim to keep things balanced. I
haven't tried draining one side tank and tip tank, though, but that's
not the recommended procedure IAW the STC, so I won't be trying it.

Bad idea in a low wing airplane. It's going to favor one tank until it's
dry and then your engine will quit with one tank nearly full!

Bertie


You're absolutely correct.

There's nothing in the POH about it. Any BPPP grads here care to chime
in?

Dan

On Jan 15, 9:20 pm, Mxsmanic wrote:
John writes:
How much does it pitch to the side if you don't put offsetting weight into
the passenger seat and how does it compare to the normal variation caused by
fuel burn from a single side at a time?

I never burn fuel from a single side at a time, so I cannot comment on that.
Both the Bonanza and the Baron let you draw fuel from both tanks, and that's
how I leave it set.

No, they don't.


If you are heavy and alone in the plane, it has a distinct tendency to bank
towards the heavy side. The Bonanza does this, anyway, so it's harder to
notice, but the Baron will do it, only not as obviously. When I first started
flying these aircraft I noticed odd banking tendencies and it took a while for
it to dawn on me that the aircraft was simply loaded unevenly.


Neither Bonanza (35 or A36) exhibits banking tendency with me solo in
the airplane (I weigh 195). How many tons is this pilot?

Dan

writes:

No, they don't.

Yes, they do, on my sim, which is what I had in mind (actually the Baron draws
fuel for each engine from its respective tank).

Mxsmanic wrote:
writes:

No, they don't.

Yes, they do, on my sim,

See there's your problem. This isn't a group about sims.

Gig 601XL Builder writes:

See there's your problem. This isn't a group about sims.

That's not my problem.