Weight and balance, ballast, trim when flying alone

What is your method for handling weight and balance when you are piloting a
small aircraft alone? Do you just trim to adjust for the lateral imbalance,
or do you put something on the other side of the plane (ballast, luggage,
etc.) to balance it out, or what?

Mxsmanic wrote in
:

What is your method for handling weight and balance when you are
piloting a small aircraft alone?

Do you just trim to adjust for the
lateral imbalance, or do you put something on the other side of the
plane (ballast, luggage, etc.) to balance it out, or what?


Why, you thinking of becoming ballast?

you're overqualified.



Bertie

Bertie the Bunyip wrote:

Why, you thinking of becoming ballast?

you're overqualified.

Bertie

niiiice...

actually some of these are pretty good.

"underqualified" might be what I'd expect from you, yip.

--
Message posted via AviationKB.com
http://www.aviationkb.com/Uwe/Forums...ation/200801/1

"Kloudy via AviationKB.com" u33403@uwe wrote in news:7e42a64257da1@uwe:

Bertie the Bunyip wrote:

Why, you thinking of becoming ballast?

you're overqualified.

Bertie

niiiice...

actually some of these are pretty good.

"underqualified" might be what I'd expect from you, yip.


As a flame, or as ballast myself?

Bertie

Bertie the Bunyip wrote:
Why, you thinking of becoming ballast?

[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]

"underqualified" might be what I'd expect from you, yip.

As a flame, or as ballast myself?

Bertie
Nah,
suggesting the simboi was underqualified as ballast.

--
Message posted via http://www.aviationkb.com

"Kloudy via AviationKB.com" u33403@uwe wrote in news:7e4e31d71a563@uwe:

Bertie the Bunyip wrote:
Why, you thinking of becoming ballast?

[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]

"underqualified" might be what I'd expect from you, yip.

As a flame, or as ballast myself?

Bertie
Nah,
suggesting the simboi was underqualified as ballast.


Ah, OK. depends on what you wnat out of your ballast I suppose!

Bertie

I'm not sure, but would guess the outer edges of fuel tanks on
something like a Mooney centered about 8 feet from the centerline. If
there's a 10 gallon differential in the tanks -- 60 pounds -- that's
480 foot pounds of unbalance. That's about the same as a 300 pounder
sitting 1.5 feet from the centerline. We tend to burn an hour's worth
out of the takeoff wing (10 gallons easy) before switching, and the
airplane does not fly especially wing heavy.

Bertie, MX may not be overqualified as ballast. If, for example, I was
PIC (about 130 pounds) with a center of gravity (watch it now, if you
comment on the location of my center of gravity) 18 inches to the left
of centerline, a 260 pound ballast sitting in the back 9 inches to
the right of center would bring things into left and right balance.
There should be enough trim for fore and aft balance. You might assume
I would not invite ballast to sit in front.




On Jan 15, 1:03 pm, Bertie the Bunyip wrote:
Mxsmanic wrote :

What is your method for handling weight and balance when you are
piloting a small aircraft alone?

Do you just trim to adjust for the
lateral imbalance, or do you put something on the other side of the
plane (ballast, luggage, etc.) to balance it out, or what?

Why, you thinking of becoming ballast?

you're overqualified.

Bertie

Tina wrote in
:

I'm not sure, but would guess the outer edges of fuel tanks on
something like a Mooney centered about 8 feet from the centerline. If
there's a 10 gallon differential in the tanks -- 60 pounds -- that's
480 foot pounds of unbalance. That's about the same as a 300 pounder
sitting 1.5 feet from the centerline. We tend to burn an hour's worth
out of the takeoff wing (10 gallons easy) before switching, and the
airplane does not fly especially wing heavy.

Bertie, MX may not be overqualified as ballast.


OK, he's perfect. I can't imagine any box of lead doing a better job.



If, for example, I was
PIC (about 130 pounds) with a center of gravity (watch it now, if you
comment on the location of my center of gravity) 18 inches to the left
of centerline, a 260 pound ballast sitting in the back 9 inches to
the right of center would bring things into left and right balance.
There should be enough trim for fore and aft balance. You might assume
I would not invite ballast to sit in front.

Wel, you put ballast where it does the most good!

In anthony's case that would be in the Dumpster behind the airport cafe.


BTW, on big ones, there is a L/R loading issue, but it's only for floor
strength issues. It's only on widebody AC, though.


Bertie

On Jan 15, 7:35 pm, Bertie the Bunyip wrote:
Bertie, MX may not be overqualified as ballast.

OK, he's perfect. I can't imagine any box of lead doing a better job.

Lead's better. It doesn't argue.

Dan

wrote in news:309c6286-5f08-4022-93b6-
:

On Jan 15, 7:35 pm, Bertie the Bunyip wrote:
Bertie, MX may not be overqualified as ballast.

OK, he's perfect. I can't imagine any box of lead doing a better job.

Lead's better. It doesn't argue.


Sheesh! I hope sinc eAnthony is my chew toy he's not toxic!