drone_pilot
Well Known Member
When it comes to technique in performing Weight and Balance on my RV-7A, I have a few questions, while I wait for my scales to arrive....
A) Is it acceptable practice to take the arm measurements to the nose wheel and each main wheel prior to putting the airplane onto the scales?
I feel I can get more accurate distance measurements off of the scales with the aircraft in a natural stance on the floor but that creates a new question....
B) The aircraft has to be perfectly level while on the scales but normally sits slightly nose high in the natural stance on the floor. Will the datum to wheel measurements change significantly with the airplane sitting perfectly level?
I will have each wheel on its own scale. The scales are 3" high so I thought I'd construct looooong wooden ramps to roll the airplane onto the scales as opposed to jacking it up and letting it down on the scale. I feel rolling it onto the scale is better to prevent side loading of the scale. I also feel that the arm measurements taken prior to rolling on the scale will remain fairly static if I can roll the airplane as opposed to jacking it up.
My plan is to roll it onto the scales and check for level. If it is out of level, roll airplane off of scales, add shims under appropriate scales and repeat until I can achieve a level stance.
Is my thinking okay on this? Any way to simplify? Are there better techniques or more steps that I should consider?
A) Is it acceptable practice to take the arm measurements to the nose wheel and each main wheel prior to putting the airplane onto the scales?
I feel I can get more accurate distance measurements off of the scales with the aircraft in a natural stance on the floor but that creates a new question....
B) The aircraft has to be perfectly level while on the scales but normally sits slightly nose high in the natural stance on the floor. Will the datum to wheel measurements change significantly with the airplane sitting perfectly level?
I will have each wheel on its own scale. The scales are 3" high so I thought I'd construct looooong wooden ramps to roll the airplane onto the scales as opposed to jacking it up and letting it down on the scale. I feel rolling it onto the scale is better to prevent side loading of the scale. I also feel that the arm measurements taken prior to rolling on the scale will remain fairly static if I can roll the airplane as opposed to jacking it up.
My plan is to roll it onto the scales and check for level. If it is out of level, roll airplane off of scales, add shims under appropriate scales and repeat until I can achieve a level stance.
Is my thinking okay on this? Any way to simplify? Are there better techniques or more steps that I should consider?