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Christopher's Web Site
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Date: 3-26-2017
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Number of Hours: 6.00
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Manual Reference:
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Brief Description: Center of Gravity / Weight and Balance
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This was a process that required a significant amount of prep work because of the tools needed, the processes and required calculations, and the help needed to perform the test. I’m a member of the Livermore EAA Chapter 663, and as such, I’m allowed to borrow the tools they’ve collected as a group. I have many of the tools they have in their inventory, but what I didn’t have was the 4 digital automotive scales.
I’m very disappointed in myself because I was so focused at the task at hand that I didn’t take the photos that would show how all of our hard work and planning. I saw “we” because my buddy Tommy, who you may remember helped me guide the engine into place last year, and is responsible for all of my powder coating, generously offered to help with the weighing of this beast.
In a nutshell, we had to first find the center of gravity of the ship. We started by draining all of the fuel so all that remained was unusable fuel and oil. Then we needed to find the center of gravity, which should be roughly under the fuel tanks.
I made a couple of fixtures to allow the ship to teeter without damaging the skids. I took steel angle iron and taped an aluminum piece of stock onto it from both sides so it had freedom of movement. I lifted the skids from the ground using the tail, and Tommy continued sliding the iron on both sides until we found the place it would balance in a level orientation. Then we measured from the fixed datum point, which Safari has chosen to be the center of the rear landing gear arm.
Then we placed two scales under each skid, wired them up to the control unit with individual cords, and read the weight on each side (no photo). Weight was equal on both sides, and 1,054 lbs. total.
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For center of gravity
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Measurement from datum
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Scales
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