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Christopher's Web Site
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Date: 12-4-2016
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Number of Hours: 2.50
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Manual Reference:
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Brief Description: Lead Ballast Weight
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This was another project that took me a while to tackle. Living in California didn’t help when trying to track down enough lead to melt down for the ballast weight.
For those of you who don’t know what I’m referring to, this is a moveable weight that you use for ballast depending on the configuration of payload. For example, if I’m flying by myself, I will use the weight in the cabin and secure it in a frame mount located by the right tail rotor pedals.
Now, if there are two of us flying in the cabin, the weight will be relocated to a station mount on the tail boom close to the vertical stabilizer. All of this must be taken into consideration when performing the weight and balance calculations.
My buddy Tom’s cylinder came with the opening on the bottom, so you couldn’t see the lead when it was in the mount. Mine, on the other hand, came with the opening on the top, which gives it a poorer finish and is more difficult to fill with lead because the handle is in the way. I’m bummed.
Anyway, I drilled the frame and cylinder for the two locations, melted down scuba diving weights in a cast iron melting pot on a Colman stove, and carefully filled the cylinder. Cleaning off the lead scum during the process help with the finish, and I filed and sanded it down for a nice clean look. I just need to weigh and label the weight, and I will be done.
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Ready for hot lead pour
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Melting dive weights
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Finished ballast weight
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