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Re: Weight and balance

Subject: Re: Weight and balance
From: David Hillam <dgh@liverpool.ac.uk>
Date: Tue, 7 Dec 1999 23:13:01

> Wrong!! Ours is a Classic fitted with a 912 and we had to fit the
> battery in the luggage bay. (We are not alone in having to do this, and
> maybe a result of building the tail end light???).
> In the UK the PFA require that the Europa remains within the CofG limit
> with 2 ICAO standard people on board (can't remember for sure, but
> around 170 lbs each) plus an empty fuel tank.
> 
> Dave Watts G-BXDY


I haven't got that far yet but I was hoping to avoid having 
to put the battery in the back (classic Europa with 912 and 
original engine mount and cowlings).  With new cowlings and 
mount, the engine is a few inches further forward which 
creates difficulty with C of G, especially if combined with 
heavy panel (I assume).

One thing I have pondered on and would welcome opinions is 
this.  If the battery is placed in the back, you will need 
longer, thicker, battery cables with all the attendant 
disadvantages. What is the extra weight of such cables?  
Would it not be better, instead, to put ballast (similar 
weight to the extra cable?) as far back in the tail as 
possible, where the longer lever arm would have a greater 
effect on the C of G? 

Presumably there is a way of calculating the better 
solution (to use ballast or move the battery) for any given 
situation - has anyone done it? 
----------------------
David Hillam

#113  G-SHSH

dgh@liverpool.ac.uk



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