W&B after Alterations

• Alterations vs. Repairs

 Repairs are corrective actions to return to airworthy status

 Alterations are actions that extend or improve operating limits

• Minor vs. Major

 Major

 Affect weight, balance, structural strength, performance,

powerplant operation, flight characteristics, or other qualities
affecting airworthiness; or cannot be done by elementary
operations, the big stuff

 Equipment not on approved list (TCDS or AMF/POH)

 Minor is all else, the small stuff

• Major Alterations or Repairs

 Reweigh a/c

 Calculate new empty weight and CG

 Construct current

Moments –Positive & Negative

• Arm

 Arm aft of the Datum is positive

 Arm forward of the Datum is negative

• Weight

 Adding or loading items, weight is positive

 Removing items, weight is negative

• Moment

 Product of the weight & arm

 Sign is determined by the signs of the arm and the weight

  Multiplying two negatives results in a positive value

 Multiplying two positives results in a positive value

 Multiplying a positive and a negative results in a negative value

Helicopter Weight & Balance

• Fixed-Wing W&B generally apply to Helicopters

• By nature Helicopter are unstable

 Fuselage acts as a pendulum suspended by the main rotor

 Less ability to handle shock & loads in turbulent conditions

 Longitudinal CG range and weight are more critical

 Lateral CG is also critical

 Level Longitudinal & Laterally

• Additional factors affecting Helicopter W&B

 Altitude

 Temperature

 Humidity

• Cannot be operated at max weight in all conditions

Helicopter Design

• Effect of reducing the Arm

 Changes in weight has minimal effect upon Moment

 Small changes in Moment minimizes effect upon CG

• Usable load is near main rotor

 Fuel tanks, oil & hydraulic reservoirs

 Storage compartments

 Reduces the effect upon CG

 As you are flying, using fuel, oil, changes to CG are small

Helicopter Balance Point

• CG is ideally at the Main Rotor mast

 Helicopter hangs horizontally while hovering

 Three axis at the point of control (cyclic & collective pitch)

• CG out of range

 Additional cyclic pitch is required

 Reduces range of control

 May become instable

• CG affects control and stability

• Improper loading of a helicopter results in reduction or loss of effective cyclic

pitch control

Loading & Weight Distribution

• Applies to both Fixed & Rotary Wing Aircraft

• Accurate Calculations to assure stability & safety

• Based upon Empty Weight CG Report

• Loading Charts

 Found in AFM/POH (Aircraft Flight Manual / Pilot Operation Handbook)

 Provide graphic ranges of CG (envelope)

 Uses Gross Weight and Total Moment

 Helicopter charts tend to be more complicated

Examples Loading Chart & CG Envelope

• Loading Graph

 Find all loads

 Sum all loads – Gross Weight

 Sum all moments – Total Moment

 • CG Envelope

 Vertical axis – Gross Weight

 Horizontal Axis – Total Moment

 Inside the box – OK

 Outside the box – not airworthy

Weight & Balance – Large Aircraft

• Similar to small a/c, much larger scale

• Built-In weighing

 Weighs itself

 Load sells in the axels

 Most large airliners

• Boeing 777

 Two independent weighing systems

 Provides W&B data to flight computer

 If they agree, the computer accepts as accurate, thus airworthy

Weight & Balance Records

• Empty Weight & Balance Report

 Current & accurate

 Must be in the a/c

 A/C not airworthy w/o this report onboard

• NO required format