CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the study
Determining the center of gravity is very important for any flying object. The center of

gravity is a geometric property of any object. Center of gravity is the average location of

the weight of an object. We can completely describe the motion of any object through space in

terms of the translation of the center of gravity of the object from one place to another, and

the rotation of the object about its center of gravity if it is free to rotate. If the object is confined

to rotate about some other point, like a hinge, we can still describe its motion. In flight,

both airplanes and rockets rotate about their centers of gravity. A kite, on the other hand, rotates

about the bridle point. But the trim of a kite still depends on the location of the center of

gravity relative to the bridle point, because for every object the weight always acts through the

center of gravity. The relationship between aircraft performance and CG location is simple: by

moving the CG forward and aft, you change the amount of tail down force and lift you need for

stable flight. Your airplane balances on its CG, and that location is where the downward force

acts on your aircraft. Your lift acts upward from your wing, at a point called the center of lift. And

the center of lift, as long as you are within the aircraft's CG limits, is always aft of your CG.

Centre of gravity, in physics, an imaginary point in a body of matter where, for convenience in

certain calculations, the total weight of the body may be thought to be concentrated. The

concept is sometimes useful in designing static structures (e.g., buildings and bridges) or in

predicting the behaviour of a moving body when it is acted on by gravity. In a uniform

gravitational field the centre of gravity is identical to the centre of mass, a term preferred by

physicists. The two do not always coincide, however. For example, the Moon’s centre of mass is

very close to its geometric centre (it is not exact because the Moon is not a perfect uniform

sphere), but its centre of gravity is slightly displaced toward Earth because of the stronger

gravitational force on the Moon’s near side.

 Center of gravity (CG) limits are specified longitudinal (forward and aft) and/or lateral (left

and right) limits within which the aircraft's center of gravity must be located during flight. The CG

limits are indicated in the airplane flight manual. The area between the limits is called the CG

range of the aircraft. When the weight of the aircraft is at or below the allowable limit(s) for its

configuration (parked, ground movement, take-off, landing, etc.) and its center of gravity is

within the allowable range, and both will remain so for the duration of the flight, the aircraft is

said to be within weight and balance. Different maximum weights may be defined for different

situations; for example, large aircraft may have maximum landing weights that are lower than

maximum take-off weights (because some weight is expected to be lost as fuel is burned during

the flight). The center of gravity may change over the duration of the flight as the aircraft's

weight changes due to fuel burn or by passengers moving forward or aft in the cabin. The arm is

the horizontal distance from the reference datum to the center of gravity (CG) of an item. The

algebraic sign is plus (+) if measured aft of the datum or to the right side of the center line when

considering a lateral calculation. The algebraic sign is minus (-) if measured forward of the

datum or the left side of the center line when considering a lateral calculation. The moment is

the moment of force, or torque, which results from an object’s weight acting through an arc that

is centered on the zero point of the reference datum distance. Moment is also referred to as the

tendency of an object to rotate or pivot about a point (the zero point of the datum, in this case).

The further an object is from this point, the greater the force it exerts. Moment is calculated by

multiplying the weight of an object by its arm. A specific chord line of a tapered wing. At the

mean aerodynamic chord, the center of pressure has the same aerodynamic force, position,

and area as it does on the rest of the wing. The MAC represents the width of an equivalent

rectangular wing in given conditions. On some aircraft, the center of gravity is expressed as a

percentage of the length of the MAC. In order to make such a calculation, the position of the

leading edge of the MAC must be known ahead of time. This position is defined as a distance

from the reference datum and is found in the aircraft's flight manual and also on the aircraft's
type certificate data sheet. If a general MAC is not given but a LeMAC (leading edge mean

aerodynamic chord) and a TeMAC (trailing edge mean aerodynamic chord) are given (both of

which would be referenced as an arm measured out from the datum line) then your MAC can be

found by finding the difference between your LeMAC and your TeMAC.