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Balance weights

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Phil B

Joined: 31 Aug 2010
Posts: 21
Location: South Wales, UK

Posted: Sun May 24, 2015 6:22 am Post subject: Balance weights

About to get my mono wheel weighed and balanced. 2 questions - where is the best place to fix the weights. I thought of fixing some flat sheets of lead to the stern post but wondered if it's strong enough or may be each side of the tail wheel spring.

While I appreciate that each build is different can anyone give me a range of ballast weights I will expect to need. At this stage I don't know whether to cater for 3lbs or 30lbs of ballast.



Thanks in advance.

Phil B

Kit no. 032

Mono wheel Classic with XS fwf.

pjeffers(at)talktalk.net
Guest

Posted: Sun May 24, 2015 7:08 am Post subject: Balance weights

Hi Phil,

Very few Europas need any ballast weight at all.  Do you ask the question

for a particular reason?  If, and only if, you require ballast it will only

be in the order of 1 to 5 lbs. If you need more than that then something is

wrong with your build. Once more, if you require weight, it is normally

fitted to the bolt that secures your tail wheel extension spring (XTW 06) at

the rear of the fuselage.

Regards

Pete



--

hagargs(at)earthlink.net
Guest

Posted: Sun May 24, 2015 7:17 am Post subject: Balance weights

One point you want to think of is that you don't want to be carrying around useless weight.  The preferred method is to move things around that you need to carry.  The typical method is to move the battery forward or aft. 



Steve Hagar

Mesa, AZ



--

davidjoyce(at)doctors.org
Guest

Posted: Sun May 24, 2015 10:22 am Post subject: Balance weights

Phil, My inspector and the LAA were entirely happy to have a lead block bolted on to the front of my sternpost - 3 lbs in my instance but they would have accepted more. Have you worked out what the ideal position of your C of G is? - that is one where you can accommodate any sensible combination of crew/fuel/luggage without needing to do calculations? 

Regards, David Joyce, GXSDJ 

   

 

On 2015-05-24 15:22, Phil B wrote: [quote]  	  Quote: 	
		  --> Europa-List message posted by: "Phil B" <daveporthcawl(at)aol.com (daveporthcawl(at)aol.com)>



About to get my mono wheel weighed and balanced. 2 questions - where is the best place to fix the weights. I thought of fixing some flat sheets of lead to the stern post but wondered if it's strong enough or may be each side of the tail wheel spring.

While I appreciate that each build is different can anyone give me a range of ballast weights I will expect to need. At this stage I don't know whether to cater for 3lbs or 30lbs of ballast.



Thanks in advance.

Phil B

Kit no. 032

Mono wheel Classic with XS fwf.





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http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=442528#442528



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rlborger(at)mac.com
Guest

Posted: Sun May 24, 2015 11:13 am Post subject: Balance weights

Phil,



I agree with Peter Jeffers.  Really shouldn’t require aft ballast unless you have an unusually heavy engine.  Try moving the battery first as you don’t want to haul around dead weight unless absolutely necessary.



Blue skies & tailwinds,

Bob Borger

Europa XS Tri, Rotax 914, Airmaster C/S Prop (85 hrs).

Little Toot Sport Biplane, Lycoming Thunderbolt AEIO-320 EXP

3705 Lynchburg Dr.

Corinth, TX  76208-5331

Cel: 817-992-1117

rlborger(at)mac.com



On May 24, 2015, at 9:22 AM, Phil B <daveporthcawl(at)aol.com> wrote:






About to get my mono wheel weighed and balanced. 2 questions - where is the best place to fix the weights. I thought of fixing some flat sheets of lead to the stern post but wondered if it's strong enough or may be each side of the tail wheel spring.

While I appreciate that each build is different can anyone give me a range of ballast weights I will expect to need. At this stage I don't know whether to cater for 3lbs or 30lbs of ballast.



Thanks in advance.

Phil B

Kit no. 032

Mono wheel Classic with XS fwf.





Read this topic online here:



http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=442528#442528

davidjoyce(at)doctors.org
Guest

Posted: Sun May 24, 2015 1:50 pm Post subject: Balance weights

Steve, There is the point that a forward battery saves a fair bit of weight and gives limited resistance = better starting, very easy fixing & easier access. I suspect that I saved the 3 lbs that I attached to my stern post, in shorter heavy duty cable length and not having to construct a rear battery box, so I may well have broken even on the weight calculation. Regards, David Joyce, GXSDJ 

   

 

On 2015-05-24 16:16, Steve Hagar wrote: [quote] [quote]--> Europa-List message posted by: Steve Hagar <hagargs(at)earthlink.net (hagargs(at)earthlink.net)>  One point you want to think of is that you don't want to be carrying around useless weight.  The preferred method is to move things around that you need to carry.  The typical method is to move the battery forward or aft.   Steve Hagar Mesa, AZ  --

Duncan McFadyean

Joined: 18 Jan 2011
Posts: 218

Posted: Sun May 24, 2015 11:27 pm Post subject: Balance weights

I had 14 lbs of lead bolted to the old tailwheel mount at one point; the 1" 'railway' bolt that held it weighed >1lb alone.

   The LAA didn't blink.

    

   Duncan McF.

 

 

 

   --

pjeffers(at)talktalk.net
Guest

Posted: Mon May 25, 2015 11:32 am Post subject: Balance weights

Hi Duncan,

I find it hard to imagine what on earth you had fitted up front to justify 14 lbs at the tail.?

Pete

 

From: owner-europa-list-server(at)matronics.com [mailto:owner-europa-list-server(at)matronics.com] On Behalf Of ami-mcfadyean(at)talktalk.net

Sent: 25 May 2015 08:26

To: europa-list(at)matronics.com

Subject: Re: Balance weights



 

I had 14 lbs of lead bolted to the old tailwheel mount at one point; the 1" 'railway' bolt that held it weighed >1lb alone.



The LAA didn't blink.



 



Duncan McF.



--

paul.the.aviator(at)gmail
Guest

Posted: Mon May 25, 2015 7:17 pm Post subject: Balance weights

My 914 needed 4 lbs in the tail but I never did put it in. Over the years I

slowly moved the C of G by moving the battery back, taking weight out of the

tail and generally putting the airplane on a diet.  What I did find though

as the more I moved the C of G back the more difficult the airplane was to

handing in the landing/ground roll .... This makes sense of course, but it

was noticeable.

Fred Klein

Joined: 26 Mar 2012
Posts: 503

Posted: Tue May 26, 2015 2:52 pm Post subject: Balance weights

Paulâ€¦would you be willing to lay some numbers on your thoughts expressed below?â€¦Fred



 	  Quote: 	
		   On May 25, 2015, at 8:15 PM, Paul McAllister <paul.the.aviator(at)gmail.com> wrote:

 

 

 

 My 914 needed 4 lbs in the tail but I never did put it in. Over the years I

 slowly moved the C of G by moving the battery back, taking weight out of the

 tail and generally putting the airplane on a diet.  What I did find though

 as the more I moved the C of G back the more difficult the airplane was to

 handing in the landing/ground roll .... This makes sense of course, but it

 was noticeable.

JonathanMilbank

Joined: 14 Apr 2012
Posts: 384
Location: Aberdeen area

Posted: Wed May 27, 2015 1:52 pm Post subject: Re: Balance weights

When my Classic beauty was still a mono/tail/wheel, I did move the battery from engine bay to rear fuselage immediately behind the flap cross-tube. This was due to a misunderstanding about the datum point and a year or so later I moved the battery forward again.



As has already been stated, moving the C of G aft makes a very noticeable difference to ground handling in a mono-wheel especially during the landing roll-out. It felt decidedly more inclined to ground-loop and I was relieved to discover my fundamental blunder in calculations, which allowed me to move the battery forward again, a year later.



I believe that you should arrange things to have the C of G at the forward limit with two heavies in the seats, nothing in the baggage bay and almost no fuel. It really does improve the feeling of security, based on about 800 hours as a mono with battery forward and about 50 hours with battery aft.

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