Had my plane weighed today
Moderators: GAHorn, Karl Towle, Bruce Fenstermacher
- GAHorn
- Posts: 21302
- Joined: Fri Apr 12, 2002 8:45 pm
Re: Had my plane weighed today
It's perfectly acceptable to fill the tanks and calculate out the useable fuel/oil etc. and it's associated CG. (It's just that method is more likely to err on the heavy side.)
'53 B-model N146YS SN:25713
50th Anniversary of Flight Model. Winner-Best Original 170B, 100th Anniversary of Flight Convention.
An originality nut (mostly) for the right reasons.
50th Anniversary of Flight Model. Winner-Best Original 170B, 100th Anniversary of Flight Convention.
An originality nut (mostly) for the right reasons.

- cessna170bdriver
- Posts: 4115
- Joined: Mon Apr 22, 2002 5:13 pm
Re: Had my plane weighed today
I prefer weighing with the tanks FULL. That way you can just subtract out the weight of usable fuel ( by definition in a 170, 37.5 gallons, or 225lb, IIRC) and then you'll KNOW that your empty weight includes "unusable" fuel. It would be a tedious process to remove absolutely all of the fuel from the airplane, and if you don't you'll end up at some unknown point somewhere between zero fuel and unusable fuel.
Miles
“I envy no man that knows more than myself, but pity them that know less.”
— Thomas Browne
“I envy no man that knows more than myself, but pity them that know less.”
— Thomas Browne
-
- Posts: 38
- Joined: Mon Jul 01, 2013 11:53 pm
Re: Had my plane weighed today
as long as you also remove the total moment of all fuel, then add back the unuseable fuel and it's moment it would be close.... the undrainable fuel being one unknown.... that and the fact that the weight of fuel goes up and down...
av gas is 6.02 lbs per US gallon at "standard temperature" - defined as 15 degrees celsius (59 degrees Fahrenheit).
Its density increases to 6.4 lbs per US gallon at -40 F and 5.9 lbs per gallon 100 degrees
I know, pickin dirt out of the pepper, but there is no way to get the real, true, absolutely correct empty weight unless you drain it.... fact
av gas is 6.02 lbs per US gallon at "standard temperature" - defined as 15 degrees celsius (59 degrees Fahrenheit).
Its density increases to 6.4 lbs per US gallon at -40 F and 5.9 lbs per gallon 100 degrees
I know, pickin dirt out of the pepper, but there is no way to get the real, true, absolutely correct empty weight unless you drain it.... fact
- N2255D
- Posts: 489
- Joined: Wed Apr 24, 2002 3:42 am
Re: Had my plane weighed today
Just make sure you make fuel weight adjustments for temperature differences when doing your W&B computation prior to flight.BEEZERBOY wrote: but there is no way to get the real, true, absolutely correct empty weight unless you drain it.... fact
Walt Weaver
Spencer Airport (NC35)
Spencer Airport (NC35)
- blueldr
- Posts: 4442
- Joined: Thu May 02, 2002 3:16 am
Re: Had my plane weighed today
I remember the time in my wildly misspent youth that I had a date with a lovely young thing who, when asked what she'd like to do, told me she was dying to get "weighed". After dinner I made it a point to visit a drug store with a penny scale and got her weighed. I seriously kicked my butt somewhat later. After bidding her goodnight at her door I asked her if she had a good time and she allowed as how it had been "Wousey".
BL
-
- Posts: 2560
- Joined: Mon Apr 22, 2002 8:01 pm
-
- Posts: 2615
- Joined: Thu Sep 30, 2010 11:35 pm
Re: Had my plane weighed today
WOW
Waughed Out Woud
Waughed Out Woud
- GAHorn
- Posts: 21302
- Joined: Fri Apr 12, 2002 8:45 pm
Re: Had my plane weighed today
Twagic misunderstandings pwe-date the Internet?
What a wocky-woad we twavel - E. Fudd.
What a wocky-woad we twavel - E. Fudd.
'53 B-model N146YS SN:25713
50th Anniversary of Flight Model. Winner-Best Original 170B, 100th Anniversary of Flight Convention.
An originality nut (mostly) for the right reasons.
50th Anniversary of Flight Model. Winner-Best Original 170B, 100th Anniversary of Flight Convention.
An originality nut (mostly) for the right reasons.

-
- Posts: 990
- Joined: Fri Dec 15, 2006 7:58 pm
Cessna® is a registered trademark of Textron Aviation, Inc. The International Cessna® 170 Association is an independent owners/operators association dedicated to C170 aircraft and early O-300-powered C172s. We are not affiliated with Cessna® or Textron Aviation, Inc. in any way.