Weight and balance question
Moderators: GAHorn, Karl Towle, Bruce Fenstermacher
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Weight and balance question
Just trying to amend my weight and balance with my larger tires. Found TCDS lists tire arm under listed equipment as 22" My weight and balance document has weights on wheels figured as 21". shouldn't this be the same. Have a question as with two of us and full fuel I've needed 50 lbs or so of ballast in baggage compartment to bring c of g into envelope moving the 1200 lbs or so on the wheels to 22" as TCDS says for tire arm would take care of a bunch of that. I have 48 with early soft gear.
Just because you're more proficient at it doesn't prove your method is better!
Kimball Isaac
1948 Cessna 170
C-GYHC
Kimball Isaac
1948 Cessna 170
C-GYHC
- Bruce Fenstermacher
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Re: Weight and balance question
The wheels are located at +22. If your W&B says otherwise it is wrong. Here is another mistake that is made. ALL 170s came with the Scott 3-24B as the standard tailwheel. The arm for that wheel is 246. Most 170s have been converted to the Scott 3200. This tail wheel has an arm of 249. If a mechanic looks at an original W&B report for the datums for the main wheels and tail wheel he may get the wrong one because it might be for the 3-24B and the airplane has a 3200.
BTW most Cessna's have never actually been weighed. At the factory they used a calculated weight for most coming off the assembly line. This calculated weight was corrected for equipment installed or not installed from the base line. Then of course mechanics have added or subtracted as needed.
My current 170A has never in it's history been on a set of scales. I started at day one and made a historical record of weight and balance changes for all work performed to this day and made several corrections. For one the W&B weight still accounted for a stretcher installed in the stowed position.
BTW most Cessna's have never actually been weighed. At the factory they used a calculated weight for most coming off the assembly line. This calculated weight was corrected for equipment installed or not installed from the base line. Then of course mechanics have added or subtracted as needed.
My current 170A has never in it's history been on a set of scales. I started at day one and made a historical record of weight and balance changes for all work performed to this day and made several corrections. For one the W&B weight still accounted for a stretcher installed in the stowed position.

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Bruce Fenstermacher, Past President, TIC170A
Email: brucefenster at gmail.com
Bruce Fenstermacher, Past President, TIC170A
Email: brucefenster at gmail.com
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Re: Weight and balance question
Mine will be on the scales for the first time in her life this annual. I currently have no honest clue what she weights as the equipment list over the years is comical.Bruce Fenstermacher wrote: BTW most Cessna's have never actually been weighed. At the factory they used a calculated weight for most coming off the assembly line. This calculated weight was corrected for equipment installed or not installed from the base line. Then of course mechanics have added or subtracted as needed.
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Re: Weight and balance question
If I redo the weight and balance calc with wheel arm at 22" then my instructor and I only need 20 lbs or so in baggage to keep us in envelope instead of 50. I'm also hoping to get actual scale weight during my annual next week or so.
Just because you're more proficient at it doesn't prove your method is better!
Kimball Isaac
1948 Cessna 170
C-GYHC
Kimball Isaac
1948 Cessna 170
C-GYHC
- rydfly
- Posts: 148
- Joined: Mon Aug 17, 2009 2:37 am
Re: Weight and balance question
Is there a specific type of scales recommended for this process?
1953 C170B - N170RP S/N 25865
- blueldr
- Posts: 4442
- Joined: Thu May 02, 2002 3:16 am
Re: Weight and balance question
Hey, Integretywood,
Just as a matter of curiousity, what was the difference in weight between what two sizes of tires you are talking about?
Just as a matter of curiousity, what was the difference in weight between what two sizes of tires you are talking about?
BL
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- Posts: 48
- Joined: Sat Jul 02, 2011 7:38 am
Re: Weight and balance question
BL
set of 8.50's weigh 20 lbs more then 6.00
Kim
set of 8.50's weigh 20 lbs more then 6.00
Kim
Just because you're more proficient at it doesn't prove your method is better!
Kimball Isaac
1948 Cessna 170
C-GYHC
Kimball Isaac
1948 Cessna 170
C-GYHC
- blueldr
- Posts: 4442
- Joined: Thu May 02, 2002 3:16 am
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