W&b doneso

10 posts in this topic

Posted

the airplane started out with a vw 2276 with an empty weight of 575. Now it’s got a Rotax 582, and it’s at 458. If I reeeeaaalllly wanted to I bet I could get it closer to 400. Thanks for the help! I’ll report here on the upcoming flights. Empty cg is 11.07

FD7BDC0F-027E-49D8-A35F-8624D931021A.jpeg

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Posted (edited)

How did it even fly with that much weight in the front with the original engine????? Wow!

With a 582 you are now at the forward limit! (right where it ends up on Avids with a 582). Do you have a convenient place (access hole or something so you can put some lead in the tail to optimize the CG while adding minimal weight? The builder of my plane put an access hole for transponder antenna just in front of the tailwheel mount where I stick the lead in my plane. It has a 912, but the FW CG issue and cure is the same.

Edited by Chris Bolkan

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Posted

Terrific work, Matthew. I always wonder why people shy away from the rotax engines, they are great!

What is your Max Gross Weight?

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Posted (edited)

Chris, the cg is slightly forward if limits empty, but it’ll likely never fly without anyone in it... with a driver, it puts it in at about 12 with no fuel, within limits with 440lb people up front and full fuel and empty

 

nick

gw thought to be 1050, I badly wanna shave another 20 lbs and roll with a 670 like you!

Edited by Matthewtanner
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Posted

Hi Mathew,

Full Fuel and 2 people will not move the CG very far back in the big scheme of things since all of that weight is centered under the wing. 

A CG of 12 is WAY too far forward for the plane to land and take off like you will want it to. Just ask others in the group. The plane will actually FEEL lighter and more responsive with a good 10 lb of lead in the tail. 

If the plane is flyable right now, moving the CG back will be the biggest improvement you can make, well worth the few pounds of weight it will add. 

Just try it. Figure out how to temporarily attach 10Lb under the TW spring mount and see for yourself. Of course run the math or weigh and calculate again first to make sure you don't end up past the rear CG limit, but I think 10LB shoul be a good safe amount to start with. Once you convince yourself it is a huge improvement, you can figure out how you want to implement a more permanent solution.

Remenber the plane you have was never intended to have an engine as heavy as the 582 on it in the first place, much less what was on it when you got it!

I have my weight set up so I can remove it if necessary for fully loaded baggage for camping.

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Posted

I'll try that Chris thank you! I hate the idea of dead weight though, but the battery i'm using now is only 1 lb. Maybe i can use a tungsten tailwheel bolt.

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Posted (edited)

Too bad it's not easier to shorten up the engine mount. What's the rim made out of on your tail wheel? If it's aluminum maybe you can find a steel version to add a couple of pounds in the back? An added advantage of a heavier tail wheel would be the inertia needed to get it spinning would result in a braking effect on touch down. Of course you get the opposite effect once it's up to speed and then your trying to slow the airplane down. I don't like adding weight either and if I do have to add any I'd like to figure out how to get some use out of it. In my case I'd probably just mount my B.R.S. chute further back in the fuselage. 

If you want be unique in adding weight to your tail, I'd suggest a tiny set of bomb bay doors in the back containing a small stuffed animal fox in a leather bombers jacket and parachute. You could drop him at your friends house.  In my case I'd probably use it to drop off a friendly canned drink by parachute. My friends get thirsty from playing all day in the summer sun on the Mississippi river and the sand bars.

We had a guy in our ultralight club we called "The Candy Man". He always made a low pass over after take off and threw out candy from his Kolb. The kids loved hunting the candy down in the grass.

Edited by Cloud Dancer

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Posted

You could go for big cool factor and bump your mains up a couple sizes which will add weight but not affect CG too significantly, and then put on one of those big AK bush tail wheel assemblies to add the needed weight! :BC:

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Posted

Send link for heavy tail 

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Posted

Ohio Bush Planes (no steering linkage)

Baby Bushwheel (with steering linkage)

Pretty spendy tho

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