Aircraft Weight and Balance Handbook: FAA-H-8083-1A

by Federal Aviation Administration

Overview

The Aircraft Weight and Balance Handbook is the official U.S. government guidebook for pilots, flight crews, and airplane mechanics. Beginning with the basic principles of aircraft weight and balance control, this manual goes on to cover in exacting detail the procedures for weighing aircraft. It also offers a thorough discussion of the methods used to determine the location of an aircraft’s empty weight and center of gravity (CG), including information for an A&P mechanic to determine weight changes caused by repairs or alterations.

With instructions for conducting adverse-loaded CG checks and for determining the amount and location of ballast needed to bring CG within allowable limits, the Aircraft Weight and Balance Handbook is essential for anyone who wishes to safely weigh and fly aircraft of all kinds.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781616081249
Publisher:	Skyhorse
Publication date:	02/14/2011
Pages:	96
Product dimensions:	8.40(w) x 10.90(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	12 - 18 Years

About the Author

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), established in 1958, strives to “provide the safest, most efficient aerospace system in the world.”

Table of Contents

Weight and Balance Control     1
Weight Control     1
Effects of Weight     2
Weight Changes     2
Stability and Balance Control     3
Weight Control for Aircraft other than Fixed and Rotorwing     5
Weight and Balance Theory and Documentation     1
Weight and Balance Theory     1
Aircraft Arms, Weights, and Moments     1
The Law of the Lever     1
Determining the CG     2
Shifting the CG     3
Basic Weight and Balance Equation     4
Shifting the Airplane CG     5
Weight and Balance Documentation     6
FAA-Furnished Information     6
Data Pertinent to Individual Models     6
CG Range     6
Utility Category     6
Empty Weight CG Range     10
Maximum Weights     10
Number of Seats     10
Maximum Baggage (Structural Limit)     10
Fuel Capacity     10
Oil Capacity (Wet Sump)     10
Data Pertinent to all Models     10
Datum     10
Leveling Means     11
Manufacturer-Furnished Information     11
Weighing the Aircraft and Determining the Empty-Weight Center of Gravity     1
Requirements     1
Equipment for Weighing     1
Preparation for Weighing     2
Weigh Clean Aircraft Inside Hangar     2
Equipment List     2
Ballast     2
Draining the Fuel     2
Oil     2
Other Fluids     3
Configuration of the Aircraft     3
Jacking the Aircraft     3
Leveling the Aircraft     3
Safety Considerations     3
Determining the Center of Gravity     4
Two Ways to Express CG Location     4
Empty-Weight Center of Gravity Formulas     5
Datum Forward of the Airplane-Nose Wheel Landing Gear     5
Datum Aft of the Main Wheels-Nose Wheel Landing Gear     5
Location of Datum     6
Datum Forward of the Main Wheels-Tail Wheel Landing Gear     6
Datum Aft of the Main Wheels-Tail Wheel Landing Gear     6
Location with Respect to the Mean Aerodynamic Chord     6
Small Fixed Wing Aircraft Operational Weight and Balance Computations     1
Determining the Loaded Weight and CG     1
Computational Method      1
Loading Graph Method     3
Moment Indexes     3
Loading Graph     3
Compute Weight and Balance Using the Loading Graph     4
Multiengine Airplane Weight and Balance Computations     4
Determining the Loaded CG     5
The Charp Method Using weight, Arm, and Moments     5
Determining the CG in Percent of MAC     6
The Chart Method Using Weight, and Moment Indexes     6
Center of Gravity Change After Repair or Alteration     1
Equipment List     1
Major Alteration and Repair     1
Weight and Balance Revision Record     3
Weight Changes Caused by a Repair or Alteration     3
Computations Using Weight, Arm, and Moment     3
Computations Using Weight and Moment Indexes     4
Empty-Weight CG Range     4
Adverse-Loaded CG Checks     4
Forward Adverse-Loaded CG Check     5
Aft Adverse-Loaded CG Check     6
Ballast     6
Temporary Ballast     6
Temporary Ballast Formula     6
Permanent Ballast     6
Weight and Balance Control-Helicopters     1
Determining the Loaded CG of a Helicopter      2
Effects of Offloading Passengers and Using Fuel     3
Large Aircraft Weight and Balance     1
Weighing Procedures     1
Determining the Empty Weight and EWCG     1
Determining the Loaded CG of the Airplane in Percent MAC     2
On Board Aircraft Weighing System     2
Determining the Correct Stabilizer Trim Setting     4
Stabilizer Trim Setting in % MAC     4
Stabilizer Trim Setting in Units ANU (Airplane Nose Up)     4
Determining CG Changes Caused by Modifying the Cargo     4
Effects of Loading or Offloading Cargo     4
Effects of Onloading Cargo     5
Effects of Shifting Cargo from One Hold to Another     6
Determining Cargo Pallet Loads with Regard to Floor Loading Limits     7
Determining the Maximum Amount of Payload That Can Be Carried     8
Determining the Landing Weight     8
Determining the Minutes of Fuel Dump Time     10
Weight and Balance of Commuter Category Airplanes     11
Determining the Loaded Weight and CG     15
Determining the Changes in CG When Passengers are Shifted     15
Determining Changes in Weight and CG When the Airplane is Operated in its Cargo Configuration     16
Determining the CG Shift When Cargo is Moved From One Section to Another     16
Determining the CG Shift When Cargo is Added or Removed     17
Determining Which Limits are Exceeded     17
Use of Computers for Weight and Balance Computations     1
Using an Electronic Calculator to Solve Weight and Balance Problems     1
Using an E6-B Flight Computer to Solve Weight and Balance Problems     1
Using a Dedicated Electronic Flight Computer to Solve Weight and Balance Problems     3
Typical Weight and Balance Problems     3
Determining CG in Inches From the Datum     3
Nose Wheel Airplane with Datum Ahead of the Main Wheels     3
Nose Wheel Airplane with Datum Behind the Main Wheels     4
Tail Wheel Airplane with Datum Ahead of the Main Wheels     4
Tail Wheel Airplane with Datum Behind the Main Wheels     4
Determining CG, Given Weights and Arms     4
Determining CG, given Weights and Moment Indexes     5
Determining CG in Percent of Mean Aerodynamic Chord     5
Determining Later CG of a Helicopter     5
Determining [Delta]CG caused by Shifting Weights     6
Determining Weight Shifted to Cause Specified [Delta]CG     6
Determining Distance Weight is Shifted to Move CG a Specific Distance      6
Determining Total Weight of an Aircraft That Will Have a Specified [Delta]CG When Cargo is Moved     6
Determining Amount of Ballast Needed to Move CG to a Desired Location     6
Appendix
Supplemental Study Materials for Aircraft Weight and Balance     A-1
Glossary     G-1
Index     I-1