Weight and Balance Flashcards
- When computing weight and balance, an airplane is considered to be in balance when
A— the average moment arm of the loaded airplane falls within its CG range.
B— all moment arms of the plane fall within CG range.
C— the movement of the passengers will not cause the moment arms to fall outside the CG range.
A— the average moment arm of the loaded airplane falls within its CG range.
An airplane is considered to be in balance when the average moment arm of the loaded aircraft falls within its CG range.
- What tasks are completed prior to weighing an aircraft to determine its empty weight?
A— Remove all items except those on the aircraft equipment list; drain fuel and hydraulic fluid.
B— Remove all items on the aircraft equipment list; drain fuel, compute oil and hydraulic fluid weight.
C— Remove all items except those on the aircraft equipment list; drain fuel and fill hydraulic reservoir.
C— Remove all items except those on the aircraft equipment list; drain fuel and fill hydraulic reservoir.
Part 23, which applies to most general aviation aircraft, defines empty weight of an aircraft. Empty weight includes fixed ballast, unusable fuel, full operating fluids including oil, hydraulic fluid and other fluids required for normal operation of airplane systems except potable water, lavatory pre-charge water, and water intended for injection in the engines.
When preparing an airplane for weighing, remove all items except those on the equipment list, drain the fuel, and fill the hydraulic reservoir.
8154-1.
What is meant by the term “residual fuel”?
A— A known amount of fuel left in the tanks, lines, and engine.
B— The fuel remaining in the tanks, lines, and engine after draining.
C— The fuel remaining in the tank, lines, and engine before draining.
B— The fuel remaining in the tanks, lines, and engine after draining.
When weighing an aircraft to determine its empty weight, only the weight of residual (unusable) fuel should be included. Residual fuel is the fluid that will not normally drain out because it is trapped in the fuel lines and tanks.
- The useful load of an aircraft consists of the
A— crew, usable fuel, passengers, and cargo.
B— crew, usable fuel, oil, and fixed equipment.
C— crew, passengers, usable fuel, oil, cargo, and fixed equipment.
A— crew, usable fuel, passengers, and cargo.
The useful load of an aircraft is the difference between its empty weight and the maximum allowable gross weight. It does not include any of the fixed or required equipment as these are part of the empty weight.
- Which of the following can provide the empty weight of an aircraft if the aircraft’s weight and balance records become lost, destroyed, or otherwise inaccurate?
A— Reweighing the aircraft.
B— The applicable Aircraft Specification or Type Certificate Data Sheet.
C— The applicable flight manual or pilot’s operating handbook.
A— Reweighing the aircraft.
If the aircraft weight and balance records are lost, destroyed, or otherwise inaccurate, the aircraft must be reweighed. The Aircraft Specification Sheet, Type Certificate Data Sheet, flight manual, and pilot’s operating handbook do not list the empty weight of the specific aircraft.
8156-1.
When calculating the new weight and balance for an aircraft, what is used to determine the operating CG range?
A— The data plate.
B— The Type Certificate Data Sheets.
C— The pilot information manual.
B— The Type Certificate Data Sheets.
Some of the important weight and balance information found in a Type Certificate Data Sheet is as follows: center of gravity range, maximum weight, leveling means, number of seats and location, baggage capacity, fuel capacity, datum location, engine horsepower, oil capacity, amount of fuel in empty weight, and amount of oil in empty weight.
8156-2.
When calculating the new weight and balance for an aircraft, what is used to determine the operating CG range?
A— The Type Certificate Data Sheets.
B— The pilot information manual.
C— The data plate.
A— The Type Certificate Data Sheets.
Some of the important weight and balance information found in a Type Certificate Data Sheet is as follows: center of gravity range, maximum weight, leveling means, number of seats and location, baggage capacity, fuel capacity, datum location, engine horsepower, oil capacity, amount of fuel in empty weight, and amount of oil in empty weight.
- In the theory of weight and balance, what is the name of the distance from the fulcrum to an object?
A— Lever arm.
B— Balance arm.
C— Fulcrum arm.
A— Lever arm.
In the theory of weight and balance, the distance of any object from the fulcrum is called the lever arm.
8157-1.
In the process of weighing an airplane toward obtaining the CG, the arms from the weighing points always extend
A— parallel to the centerline of the airplane.
B— straight forward from each of the landing gear.
C— directly from each weighing point to the others.
A— parallel to the centerline of the airplane.
An arm, used in determining the CG of an airplane, is the horizontal distance from the datum to the center of gravity of the item. An arm is always measured parallel to the centerline of the airplane.
8157-2. Which of the following have an effect on aircraft CG results when conducting a weight and balance check?
A— Leaving the parking brake on.
B— Leaving the parking brake off.
C— Leaving the downlocks installed.
C— Leaving the downlocks installed.
All of the required equipment must be properly installed, and there should be no equipment installed that is not included in the equipment list.
8157-3.
Which of the following may cause erroneous scale readings?
A— Wheel chocks in place.
B— Parking brakes set.
C— Parking brakes not set.
B— Parking brakes set.
When positioning an aircraft on platform-type scales for weighing, the parking brakes must be released so there will be no side load applied to the scale platform. Any side load will cause an erroneous scale reading.
- (1) Private aircraft are required by regulations to be weighed periodically.
(2) Private aircraft are required to be weighed after making any alteration.
Regarding the above statements,
A— neither 1 nor 2 is true.
B— only 1 is true.
C— only 2 is true.
A— neither 1 nor 2 is true.
Statement 1 is not true. No Federal Aviation Regulation requires that private aircraft be weighed periodically.
Statement 2 is not true. When a private aircraft is altered, the weight and balance records must be updated to show any change that has been made in the weight or in the empty weight CG location.
These changes are normally found mathematically rather than by actually weighing the aircraft.
- What FAA-approved document gives the leveling means to be used when weighing an aircraft?
A— Type Certificate Data Sheet.
B— AC 43.13-1B.
C— Manufacturer’s maintenance manual.
A— Type Certificate Data Sheet.
The FAA-approved document that gives the leveling means to be used when weighing a specific aircraft is the Type Certificate Data Sheet for that aircraft.
8159-1.
Which device(s) is/are used to obtain the greatest accuracy of aircraft leveling?
A— Plumb bob and chalk line.
B— Spirit level.
C— Electronic load cells.
B— Spirit level.
The leveling means for determining weight and balance is specified by the aircraft manufacturer and is listed in the Type Certificate Data Sheets. Proper level may be determined with spirit levels placed across leveling lugs or along the door sill.
- To obtain useful weight data for purposes of determining the CG, it is necessary that an aircraft be weighed
A— in a level flight attitude.
B— with all items of useful load installed.
C— with no more than minimum fuel (1/12-gallon per METO horsepower) in all fuel tanks.
A— in a level flight attitude.
When an aircraft is being weighed, it must be placed in a level-flight attitude. When the aircraft is in its level-flight attitude, the centers of gravity of all of the items are in their correct locations relative to the datum.
- What type of measurement is used to designate the arm in weight and balance computation?
A— Distance.
B— Weight.
C— Weight × distance.
A— Distance.
The arm used in weight and balance computation is the distance, in inches, between the center of gravity of an object and the aircraft datum.
- What determines whether the value of a moment is preceded by a plus (+) or a minus (-) sign in aircraft weight and balance?
A— The location of the weight in reference to the datum.
B— The location of the weight relative to the datum and if it is being removed or added.
C— The location of the datum in reference to the aircraft CG.
B— The location of the weight relative to the datum and if it is being removed or added.
A moment is a force that causes rotation about a point, and in order to specify the direction of the rotation, (+) and (-) signs are assigned to the moment.
A positive moment is one that causes the aircraft nose to go up, and a negative moment is one that causes the nose to go down.
Since a moment is the product of weight and the distance from the datum, and both of these are signed values, we have four choices for the sign of the moment:
1) A positive weight (weight added) and a positive arm (arm behind the datum) give a positive moment.
2) A positive weight and a negative arm (arm ahead of the datum) give a negative moment.
3) A negative weight (weight removed) and a positive arm give a negative moment.
4) A negative weight and a negative arm gives a positive moment.
- The maximum weight of an aircraft is the
A— empty weight plus crew, maximum fuel, cargo, and baggage.
B— empty weight plus crew, passengers, and fixed equipment.
C— empty weight plus useful load.
C— empty weight plus useful load.
The useful load of an aircraft is found by subtracting the empty weight of the aircraft from the maximum weight. Therefore, the maximum weight is the sum of the empty weight and the useful load.
- Which statement is true regarding helicopter weight and balance?
A— Lateral axis CG control is not a factor in maintaining helicopter weight and balance.
B— The moment of tail-mounted components is subject to constant change.
C— Weight and balance procedures for airplanes also apply to helicopters.
C— Weight and balance procedures for airplanes also apply to helicopters.
When computing the weight and balance of an aircraft, it makes no difference whether the aircraft has a fixed wing or a rotary wing. The procedures are the same, but the actual effect of weight and balance is more critical for a helicopter than for a fixed-wing aircraft.
- What should be clearly indicated on the aircraft weighing form?
A— Minimum allowable gross weight.
B— Weight of unusable fuel.
C— Weighing points.
C— Weighing points.
Since the weight and balance computations are based on the scale weights of an aircraft, the weighing form used with a specific aircraft should specify not only the leveling means, but also the location of the weighing points
- If the reference datum line is placed at the nose of an airplane rather than at the firewall or some other location aft of the nose,
A— all measurement arms will be in negative numbers.
B— all measurement arms will be in positive numbers. C— measurement arms can be either positive or negative numbers depending on the manufacturer’s preference.
B— all measurement arms will be in positive numbers.
The reference datum used for weight and balance purposes can be located anywhere the aircraft manufacturer chooses. Current practice is to locate it on or near the nose or out ahead of the aircraft. The reason for this is that all of the arms will be positive (they will all be behind the datum).
If all of the arms are positive, the moment of all added weight will be positive, and the moment of all removed weight will be negative. This will simplify weight and balance computations and will give less chance for error.
- An aircraft with an empty weight of 2,100 pounds and an empty weight CG +32.5 was altered as follows:
1) two 18-pound passenger seats located at +73 were removed;
2) structural modifications were made at +77 increasing weight by 17 pounds;
3) a seat and safety belt weighing 25 pounds were installed at +74.5; and 4. radio equipment weighing 35 pounds was installed at +95. What is the new empty weight CG?
A— +34.01.
B— +33.68.
C— +34.65.
B— +33.68.
- An aircraft as loaded weighs 4,954 pounds at a CG of +30.5 inches. The CG range is +32.0 inches to +42.1 inches. Find the minimum weight of the ballast necessary to bring the CG within the CG range. The ballast arm is +162 inches.
A— 61.98 pounds.
B— 30.58 pounds.
C— 57.16 pounds.
C— 57.16 pounds.
The CG of this aircraft is out of allowable range by 1.5 inches. Its CG is at fuselage station 30.5 and the forward CG limit is at station 32.0. To find the amount of ballast needed to be attached at fuselage station 162, multiply the empty weight of the aircraft by the distance the CG is to be moved and divide this by the distance between the ballast location and the desired CG location.
- As weighed, the total empty weight of an aircraft is 5,862 pounds with a moment of 885,957. However, when the aircraft was weighed, 20 pounds of potable water were on board at +84, and 23 pounds of hydraulic fluid are in a tank located at +101. What is the empty weight CG of the aircraft?
A— 150.700.
B — 151.700.
C— 151.365.
C— 151.365.
When weighing an aircraft to find its empty weight, a full reservoir of hydraulic fluid is included, but the potable water is not part of the required equipment.
- An aircraft with an empty weight of 1,800 pounds and an empty weight CG of +31.5 was altered as follows:
1) two 15-pound passenger seats located at +72 were removed;
2) structural modifications increasing the weight 14 pounds were made at +76;
3) a seat and safety belt weighing 20 pounds were installed at +73.5; and
4) radio equipment weighing 30 pounds was installed at +30.
What is the new empty weight CG?
A— +30.61.
B — +31.61.
C— +32.69.
B — +31.61.
- An aircraft had an empty weight of 2,886 pounds with a moment of 101,673.78 before several alterations were made. The alterations included:
1) removing two passenger seats (15 pounds each) at +71;
2) installing a cabinet (97 pounds) at +71;
3) installing a seat and safety belt (20 pounds) at +71; and
4) installing radio equipment (30 pounds) at +94. The alterations caused the new empty weight CG to move
A— 1.62 inches aft of the original empty weight CG.
B— 2.03 inches forward of the original empty weight CG.
C— 2.03 inches aft of the original empty weight CG.
A— 1.62 inches aft of the original empty weight CG.
- Datum is forward of the
main gear center point ……………………. 30.24 inches Actual distance between tail gear
and main gear center points ……………. 360.26 inches Net weight at right main gear ……………… 9,980 pounds Net weight at left main gear ……………….. 9,770 pounds Net weight at tail gear …………………………. 1,970 pounds
These items were in the aircraft when weighed:
1. Lavatory water tank full (34 pounds at +352).
2. Hydraulic fluid (22 pounds at -8).
3. Removable ballast (146 pounds at +380). What is the empty weight CG of the aircraft described above?
A— 62.92 inches.
B— 60.31 inches.
C— 58.54 inches.
B— 60.31 inches.
- When an empty aircraft is weighed, the combined net weight at the main gears is 3,540 pounds with an arm of 195.5 inches. At the nose gear, the net weight is 2,322 pounds with an arm of 83.5 inches. The datum line is forward of the nose of the aircraft. What is the empty weight CG of the aircraft?
A— 151.1.
B— 155.2.
C— 146.5.
A— 151.1.
- An aircraft with an empty weight of 1,500 pounds and an empty weight CG of +28.4 was altered as follows:
1) two 12-pound seats located at +68.5 were removed;
2) structural modifications weighing +28 pounds were made at +73;
3) a seat and safety belt weighing 30 pounds were installed at +70.5; and
4) radio equipment weighing 25 pounds was installed at +85. What is the new empty weight CG?
A— +23.51.
B — +31.35.
C— +30.30.
C— +30.30.
8188.
The following alteration was performed on an aircraft: a model B engine weighing 175 pounds was replaced by a model D engine weighing 185 pounds at a - 62.00-inch station. The aircraft weight and balance records show the previous empty weight to be 998 pounds and an empty weight CG of 13.48 inches. What is the new empty weight CG?
A— 13.96 inches.
B— 14.25 inches.
C— 12.73 inches.
C— 12.73 inches.
- Find the empty weight CG location for the following tricycle-gear aircraft. Each main wheel weighs 753 pounds, nosewheel weighs 22 pounds, distance between nosewheel and main wheels is 87.5 inches, nosewheel location is +9.875 inches from datum, with 1 gallon of hydraulic fluid at -21.0 inches included in the weight scale.
A— +97.375 inches.
B— +95.61 inches.
C— +96.11 inches.
C— +96.11 inches.
