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Everything Explained: Weight and Balance

FAA regulations could change at any time. Please refer to current FARs to ensure you are legal. Illustration by Tim Barker
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • The article defines various aircraft weights, including Empty Weight, Basic Operating Weight, and Useful Load, with a strong emphasis on Maximum Allowable Zero Fuel Weight (MZFW) as a crucial limit for fuselage weight to prevent destructive wing-bending stress.
  • Key terms for aircraft weight and balance calculations are explained, such as Datum, Station, Arm, and Moment, which are fundamental to determining the aircraft's Center of Gravity (CG) using the formula: Total moment ÷ total weight = CG.
  • The importance of Center of Gravity Limits for safe flight operations is highlighted, defining the acceptable forward and aft CG locations, and noting that CG is often expressed as a percentage of the Mean Aerodynamic Chord (MAC) for larger aircraft.
See a mistake? Contact us.

Empty Weight Empty weight is defined as the total weight of an aircraft including all fixed ballast, unusable fuel, undrainable oil, total quantity of engine coolant and total quantity of hydraulic fluid, and excluding crew, payload, usable fuel and drainable oil.

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