Four of us were invited to a friend’s house in Northern California, a 10-hour drive from Los Angeles. “Could we all go up in your plane?” Carl asked. Two hours and 15 minutes sounded a lot better.
I had to say no.
In Search of the Neutral Point
Key Takeaways:
- The author undertook flight testing to determine the safe Center of Gravity (CG) range for his four-seater homebuilt aircraft, Melmoth 2, due to conflicting theoretical calculations regarding its longitudinal stability.
- Using a specialized electronic load cell, empirical flight tests confirmed that the aircraft's neutral point was significantly further aft (60% of Mean Aerodynamic Chord) than initially estimated, validating modern software predictions.
- This verification allowed the author to establish a generous aft CG limit, enabling the plane to safely carry four passengers and baggage, though it introduced some minor practical considerations like trim adjustments.
- Despite proving the aircraft's capacity, the author ultimately could not fly his friends as planned due to his partner's claustrophobia in a full plane.
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