Computerized weight and balance

[cessnadriver]

Happy New Years to ALL.
Does anyone have a copy, and are willing to share, of a computerized W&B for a C337 with 4200 gross weight? We in the Civil Air Patrol use a W&B that you simple "plug-in" the values and the computer does the actual calculations. I've seen similar programs on the internet, but some are quite costly.
Thanks, BILLS bstory@pa.rr.com

[edasmus]

I use EXCEL which is simply a spreadsheet on the computer. Takes very little time to set up. If you have access to any type of computer spreadsheet software, you can make one. Simply use the W&B data supplied by your manual and once that is set up, you simply need to plug in your weights and at what stations for a particular flight and presto, the computer will spit out what you are looking for.

Good Luck,

Ed

[cessnadriver]

Thanks Ed. A member, Gord, just sent me the Excel W&B program. Appreciate it though.
BILLS

[billsheila]

BILLS;
Any chance you could attach that spreadsheet in a post? I also fly a 4200lb bird and am pretty much useless creating spreadsheets, but using one shoud be easy enough! Thanks

Bill Taylor

[cessnadriver]

Bill, My friend Bill just helped me modify the spreadsheet to perform the WT&BAL on the computer. I'll be happy to send it to you. I have to Thank Gord as well for his assistance in this matter. Be aware you MUST check the information in the spreadsheet for your aircraft. Not responsible for errors.
You'll need to have Excel program to use this. I'm enclosing my e-mail address because there seems to be a problem attaching it to this web site-sorry.bstory@pa.rr.com
BILLS

[Ernie Martin]

At the risk of getting in trouble, I don't EVER do a weight and balance (w&b) calculation. For like the last 10 years.

I trained with a CFI that weighed over 300 lbs, did the w&b and it was OK. Early on, when I was building a house in the Bahamas, I made some trips with just me and lots of cargo, did the w&b and it was OK (to be fair, heavier stuff like beer cases went on the 2nd row of seats or near the front of the cargo area).

After several more w&b with pretty extreme loads, I concluded that it's very hard to get a Skymaster outside the w&b parameters, if you adhere to the max weight restriction on the cargo area and use minimal common sense (obviously, if one day I have an extraordinary load, like very light kids and a heavy cargo load, I will do a w&b).

Do other readers feel the same way? Or have you found instances where a Skymaster is outside the w&b parameters?

Ernie

[JeffAxel]

Depends on the Skymaster. My 1977 T337G could only carry 400lbs in the cabin with full fuel due to all the additional equipment ( AC, intercoolers, full deice, etc.), so I was leaving myself down on fuel, and doing a W&B anytime I had more than me and one passenger. It never hurts to check, and matters more to some planes than others.

[billsheila]

Ernie;
I agree with your point, however in my case I fly "Angel Flights" and a detailed W&B is required to be done and sent in to the organization for every mission. I am trying to automate this a bit and use my iPad to simply email them the documents.
Bill

[Ernie Martin]

I see your point, Bill. And, Jeff, by w&b I really mean the full weight by station calculation. On the weight alone, I do that on every flight (it's in my head: 1664 lbs minus the fuel weight minus a personal margin of 100 lbs; since virtually all my flights are to the Bahamas carrying 80 gal of fuel, that leaves ~ 1080 lbs for passengers and cargo).

Ernie

[sns3guppy]

Because you're using the same aircraft stations every time, it's an easy calculation that you can do on Excell or any other application that can add or subtract.

You can also get commercial software such as http://eflite.com/software/aircraft_...lators_std.php

www.fltplan.com has a weight and balance feature, but you have to build the profile. A lot of aircraft are in there already, but not the Skymaster. Be the first to build one yourself, and then it's there for everyone to use or modify for their own use.

I actually prefer the American Aeronautics plotters, and have used them on numerous light aircraft, a lot of medium turboprops and turbojets, and some faster, bigger equipment, too. They work great. I've used them under Part 135 a lot, and the FAA likes them. They're easy to use quickly, to use for multiple legs in the ame airplane with differing fuel or passenger loads, and if you order their duplicating forms, you'll get two copies with each weight and balance; one to leave behind or forward to your agency, and another to keep as a permanent record. Very handy. They come in aluminum and fit neatly in a flight "can" or your flight bag, and last forever. You can have them custom made for your aircraft, or accept a standard one for your make and model.

http://flyincg.com

They sell the ifly software, or the American Aeronautics plotters.

The nice thing with the vector graph and plotter method is that you can clearly see from the graph where your CG lies, where it will go with fuel burn, if you're in CG with your empty weight, zero fuel weight, loaded weight, and as you add each items, and it's very easy to see what you need to do to the load to bring it in CG or keep it there; you can plan out the entire trip that way and see exactly what fuel burn, or taking on or deplaning passengers or cargo will do to your load, where to put it to make the CG work out, etc, immediately and visually.

If you don't want a permanent record, you can get the laminated graph and draw on it with a grease pencil, too. Very economical. I recommend keeping a record of your CG for each flight, but it's up to you.

[DBrugg]

I have used this one for years. It takes a little work to set up but the sliding scales make it easy to size up your loads.
http://www.skybound.nl/cgi-bin/service/wb/index.cgi

[Red Air Rambo]

I just sent in the data for a generic T-337G to fltplan.com so hopefully that will be an option soon.

[Red Air Rambo]

Well it seems I need a CG Graph with the arm which my POH does not have.....anyone have one? 1973 T-337G.

[hew]

If you want to build a spreadsheet for this the formulae for the fore and aft c of g limits are not in the POH. You can get them from the Type Certificate Data Sheet which may vary with each model. The aft limit is quite simple as it is a straight line. The forward limit changes with increase in gross wt.
I have run several scenarios for an E model and it's very difficult to get it outside the limits. Max weight in luggage compartment and very light pilot might bust the aft limit otherwise if you load as per the weight limits at each station it stays within the limits.
You will need to alter the attached spreadsheet for your aircraft and make sure the results match the POH method before relying on it.
I have a version that will run on your iPad, you just need to buy the "Numbers" ap.

[hharney]

This is the best W&B app out there. You can have multiple aircraft and it works great. On the iPad is so convenient because you have it with you anyway. Just another great reason to have the iPad in the cockpit.

It's only $5.99


http://warbredstudios.com/flightscale/flightscale.html