MadProfessor8138
Well-Known Member
I was watching some jets take off today and a question acquired to me after looking at the various designs of the aircraft.
Most cargo aircraft tend to be high wing which allows the weight to be distributed in a pretty small area of the fuselage and helps keep the CG within a specific range.
Of course there are exceptions....Louisville is a major hub for UPS and my shop is right on the approach to Standiford field so I watch them fly over at about 1000' all day and everything they fly is a low wing.....but even their low wing aircraft have a pretty small cargo area inside....I have friends that work there and I've been inside alot of their aircraft.
Now here's the thing......I was watching several commuter jets depart and was looking at the fuselage and wing design of the aircraft.....several of them had extremely long fuselages with the main wings set pretty far back and swept with the engines mounted in the vertical stabilizer area.
I can understand that with a full load of people on board that the weight and balance would be alright due to the forward weight in the cabin counteracting the weight of the rear mounted engines and etc.
My curiosity has me wondering how the aircraft could still be within CG limits with the forward weight of the passengers gone from the fuselage and flown empty...I guessed 100 passengers at 150-200 lbs each equals 7.5 - 10 tons of weight,not to mention their carry on baggage probably equaling another ton or so.
That's a pretty broad CG range for an aircraft.........
Kevin
Most cargo aircraft tend to be high wing which allows the weight to be distributed in a pretty small area of the fuselage and helps keep the CG within a specific range.
Of course there are exceptions....Louisville is a major hub for UPS and my shop is right on the approach to Standiford field so I watch them fly over at about 1000' all day and everything they fly is a low wing.....but even their low wing aircraft have a pretty small cargo area inside....I have friends that work there and I've been inside alot of their aircraft.
Now here's the thing......I was watching several commuter jets depart and was looking at the fuselage and wing design of the aircraft.....several of them had extremely long fuselages with the main wings set pretty far back and swept with the engines mounted in the vertical stabilizer area.
I can understand that with a full load of people on board that the weight and balance would be alright due to the forward weight in the cabin counteracting the weight of the rear mounted engines and etc.
My curiosity has me wondering how the aircraft could still be within CG limits with the forward weight of the passengers gone from the fuselage and flown empty...I guessed 100 passengers at 150-200 lbs each equals 7.5 - 10 tons of weight,not to mention their carry on baggage probably equaling another ton or so.
That's a pretty broad CG range for an aircraft.........
Kevin
