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Method for Weight Control Engineering Management to Evaluate Single Engine Aircraft Weighing Activities
Brown, Patrick M.
Brown, Patrick M.
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Abstract
There is no greater task for a Weight Control Engineer than determining an aircraft’s weight and center of gravity (CG). Although the concept of balance or CG is easy to grasp, calculating or measuring it for complex objects, such as an aircraft, is very difficult. The accurate calculation of an aircraft’s CG is a primary factor in any flight operation. It directly affects aircraft safety, performance, and mission capability. This Field Project is a comparative analysis of the information that Weight Control Engineering Management at Cessna Aircraft Company should use to decide on a future weight and CG measuring system for single-engine aircraft. The scope includes the relevant Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs), Parts 23, 25, 43, and Advisory Circular (AC) 120-27E, as they pertain to aircraft weight and CG. The regulations dictate weight and CG conditions for aircraft design, manufacturing, and operations. There are over 300 references to weight and CG in the FARs. There are also a number of professional organizations with a stake in aircraft weight and CG. The General Aviation Manufacturer’s Association (GAMA) along with the Society of Allied Weights Engineers (SAWE) provides weight and CG guidelines. Also within scope is a technology roadmap of past, present, and future aircraft weight and CG measurement systems. Example illustrations show the geometry and physical layout used for weighing aircraft. Example algorithms show the mathematical relationships necessary for CG calculations. A comparative business case for each aircraft weighing method is included. The business cases reflect the operating environment at Cessna’s Single-Engine Aircraft Manufacturing Plant. Finally, based on the FAR’s, the technology roadmap, and the comparative business case analyses, suggestions are made relating to the vision of the future and the necessary steps to get there.
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Date
2007-05-18