BillinIndiana

OK so I've come across a few places in my Kadet MK II build that call for me to cover certain parts of the plane.. rudder, ailerons , elevator etc.
I'm confused on when I should worry about balancing the plane? Is this done when the plane is competely covered and pretty much complete?

metaldriver

The method i have used lately is to complete the plane except for covering to the point of where it would be ready to fly. But again not covered. Balance it then and disassemble it. Cover it and reassemble then check balance and go from there. A good friend taught me this method

WacoNut

Bill,
A plane will generally gain some tail weight with the covering process. You can do an initial balance check to see if it is too far off and you have an opportunity to add some weight if needed for balance nose to tail. If the plane is slightly nose heavy with everything istalled(engine, servo's, battery etc then you are good to go. I would also check the lateral balance(side to side) by picking the plane up at the nose and tail and if the plane drops a wing then add weight to the opposite wing tip until the plane balances. This is easier to do before covering. You may need to do the lateral balance with the plane held inverted depending on the model.

Edit: By all means do a final balance check before the 1st flight to make sure everyting is good. You want to do the balance check with the fuel tank empty.

Later!!
Anthony

BillinIndiana

What about fuel ?

Fleet

With a balance point established with a full tank, the plane will become more tail heavy as the full burns off and you'll find a very pitch sensitive plane at a critical phase of flight (approach and landing) when airspeeds are lowered.  

IAW, a nose heavy plane is a bit easier to fly than a tail heavy plane.

Ray W.
Fleet Brotherhood #7

eddieC

My Feedback: (2)

Fuel doesn't have much impact. The CG will shift slightly aft with fuel burn so, if the CG is good with an empty tank, it will be a bit nose-heavy (and thus safer) with a full tank. That plane is so forgiving, you'll never notice the change in handling from full to empty.

vicman

My Feedback: (10)

I use the same method Metaldriver described. Lateral on the wing is pretty important to get right before covering since you can't get in there to add anything after it's covered.

John Redman

My Feedback: (8)

All good info here. The one thing is the Kadet and Kadet MKII have been around for almost 45+ years. One of the best instruction manuals on the planet if followed. Do it the way the manual says and you will be right one. The Kadet always worked out to be right on with the old radio gear which is far heavier than the radio gear of today. I believe the lateral balance is covered in the manual before you cover the wing.

BillinIndiana

Following the manual says to build the wing, put on the reinforced fiberglass tape down the center and then cover the wing.. In the other booklet "The Basics of Rc Planes" or something like that , as part of the pre-flight checks is the only place I can find that talks about balancing the wings.. It tells me where to grab the completed plane and how to check the the lateral balance , but also tells me to use finishing nails on the lighter wing's wing tip.

BillinIndiana

Not sure if I can upload a pdf file here, but this is a scan of the booklet page.

eddieC

My Feedback: (2)

You want to balance the airplane as a unit, not just the wing. Not sure if that's your question. The receiver and battery are two things that can be moved to alter fore/aft (CG) and lateral balance also. If the engine is mounted on its side also affects lateral balance, but it's negligible. The Kadet can be bolted together and flown without checking CG - not wise, but it's designed to be a no-sweat build. 

BillinIndiana

yeah, just not sure where you put it after the covering is on.. I guess that's my question..haha. I wasn't sure how to balance the lateral when the plane has covering on it.

John Redman

My Feedback: (8)

You can laterally balance the wing without the fuselage. do the method shown in the one book before you cover it. The covering won't change it enough to make a difference.

I will agree you will probably find the lateral balance to be close to fine as it sits from the build.

eddieC

My Feedback: (2)

That's a fair question. That's one reason nails can be used: push into the balsa, then iron on a small patch. I've also seen small weights epoxied on the outside of the covering, but in an area with balsa underneath, not on unsupported covering.