ORIGINAL: Charlie P.
One of my attempts at a counter-weight. It worked - but caught on grass and was generally a nuisance.
Ultimate solution was ball& socket comtrol linkages and a re-prop to a lower pitch/higher torque prop.
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Unless that weigth was some ultra dense material I'd doubt the CG of the moving system was anywhere near the hingeline or just in front of it.
Mass balancing of a surface does two things (among many):
(1) changes the frequency at which it flutters and as a result the airspeed at which flutter occurs
Some motorcycle use lead weights in the handle bars if vibrations build up at cruising speeds to shift the natural frequency a bit so that they build up at speeds the bike will be expected to pass through quickly.
(2) moves the CG of the moving system to the hingeline or very slighty ahead so that aeroelastic movements in the wing/stab/fin can't excite flutter in the moveable surface.
Grab a bit of timber at one end and move it up and down and you'll need a strong wrist to holt it level as it tries to tilt up and down, grab it at the GC and move it up and down and it will stay close to level with much less effort.