I was taking my first flying lessons and was really looking forward to it, after 2 flights and 2 amazing saves by two instructors we all decieded to see why the plane flew so terrible. It was, much to my embarrassment, my fault. I had added 2 oz of lead weight on the left wing tip for laterial balance. When I balanced it at home I had my wife place a single finger under the tail and I held the prop and as God is my witness the right wing continued to drop until I at last had added 2 oz of lead to the left wing tip. The wings were then perfectly level. Now lo and behold when doing the same thing at the field the left wing with the 2 oz of lead dropped like it had 2 lbs of lead on it. The wing were centered perfectly at home so what happened? I have a lot of experience in building and the only thing I can thing of is my wife must have been holding the plane wrong although she swears she did just as she was told-should I ever trust her again?

1) No reason to balance that plane that way.

2) Don't balance planes or props in the house with the A/C or heat on, you will be shocked of how a little air flow will drive you crazy.

Is she about 5 foot 4 inches tall, with blonde hair ? I think she roams the country pulling this scam on unsuspecting modle builders. She goes by the alias Sussie Spiral, has an evil laugh, and wears an overcoat made of Dalmatians. What ever you do, don't let her balance your check book !!!!

lol Pilot
ronofnc, did you happen to notice which hand she was using?

The only thing I can think of is you turned the plane around before you added the weight. That would make your right wing on the right and your left wing on your left but if the plane is facing toward you when you checked the balance then the right wing would be on your left. Does that make sense?!? [8D]

There's your problem. Props have compression. I loop a string over a nail in the rafters and suspend the tail (either from the base of the tailwheel bracket if a low-wing or threaded between rudder hinge points if a high wing. A really official balancing would involve setting the rear string on a pin stuck in the rudder on the models center axis (from the plans). The nose I suspend with another thread in a loose loop around the prop shaft (so the thread can turn). If you hold the prop it will fall easier towards the side with less compression. The solution in that situation is to remove the glow-plug first so the engine freewheels. If you have a spinner you can use a hand-held nail, awl or undersize hex wrench in the tip if it's a center-bolted kind. Hanging the model is much more sensitive than holding.

Hay I learned that lesson long ago!!!!

Hay, great ideas, I'll try these out , Thanks a lot!!

Yes you are right, I was doing this right next to a vent so maybe the thing was blowing and I didn't notice! IT's amazing how much you have to take in consideration when you build!

I just converted my LT40 to a tail dragger, now it is heavy on the right wing ( lookin at the nose ) so much so that full left alaron trim would not correct it completly.

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Did you count your tools before & after surgery?

some people don't know better and balance the plane while suporting it by the rudder which might at that time be angled a little

C'mon guys, how much would a slightly heavy wing on a trainer really be noticeable. Maybe on a pattern plane, but not on a trainer.

If your loops fall off to one side every time it's noticable.

Trainers are supposed to train you in trim, flight, repair and maintanence. It's all part of the program.