Balance plane
 

Can someone please tell me how to laterally balance my plane? I have the c of g all worked out but am not sure where to hold the plane to check for lateral balance. Also if the plane is out whats the usual procedure to balance it, would I add weight to the wings and if so how is this done?

Thanks,

Troy.

Balance plane
 

hold the plane by the wings, nose toward your belly, palms up, thumbs wrapped over the leading edge, one hand on each side of the fuselage. Your finger tips should be right under the main spar. raise the model up on your finger tips. If you need to shift your fingers forward to make it balance, it is nose heavy, or to the rear, it's tail heavy. Shift your radio gear around (best) or add ballast (not so good) until your fingers are right at the balance point when you do this.

Most models will fly well if they balance on the main spar, or 1/3 of the way back from the leading edge of the wing.

Balance plane
 

Thanks Chris but I thought lateral balance was balancing the plane down the middle of the fuelage so it doesnt want to lean to the right or the left (lateral movement). What you have described is what I thought would be reffered to as longitudinal balance or finding the centre of gravity. Which I have already done. Perhaps I got the terminology mixed up but what I really need is to centre the plane so it doesnt lean to the right or left.

Thanks,

Troy.

Balance plane
 

Hi troyp,hold the tip of the prop. and the tip of the vertical stabalizer,if there is compression at the engine where the prop can't hang straight,then remove the glow plug.You can add stick on weight to the light wing tip,or cut the covering and add weight close to the tips with epoxy and weights,as you lift the plane the heavy wing will go down,keep adding weight untill wings stay leavel,also may move battery to light side of plane to save adding weight.

Balance plane
 

Troy, try getting a hold of the spinner and the tip of the vertical tail fin. It isn't precise, but it will give you a pretty good idea. If its heavy to one side or the other, then you need to add weight to the opposite side.

Another way to laterally balance would be to get some string and hang from the ceiling. With a loop on one end, loop it around the front of the spinner and a T-Pin in the vertical. This will give you a much more accurate idea.

Hope this helps

Balance plane
 

ARRGH, I'm sorry Troy, I was reading and feeding the baby at the same time.

If you really want an accurate balance all the way around, add a screw eye to the model at the lateral/longitudinal balance point and then suspend the plane from the ceiling.

I use modeling clay to make a trial lateral balance because I can fair it into the wing tip. Once I determine the weight necessary and have test flown the model, I mix up a gob of bird shot and epoxy to doctor up the light wing.

While the prop and vertical stab method seems obvious enough, if the plane is set up with any amount of right thrust, the prop shaft will be off of the centerline of the model and consequently, the plane will falsely appear to have a heavy left wing tip.

You can't go wrong with this method!
 

Place a scale under one wing tip, and block up the the other wing in the same postion on it's tip. The plane is then suspended by both tips. Note the weight on the scale. Now, reverse the scale and the blocking to the other tips. Note the weight again. You now have your light wing tip, and by how much. Just add the difference to the light wing, or better yet, move your batteries in the fuse toward the lighter side.

Hope that helps....... :cool:

Balance plane
 

I just set the spinner on something like a can, then lift the tail with one finger at the rear-most part of the fuse. Do it several times to see if it keeps going to the same side each time, then add weight to the light tip until it either balances, or tips to each side equally

Balance plane
 

Wow I should stop by this area more often.. This is GREAT info! Couple of new ideas for this ol' dog. :)

Balance plane
 

Thanks Guys for the info. I will give it a try.

Regards,

Troy.