beginner cg question????
 

In the June issue of RCM (radio control modeler) is an article on how to build a balance stand, both for CG balance, and Lateral balance. I have a Hanger 9 Alpha Trainer that I'm immensely enjoying and getting pretty good with it. I built the stand, and the CG balance is right on the money, however the lateral balance shows that the plane is leaning toward the side with the muffler on it. I'm assuming that the weight of the muffler is causing the lean. My question is since the plane seems to fly fine, should I add weight to the left side to compensate for the additional weight of the exhaust that is causing the lean, or just leave her alone? By the way, it takes about 1/2 ounce of stick on weight placed on the left wing about 9 inches from the tip to level the plane out......should I place the stick on weight on the wing, or don't worry about it. If I placed the weight on the fuselage, it would probably take quite a bit of lead so I'm assuming it's o.k. to place a 1/2 ounce out on the wing.....let me know what you recommend. Thanx.

beginner cg question????
 

Not really much to worry about but if you want to add weight add it to the wing tip so you will need even less than the 1/2 oz.

Again I wouldn't worry about it but it will put you one step closer to perfection :D

beginner cg question????
 

Any plane will fly better when balanced laterally. If the lateral balance is off it can be corrected with aileron trim which makes the plane appear to fly OK. The problem with using trim to correct the lateral balance will become apparent when doing loops and flying inverted. The heavy wing will need it's aileron drooped so the plane will fly level with hands off in upright flight but when inverted, the aileron on that wing is now angled slightly up which forces the already heavy wing down even more. The other problem with the lateral balance being off is when the plane approaches stall speed, the heavy wing will tend to drop. As mentioned above, always add the weight to the wing tip and as close to the CG as possible.

beginner cg question????
 

Another good tip I read here: Poke a small hole on the bottom of the wing between the tip and first rib. Then drop in epoxy coated BBs to balance. Then patch your hole with a small piece of covering.

beginner cg question????
 

I wouldn't worry too much about it on a trainer. But make a point from now on of keeping your planes laterally balanced. It's a good habit to get into, because the more advanced the plane, the more important it becomes.

replys
 

Thanks for the info,......I'll put it to use.