Balancing a plane
 

I am finishing my first build. It is a world models low wing sky raider. I am trying to balance it now. It is the first time I have ever tried to balance a plane. When I balance it laterally it seems like it would take a lot of weight to overcome the muffler. Is this normal? I don't know how much it would take to balance since I haven't found an outlet for stick on lead weights.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.


Ray

RE: Balancing a plane
 

Ray, by balancing laterally you are hanging the airplane by string tied to the propeller shaft and the fin, right? And you have the strings moved so that they're on the centerline of the airplane? If it is tilting to wards the muffler, let's make sure that the muffler is the problem first. Take off the muffler and see what happens. if the plane still tilts the same way it's not just the muff. Instead of stick on weights get some small gage buckshot and drill a hole in the solid wing tip. add the shot to the wing tip till the plane balances with the muffler on then fill the hole with glue. Once dry cover the hole with a monocoat patch.

HTH
Tom

RE: Balancing a plane
 

hold up the plane inverted, get 1 person to hold one wing, and you hold the other, place your fingers on 1/3 (or wat ever the instructions say) of the wing chord, and add weights if nessary, try to make it more nose heavy, than tail heavy. but don't go streight for weights, alter batery positions first

RE: Balancing a plane
 

Major

Thanks for the advice. One more question. Should the plane be inverted when balancing laterally or to find the CG? Also if the muffler is the problem should I add that much weight to overcome it?

Thanks again

RE: Balancing a plane
 

Inverted for both fore/aft, and lateral because it's a low wing. High wings are just the opposite.

RE: Balancing a plane
 

Upside down or right side up will not make any difference in the balance of the plane.
What may make a difference is the ease of supporting the plane in the balancing position.

YOu may need to have the wheels up to use your balancing tool.

RE: Balancing a plane
 

And don't worry about removing the muffler. What's the point? You're not going to remove in flight, right?

Here are some good tips on Balancing:

http://www.rcuniverse.com/magazine/a...?article_id=84