Identification of terms should include the following:
- Empty weight—Weight of airframe, engines, propellers, rotors and all installed operating equipment with fixed positions, weight of fixed ballast, unusable fuel, and full operating fluids, including oil and hydraulic fluid
- Center of gravity (CG)—Point about which an aircraft will balance and at which the total weight of an aircraft is considered concentrated
- Datum line—Imaginary vertical plane from which all horizontal moment arm measurements are taken
- Station—Location in an aircraft identified by a number corresponding to its distance, measured in inches, from the datum line
- Moment—Weight of an item multiplied by its arm
- Arm—Horizontal distance, measured in inches, from the datum line to the CG of a specific item located in an airplane
ACS:
AM.I.C.K1
AM.I.C.K8
AM.I.C.K4
Process/Skill Questions:
- Why is it important to determine the weight of an empty aircraft?
- What is the relationship between empty weight and CG?