Smart Useful Load Margins

[pmanton]

20 some years ago I purchased a PA-22 from a Shortwing Guru that was really super light. I was up in WA at the time. I loaded my new toy full of gas, camping gear and wife and headed up to the big flyin at Arlington. The plane handled like a pig. The fuel usage was out of this world. When we got back, I put it on the scales. The plane was over 200# heavier than the W&B showed!

 

[Stewartb]

Sorry, short reply. Longer:. Effects of over gross are proportional, predictable, and can be mitigated. Effects of aft CG can be sudden, unpredictable, and unrecoverable.

I’ve flown out of the envelope a few times. Aft requires more speed. Forward is opposite. Speed makes it fly worse. It’s not consistent with what the textbooks say. At least those I’ve read. It’s an interesting topic.

 

[Ed Haywood]

I’ve flown out of the envelope a few times. Aft requires more speed. Forward is opposite. Speed makes it fly worse. It’s not consistent with what the textbooks say. At least those I’ve read. It’s an interesting topic.

If you are within CG limits, center of lift is always aft of CG.

Aft CG is dangerous because CG is potentially behind center of lift. Now you have both kids on one end of the teeter totter. If you stall, you may not have sufficient airflow over the elevator to recover.