Specifications
CHEROKEE
SIX.3OO
WEIGHT
AND BALANCE
In order
to
achieve
the
performance,
safety
and
good
flying characteristics
which are
designed
into
the
airplane,
it must
be
flown with
the
weiglrt
and center of
gravity
(C.G.)
position
wthin the approved envelope.
The
aircraft
offers a
tremendous
flexibility of
loading.
However,
you
cannot
fill the
airplane,
with
the
maximum
number of
adult
passengers, full
fuel
tanks
and
maximum
baggage.
With
the
flexibility
comes
responsibility.
The
pilot
must
ensure
that
the airplane
is
loaded
within the loading envelope before he makes a
takeoff.
Misloading
carries
consequences
for
any aircraft. An
overloaded
airplane will
not
take
off,
climb
or cruise
as
well as a
properly
loaded
one. The
heavier
the airplane is loaded,
the
less
climb
perfornance
it
will have.
Center of
gravity
is a
determining
factor
in
flight characteristics. If the
C.G. is too
far
forward
in any
airplane,
it
may
be
difficult
to
rotate
for
takeoff or
landing. If
the
C.G.
is
too
far
aft,
the
airplane
may rotate
prematurely
on
takeoff
or
try
to
pitch
up during
climb.
Longitudinal
stability
will
be
reduced. This
can lead to inadvertent stalls and
even
spins; and
spin
recovery
becomes
more difficult
as the
center of
gravity
moves aft
of
the
approved limit.
'
A
properly
loaded aircraft,
however,
will
perform
as intended. This airplane
is
designed
to
provide
excellent
performance
and safety within the
flight
envelope.
Before the
airplane
is
delivered,
it is
weighed, and
a
basic
weight
and C.G.
location is
computed.
(Basic
weight consists
of
the
empty
weight
of
the
aircraft
plus
the
unusable
fuel
and
full
oil capacity.)
Using the basic
weight and
C.G. location,
the
pilot
can easily
determine
the
weight
and
C.G.
position
for
the
loaded airplane
by
computing
the
total
weight and
moment and then
determining
whether they
are within the
approved
envelope.
The basic
weight
and C.G. location for
a
phrticular
airplane are
recorded
in
the aircraft
log
book
or
in
the weight
and
balance section of
the
Airplane Flight Manual.
The
current
values
should always be
used.
Whenever
new equipment
is
added
or
any
modification
work
is
done, the
mechanic
responsible for
the
work
is required
to
compute a
new
basic
weight and
basic C.G.
position
and
to
write
these
in the aircraft log
book. The owner
should
make
sure that
it is
done.
A
weight and
balance
calculation
can
be
helpful
in determining how much
fuel or baggage
can
be boarded
so as
to
keep the
C.G.
within
allowable limits.
If it
is necessary
to remove
some
of the fuel
to
stay
within
maximum
allowable
gross
weight, the
pilot
should
not hesitate to
do
so.
The
following
pages
are forms
used
in weighing
an
airplane
in
production
and
in
computing
basic weight, basic
C.G.
position,
and
useful
load. Note
that
the
useful
load includes fuel,
oil,
baggage,
cargo
and
passengers.
Following
this
is
the
method
for
computing takeoff
weight and
c.G.
REPTORT: VB-551
PAGE
5-l
MODEL:
PA-32-300
ISSUED: MAY
14,1973