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Opinion
on
Weight and Loading of Light Sport Aircraft
Ok, folks here it is for what it's worth,......my opinion.
First off remember this, if you don't remember anything else. This aircraft is YOUR EXPERIMENT! That is why we call it an
experimental light
sport aircraft. You can put any weight you want on the weight and
loading form. The label on the parachute that gives a weight is only the
manufacturers suggested max weight. If you want to experiment with a
2000 lbs weight YOU CAN. In fact some Quicksilver
experimentals are
200-300 lbs over max recommended weight because their pilots weigh
more and they wouldn't be able to fly them unless they upped the
weight. Now about filling out the weight and loading form. You don't have to
have a variable attachment point if you don't want to. You may set
it at one position and say, like I did on mine, "Fixed attachment
point, no adjustment allowed". Then put the weights you want on the
form and you're done. Of course as a good starting point you can use
the wing MFGs weight. If that doesn't give you enough payload you can
raise it. The only thing to think about is that at some point you
won't have any ability to get off the ground and/or climb. A rule of thumb is
that you want to get off the ground AND have some climb performance, say 300 feet per minute or so.
The variable attachment idea resulted from the fact that some PPC
MFGs have those attachment points with several holes. Like the
Powrachute or Buckeye or soon the new Special Light Sport Six
Chuter. In those cases one must have a weight and loading form
to spell out how each attachment location adjusts the weight and
loading. But with the CG tube type of adjustment you can have more
than one hole but if you don't want that as part of YOUR EXPERIMENT
you are not required to do so. Naturally what ever gross
weight you do decide to use must be tested and logged in the aircraft
records.