Any object, whether at rest or in motion, needs to keep its weight and center of gravity within a proper range, otherwise it will be unbalanced.
As a means of transportation running in the air, aircraft should have better balance to ensure safe and reliable flight.
How do you make sure that the weight and center of gravity of the aircraft are in the right range?
An essential tool is to weigh the plane.
As a basic work in aircraft daily maintenance, weighing is very important, firstly because it is related to the flight safety of aircraft, and secondly to achieve the highest efficiency in flight.
So, when do planes need to be weighed?
Just as people go to the hospital every once in a while for a health check, in general, an airplane will be weighed regularly after a period of operation.
This is because impurities accumulate or absorb in the aircraft’s fuel system, water system, cabin and soundproof cotton during daily operation, as well as various minor repairs or modifications.
In this way, the weight and center of gravity of the aircraft will change over time.
The aircraft is weighed regularly to redetermine its weight and center of gravity.
In addition, when a major repair or modification of an aircraft occurs, the weight and center of gravity of the aircraft will also change due to changes in the weight of aircraft components, structures, and layout.
In this case, the aircraft also needs to be weighed to determine the weight and center of gravity of the aircraft.
Having understood the importance of weighing aircraft, let’s step into the aircraft weighing scene to see how the aircraft is weighed.
Beijing aircraft maintenance engineering co., LTD. (Ameco) as a maintenance well-known large enterprises at home and abroad, we have to Boeing series aircraft / 767/737 and 747/777 series airbus A340 aircraft airbus A330 / A321 / A320 / A319 / one A318 elite weighing capacity.
For these large civilian airliners, their weight ranges from tens to hundreds of tons, but the basic method of weighing is the same.
In common terms, the plane is weighed in a similar way to when people buy fruits and vegetables in the supermarket. They put the plane on a scale and calculate the weight of the plane.
However, the procedures and requirements for aircraft weighing are more complicated and strict, and the final aircraft weight and center of gravity data are also calculated by using the weighed weight.
When a plane is weighed, it is best to park in the hangar to avoid the wind affecting the accuracy of the scale reading.
At the same time, ensure that the temperature is stable and the aircraft is level.
Each system of the aircraft and the state and position of the rudder surface should be set according to the requirements, such as the hydraulic system and the lubricating oil system should be in the service state;
Emptying drinking water and sewage tanks;
The flight operation rudder is set in the correct position, etc.
At the same time, the equipment on the aircraft should be counted according to the applicable equipment list.
After all preparations were made, the plane was towed by a tow truck onto the scale pan that had been laid out in advance.
The pan was to be arranged according to the three points of the aircraft wheel, so that the plane could be properly placed on the pan.
After the aircraft is stable, the weigher records the weight readings displayed on three scales for subsequent calculations of the required weight and center of gravity.
This weighing process takes about two times to ensure the accuracy of the final weight and center of gravity data.
After the weighing, the staff will submit the recorded results to the relevant departments for the calculation of the final results. For example, in Ameco, the system engineer of the Agency will calculate the final results according to the requirements of customers.
In this way, regular weighing of the aircraft allows good monitoring of the weight and center of gravity of the aircraft to ensure that the aircraft flies safely and reliably.
An airplane, no matter how big or small, has its own weight and center of gravity.
In the daily operation of an aircraft, cargo and personnel are often added and removed, so its weight and center of gravity will also change.
However, any changes should be based on the weight and center of gravity data from the weighing to adjust.
Ensuring that the weight and center of gravity of the aircraft are within the appropriate range at all times will ultimately ensure the safe and reliable operation of the aircraft.
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