Small Unmanned Aircraft Loading Part 3

Small Unmanned Aircraft Loading Part 3

Compliance with the weight and balance limits of any aircraft is critical to flight safety.

Operating above the maximum weight limitation compromises the structural integrity of an aircraft and adversely affects its performance. Operation with the center of gravity outside the approved limits results in control difficulty.

The aircraft’s weight and balance data is important information for a pilot that must be frequently reevaluated. Weight is the force with which gravity attracts a body toward the center of the earth.

It is a product of the mass of a body and the acceleration acting on the body. Weight is a major factor in aircraft construction and operation and demands respect from all pilots.

The force of gravity continuously attempts to pull an aircraft down toward the earth. The force of lift is the only force that counteracts weight and sustains an aircraft in flight.

Small Unmanned Aircraft Loading Part 3

The amount of lift produced by an airfoil is limited by the airfoil design, angle of attack, airspeed, and air density. To assure that the lift generated is sufficient to counteract weight, loading an aircraft beyond the manufacturer’s recommended weight must be avoided.

If the weight is greater than the lift generated, the aircraft may be incapable of flight. Any item aboard an aircraft that increases the total weight is undesirable for performance.

Manufacturers attempt to make an aircraft as light as possible without sacrificing strength or safety. The pilot should always be aware of the consequences of overloading. An overloaded aircraft may not be able to leave the ground.

If it becomes airborne, it may exhibit unexpected and unusually poor flight characteristics. If not property loaded, the initial indication of poor performance usually takes place during takeoff.

Excessive weight reduces the flight performance in almost every respect.

Small Unmanned Aircraft Loading Part 3

The most important performance deficiencies of an overloaded aircraft are: • higher takeoff speed • longer takeoff run • reduced rate and angle of climb • lower maximum altitude • shorter range • reduced cruising speed • reduced maneuverability • higher stalling speed • higher approach and landing speed • longer landing roll.

The pilot must be knowledgeable of the effect of weight on the performance of the particular aircraft being flown.

Excessive weight, in itself, reduces the safety margins available to the pilot and becomes even more hazardous when other performance-reducing factors are combined with the excessive weight. The pilot must also consider the consequences of an overweight aircraft if an emergency condition arises.

Small Unmanned Aircraft Loading Part 3