Aircraft Basic Science, Eighth Edition, 8th Edition

Weight and Balance

7

INTRODUCTION

Aviation has been one of the most dynamic industries since its beginning. New aircraft are continually being developed with improvements over previous models. Improvements in design have, in many cases, tended to increase the importance of the proper loading and balancing of today’s airplanes. Weight-and-balance calculations are performed according to exact rules and specifications and must be prepared when aircraft are manufactured and whenever they are altered, whether the airplane is large or small. The constantly changing conditions of modern aircraft operation present more complex combinations of cargo, crew, fuel, passengers, and baggage. The necessity of obtaining maximum efficiency for all flights ...