All the evidence for the Spitfire Longitundinal instability will be posted in this thread, that includes the Operating Notes, Gates conclusions, the NACA results, stability and control engineering opinion, and the steps the RAE took to fix the longitudinal stability in later Marks.
Quote:
|
Really? Then please show us your definitive cg drawings for all Spitfire Mk Is.
|
The weight and balance is a sideline that the RAE did not even believe.
You don't need comprehensive drawings to do a weight and balance. I will explain the process and how it works both for a type AND the individual aircraft
later in detail with documents.
In short, like anything that comes off an assembly line has variation. CG limits is no different and there is a range of acceptable limits for the empty weight CG for the type.
A weight and balance is done when the aircraft is complete and the empty weight CG is estabilished. It must be within that tolerance range for the type but the empty weight CG will be specific to the individual aircraft.
That empty weight CG for that
specific aircraft then has its specific range for foward and aft limits based on its authorized configurations. That is why the weight and balance is part of the Pilot's Handbook for that aircraft. It is required documentation and just like the Handbook, propeller logs, engine logs, and airframe logbooks follows the aircraft throughout its life.
The minimum equipment you need to do an accurate weight and balance on any aircraft is a tape measure, plumb bob, string, scales, chaulk, and pen/paper.
The NACA used percentage MAC. Once you know the percentage MAC range, you get all the data from the tape measure and scales for the individual aircraft.