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Performance testing

B

bob888

Well Known Member
I figure I need to put 450 lb of something into the plane, in addition to myself and 60 gal of gas, to do flight testing at gross weight. Since that 450 lb can't be other people in phase I, what is a readily available weight that others have used successfully?
 
50 lb bags of sand are pretty cheap. Put them in large plastic bags (the paper bags always seem to leak a bit) and use the seat/shoulder belts to keep them in place.
 
I used 40lbs bags of mulch (with a plastic drop cloth underneath to contain any mess). Why? Because I could use the mulch around the house after I was done so I wasn't stuck buying something I couldn't use after I was done with testing.

Along this same line I use a camping water bladder as my ballast for day-to-day flying. This allows me to quickly adjust my ballast weight if I need to, especially on a crosscountry where I go out light but come back heavy with cargo. I simply dump or add water as required.
 
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Auburntsts said:
I used 40lbs bags of mulch (with a plastic drop cloth underneath to contain any mess). Why? Because I could use the mulch around the house after I was done so I wasn't stuck buying something I couldn't use after I was done with testing.

Along this same line I use a camping water bladder as my ballast for day-to-day flying. This allows me to quickly adjust my ballast weight if I need to, especially on a crosscountry where I go out light but come back heavy with cargo. I simply dump or add water as required.
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Camping water bladder. That's a great idea. Made note for future use. Was thinking cased water also.
 
To be more specific it's a 5 gallon collapseable water container--$10 at Walmart. When empty you can squish it basically flat and weighs almost nothing. When full it expands into roughly an 18 inch cube.
 
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Yep.

Cases of engine oil, 12 packs of coke, 24 packs of water and soft drinks. Anything that you will consume later on and shift around to get the weight where you wish it. It has been a while but as best I can remember a case of oil is 25 Lbs. as is a case of water bottles and a 12 pack of soft drinks, is around 10 Lbs. We did not like loading beer for phase testing as in if anything went south we would not want FSDO to get the wrong idea.
Just an idea, Yours, R.E.A. III #80888
 
Just checking, but you do know about the second pilot program available in phase one ya? second pilot need to meet certain criteria and fuel flow test, ect for the aircraft.
 
50 lb bags of sand are pretty cheap. Put them in large plastic bags (the paper bags always seem to leak a bit) and use the seat/shoulder belts to keep them in place.
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This is what I did and the cheapest of all options.
I am not one who returns anything to stores on a regular basis but I did return all the sand bags to HD for a refund.
 
40# bags of water softener salt worked for me and I was able to use it it my water softener afterwards.
 
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