Aircraft Weight and Balance Professional CG Calculator
We're developing an advanced weight and balance calculator with CG envelope visualization, aircraft profiles, and multi-point calculations. Stay tuned for launch!
Planned Features
Interactive graph showing your aircraft's center of gravity position within the safe operating envelope. See takeoff, landing, and zero fuel CG positions at a glance.
Pre-loaded profiles for popular aircraft including Cessna, Piper, Beechcraft, and more. Create custom profiles for any aircraft using POH data.
Calculate CG for takeoff, landing, and zero fuel conditions. Account for fuel burn during flight to ensure CG remains within limits throughout.
Optimize passenger seating and baggage distribution for best CG position. Get warnings for exceeded weight limits or out-of-envelope conditions.
Automatic moment and arm calculations for each station. Support for both weight-shift and moment-envelope methods as per your aircraft's POH.
Generate professional weight and balance reports in PDF format. Include graphs, calculations, and loading details for records and dispatch.
Automatic conversion between pounds and kilograms, gallons and liters. Work with the units you prefer and the app handles conversions with mathematical precision.
Model fuel consumption during flight and see how CG changes as fuel burns. Ensure your aircraft stays within limits throughout the entire flight profile.
Save common loading configurations as templates for reuse. Perfect for recurring training flights, passenger missions, or standard cargo scenarios.
Why Weight and Balance Matters
Weight and balance calculations are critical for flight safety. An aircraft loaded outside its center of gravity (CG) limits can become uncontrollable, leading to dangerous situations. Even experienced pilots have faced accidents due to improper loading, making accurate W&B calculations essential for every flight.
Understanding Center of Gravity
The center of gravity is the point where the aircraft would balance if suspended. It must remain within specific forward and aft limits during all phases of flight. As fuel burns during flight, the CG shifts, which is why multi-point calculations are crucial for longer flights.
Critical Loading Scenarios
Our calculator helps you identify and avoid dangerous loading scenarios:
- Aft CG causing pitch instability and potentially unrecoverable stalls
- Forward CG leading to excessive elevator pressure and longer takeoff runs
- Overweight conditions affecting climb performance and structural limits
- Asymmetric loading in multi-engine aircraft causing control difficulties
- Fuel burn shifting CG out of limits during flight
- Overloaded baggage compartments exceeding local structural limits
Professional Features
Pilot Kit's weight and balance calculator goes beyond basic calculations to provide professional-grade features that airline and charter pilots rely on:
- Multiple loading scenarios for comparison
- Fuel burn analysis with CG shift prediction
- Automatic unit conversion between pounds and kilograms
- Station arm adjustments for modified aircraft
- Ballast calculations for optimal CG positioning
- Integration with flight planning for comprehensive preflight preparation
- Instant warnings for dangerous loading conditions
- History of saved loadings for trend analysis
CG Impact on Performance
The center of gravity position significantly affects aircraft flight characteristics:
- Forward CG: Greater stability but requires more elevator force, longer takeoff distances, and increased fuel consumption
- Aft CG: Lower stability, risk of difficult-to-recover stalls, but better fuel efficiency and climb performance
- CG at Forward Limit: May prevent proper rotation on takeoff at short runways
- CG at Aft Limit: Reduces stall recovery margin and may cause pitch oscillations
Regulatory Compliance
Aviation regulations require pilots to perform weight and balance calculations before every flight when there are changes to loading. Pilot Kit ensures you meet:
- Documented calculations for ramp inspections and safety audits
- PDF reports for compliance records
- Full traceability of loading configurations
- Compliance with POH and AFM requirements
- Timestamped data for legal documentation
How to Calculate Weight and Balance
Select Your Aircraft
Choose from our pre-configured aircraft database or create a custom profile. Enter your aircraft's empty weight, arm, and moment from the POH. The app saves your aircraft for quick access on future flights. Support for aircraft with STC modifications and additional installed equipment.
Enter Fuel Quantity
Input fuel quantity for each tank in gallons, liters, or kilograms. The calculator automatically converts units and calculates fuel weight. Account for fuel burn for your planned flight to check landing CG. Set different burn rates for climb, cruise, and descent for accurate modeling.
Add Passenger Weights
Enter actual weights for all occupants. Don't use standard weights - actual weights are crucial for small aircraft. The app calculates moments for each seat position automatically. Configure custom seat arrangements for aircraft with modified cabin configurations.
Load Baggage and Cargo
Add weight for each baggage compartment. The app warns if you exceed compartment limits. For unusual cargo, you can specify custom stations with specific arm values. Track removable equipment like seats or special mission gear.
Check CG Envelope
Review the visual CG envelope graph showing your loading relative to limits. Verify takeoff, landing, and zero fuel CG positions. The app clearly indicates if any condition is outside safe limits. Use the interactive graph visualization to understand how loading changes affect CG position.
Understanding Center of Gravity Impacts
When the center of gravity is too far forward:
- Greater force required on elevator for takeoff rotation
- Higher stall speeds due to downward elevator deflection
- Increased takeoff distances and reduced climb performance
- Higher fuel consumption due to additional drag
- Difficulty flaring on landing
- Risk of inability to level off at low speeds
Warning Sign: If you notice excessive back pressure on the elevator during takeoff, your CG may be too far forward.
When the center of gravity is too far aft:
- Reduced longitudinal stability and sensitive pitch behavior
- Difficult or impossible to recover stalls
- Tendency to continue pitching up after takeoff rotation
- Pitch oscillations in turbulence
- Loss of elevator authority at low speeds
- Risk of tail strike on landing
Warning Sign: Unusual sensitivity in pitch controls or difficulty maintaining constant pitch attitude indicates aft CG.
⚠️ Important Safety Warning
Operating an aircraft outside CG limits is extremely dangerous and violates aviation regulations. Always verify your weight and balance calculations before flight. If your aircraft is loaded outside limits, you MUST redistribute weight or remove cargo before takeoff. Never assume "close enough is good enough" - CG limits exist for critical safety reasons.
Weight and Balance Calculator Comparison
| Feature | Pilot Kit | ForeFlight | Garmin Pilot | FltPlan Go |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visual CG Envelope | ✅ Interactive | ✅ Interactive | ✅ Interactive | ✅ Basic |
| Aircraft Database | ✅ 500+ Aircraft | ✅ 1000+ Aircraft | ✅ 800+ Aircraft | ✅ 300+ Aircraft |
| Custom Aircraft | ✅ Unlimited | ✅ Unlimited | ✅ Unlimited | ✅ Limited |
| Multi-Point CG | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Fuel Burn Analysis | ✅ Included | ✅ Advanced | ✅ Included | ❌ Basic |
| PDF Export | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Android Support | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Offline Mode | ✅ Full | ✅ Full | ✅ Full | ✅ Full |
| Loading Templates | ✅ Unlimited | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ Limited |
| Price | Free - $149/year | $120 - $360/year | $100 - $200/year | Free |
Best Practices for Weight and Balance Calculations
Always use actual weights for passengers and baggage. Standard weights (FAA 170 lbs for men, 140 lbs for women) are not suitable for small aircraft where every pound counts. Weigh baggage and be honest about passenger weights.
Unusable fuel is already included in empty weight. Don't add it again. Only enter usable fuel you're loading. Consult the POH for your aircraft's usable and unusable fuel quantities.
Don't forget small items that add up: flight bags, ice, meals, camera equipment, fishing gear, camping equipment. These items can add 50-100 lbs easily and affect CG more than you think.
Review and update your aircraft's empty weight after equipment installations, interior upgrades, or STC modifications. An outdated aircraft empty weight can lead to dangerously incorrect calculations.
Always check landing CG by subtracting planned fuel burned. CG shifts as fuel burns and may move out of limits even if takeoff was OK. This is especially important in aircraft with wing tip tanks.
Save your weight and balance calculations as part of your flight records. In case of incident or ramp inspection, you'll need to show you performed proper calculations. PDF export makes archiving easy.
Frequently Asked Questions
We are actively developing the Weight and Balance calculator and plan to launch it soon. Download Pilot Kit today to be notified when it becomes available.
The calculator will include visual CG envelope, pre-configured aircraft database, multi-point calculations (takeoff, landing, zero fuel), optimized load planning, PDF report generation, and much more.
Basic weight and balance functionality will be free. Advanced features like unlimited aircraft profiles and professional reports may be available with a premium subscription.
Yes! The weight and balance calculator will work completely offline. You'll be able to perform all calculations without an internet connection, perfect for preflight planning anywhere.
Available Now in Pilot Kit
While you wait for Weight and Balance, explore our powerful features already available
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