Piper Warrior 3 Weight And Balance

[Gano Richardson]

Inthe operating handbooks for GA aircraft, there are often weight and balance limitations listed for both Normal and Utiltity category operation. If I restrict the loading to the Utility category envelope, I want to know what regulations and prudence allow me to do over the Normal category envelope.

I am guessing that there are a set of regulatory certification standards for each category, as well as a list of specific restrictions for each type certificate. What are these definitions and where are they found?

Normal Category is limited to airplanes that have a seating configuration, excluding pilot seats, of nine or less, a maximum certificated takeoff weight of 12,500 pounds or less, and intended for nonacrobatic operation.

They go on to specify that nonacrobatic operation includes:

Utility Category is the same type and size of airplane, but approved for "limited acrobatic operations" - this may include intentional spins, as well as the "commercial maneuvers" with higher bank angles (greater than 60 degrees, up to 90 degrees).

Acrobatic Category is the same type and size of airplane, but approved for acrobatics without any restrictions "other than those shown to be necessary as a result of required flight tests" -- basically "airplanes that can go upside-down".

The commuter category is boring: It's basically the normal category, but with more engines (at least 2) and more seats (up to a maximum of 19). Commuter category aircraft can also have a higher maximum takeoff weight (up to 19,000 pounds).

An aircraft can be certificated in any combination of the Normal, Utility, and Acrobatic categories if the aircraft meets the requirements of the appropriate category (as specified later in FAR 23). An aircraft certificated in the Commuter category may not be certificated in any of the other categories however.

Generally the restrictions you find on aircraft are not regulatory ones (from the FARs) but Operating Limitations (in the POH or placarded on the aircraft) which you must comply with (per Part 91 of the FARs).

The Piper Warrior is not approved for spins in the utility category (they are placarded with SPINS PROHIBITED). they also have other restrictions for utility category operations which are found in the POH and on aircraft placards (e.g. UTILITY CATEGORY - NO BAGGAGE OR AFT PASSENGERS, and maximum entry speeds for other acrobatic maneuvers).

Most Cessna 172s are approved for spins in the utility category and are not placarded against them. (Certain aircraft with specific STOL kits installed are disapproved as a result of the kit, and have placards prohibiting them).

Weight & Balance Info

Note: This weight and balance information is being provided for your pre-planning convenience only. You are still responsible for calculating your weight and balance with the document in the POH.

Hi folks. Need some advice. Scott, please weigh in..... my 160 engine had a cylinder that lost compression and we borescoped the cam shaft when we pulled the jug. Cam shaft was pitted and a small blemish was noted. at 1800 hours, I decided to buy out the partners (who had no stomach for an overhaul) go to the bank and make this my forever plane. I am STC upgrading through Bold Warrior to a 180, Lycoming O-360-A4M by PennYan Aero. After two months, it appears it will ship soon. They test it for 1.5 hours in their booth. I have read the break-in procedures, oil changes, etc on the new engine. I would appreciate ANY comments, advice or experience anyone has had with a rebuilt Lycoming. What you did, what you wish you would have done during break in. This "infant paralysis" thing I hear about on new engines has me concerned. Thanks to all my Piper buds. Marc.

My most recent was a factory zero time engine from Lycoming. There was a fair amount of time spent on the ground running the engine at specific RPM's and time, then shut down, check for leaks, etc. In some cases, the engine had to cool before the next step, while others the engine was restarted while still warm, and moved on. My wife set up a tri-pod and videoed the whole procedure for posterity, but later I realized how brilliant that was because if something happened, there was video proof that I had followed the procedure exactly.

Once the ground break-in portion was complete, a flying break-in followed with specific parameters to follow. I had to fly for something like 40 minutes at or near full throttle. I called the tower and told them that I was breaking in a new engine and wanted to stay a thousand feet or so directly above the airport in case of a failure. They understood and cleared me, so I flew a racetrack pattern over the airport for the specified time. It was fun!

Once I had completed the initial break-in, I flew a 400+ mile x-country flight, still following the recommendations. I seem to recall varying the RPM for specified time e.g. 2,400 RPM for 30 min, then 2,500 RPM for 30 min., etc. Varying the RPM helps the rings and other parts seat correctly. The rebuilder/manufacturer will tell you when you can begin running the engine unrestricted.

Bottom line is follow the rebuilder's advice to the letter. If the builder recommends running full rich, or an oil change at 5 hours, do it. During the initial flying break-in, I'd recommend flying a racetrack pattern above your airport, and stay within gliding distance. I would not bring a passenger(s) during this portion. There's no rule against it, but if you have a problem, it's better to have only 1 person in danger than 2 or 3. That's just math.

Good answer Griff. Nothing to add here except that Bold Warriors is an excellent company. I did an article on them last year in Pipers magazine. With all of the Knots2U speed mods and the new engine, it will be faster than an Arrow. Let us know how it turns out.

The Bold Warrior STC covers the weight difference, and provides new POH performance numbers. See their website at -warrior.com/the-country-annex. According to their website, you'll only lose 12 lbs useful load, but you'll need a new weight/balance regardless.

With regard to break-in, Griff is right on the money. Follow the published break-in procedures to the letter. I also had to break-in a factory zero time engine in my Cherokee 180. If I had to do it again, I would opt for cooler weather in the fall. In that way you can get the required percent power at higher altitudes! I recall having to stay uncomfortably low for long periods of time. Something I enjoy in a helicopter but not in the Cherokee!

I had the opposite situation breaking in my Lyc overhauled IO-360. I had to fly about 80 miles to get DOWN to an altitude where I could see 75% power even in the winter!! Normally WOT in my home base (7000 MSL) vicinity is just over about 66% . Fortunately Lycoming had done the major running-in before they shipped it to my mech. After just over 100 hours now the oil filter is clean and the oil consumption is about 1 qt/20 hours.

Yesterday The DAR (Designated Airworthiness Representative) came to visit the Bold Warrior project along with his EAG manager. They completed the inspection and hand delivered it to the ACO for processing. Which means probably a week or so of running back thru the office and it should be done. At this point it is just a formality, there are no more approvals needed. So I have updated the Bold-Warrior.com website and have an owner flying in from California to have the conversion done here in Atlanta asap.

The first one is often found in the POH of an aircraft. In this case a Piper Archer. The second one is actually the same weight and balance, but in stead of a x axel with a distance to the datum, it represents a moment.

Looking at the first image I find it curious to see that the forward limit of 82 inches bends to the left giving the impression that the forward limit is further to the left at a TOM of 2050 lbs. But it's not further left, only the 82 inch line is bending to to the left...

The manufacturer will provide something pictorial that you can draw on, to assure that your W&B calculation is easy to do, and easy to validate as within limitations. You can use the text limitations from the TCDS to draw your own, they are just saving you the trouble.

Also check your weight/balance. First time I flew I experienced this and came to find out that it only adds weight for the pilot, unlike the stock airplanes that are ready to go with both the pilot and co-pilot. Solved the issue for me, at least.

Also, set it to the left fuel tank for takeoff and the first 30 minutes of flight. As fuel burns out of the left tank that tendency will decrease. (The things you learn flying single pilot in small airplanes!)

Anyway, if you get it in level flight, enable the AP, but not in heading mode. Just AP so the roll is set zero, in wing-leveler mode). Let it adjust. Then you can turn off the AP, and it will stay wings level and trimmed.

Sometime back in the dark ages, I was getting ready to take my instrument instructor check ride, and the examiner, who was an actual FAA type from the FAA headquarters, asked me if I had done a weight-and-balance for the flight. Two thoughts flashed through my mind, the first being the obvious question: What has a weight-and-balance calculation got to do with an instrument check ride? The second was a little panicky thinking while I tried to remember how to do the calculations.

I whipped out the POH and fumbled around, finally coming up with a number. Then I ran the pencil point across the center of gravity (CG) envelope in the back of the POH and realized I had made a mistake. The point was outside the front edge of the envelope for this brand-new Piper Cherokee 140. I went back and rechecked my calculations and frowned. It still came out saying the CG was out of the front edge of the envelope. While all of this was going on, the examiner was sitting behind his desk, doing paperwork with a knowing look on his face.

3a8082e126