Aircraft Weight and Balance Calculator
Estimate aircraft weight and balance from pilot-entered data.
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What this tool does
Estimate aircraft weight and balance from pilot-entered data. Generic editable example, NOT aircraft-certified data. Real CG envelopes often vary with weight; entered rectangular limits do not model a full envelope.
How to use the Aircraft Weight and Balance Calculator
- Enter or select stations: name, weight lb, moment arm inches (one per line).
- Enter or select fuel onboard (us gallons).
- Enter or select fuel density (lb/us gallon).
- Enter or select fuel moment arm (inches).
- Enter or select entered minimum cg (inches).
- Enter or select entered maximum cg (inches).
- Enter or select entered maximum weight (lb).
- Read the calculated result; change any measurement to compare alternatives.
Formula
weight=sum station weights+fuel gallons×density; moment=sum(weight×arm); CG=total moment/total weight
- stations
- Stations: name, weight lb, moment arm inches (one per line)
- fuel
- Fuel onboard (US gallons)
- density
- Fuel density (lb/US gallon)
- arm
- Fuel moment arm (inches)
- minCg
- Entered minimum CG (inches)
- maxCg
- Entered maximum CG (inches)
- maxWeight
- Entered maximum weight (lb)
Generic editable example, NOT aircraft-certified data. Real CG envelopes often vary with weight; entered rectangular limits do not model a full envelope.
Worked example
For aircraft weight and balance calculator, the following measurements illustrate the exact method: Stations: name, weight lb, moment arm inches (one per line): Empty aircraft,1600,40 Pilot and passengers,340,37 Baggage,40,95; Fuel onboard (US gallons): 40; Fuel density (lb/US gallon): 6; Fuel moment arm (inches): 48; Entered minimum CG (inches): 35; Entered maximum CG (inches): 47; Entered maximum weight (lb): 2550.
Inputs
- Stations: name, weight lb, moment arm inches (one per line)Empty aircraft,1600,40 Pilot and passengers,340,37 Baggage,40,95
- Fuel onboard (US gallons)40
- Fuel density (lb/US gallon)6
- Fuel moment arm (inches)48
- Entered minimum CG (inches)35
- Entered maximum CG (inches)47
- Entered maximum weight (lb)2550
Result
- Within entered rectangular limits?Yes — verify actual POH envelope
- Total weight (lb)2,220
- Total moment (lb-in)91,900
- Center of gravity (inches)41.4
Results explained
- Within entered rectangular limits?
- Within entered rectangular limits? from the formula above. Generic editable example, NOT aircraft-certified data. Real CG envelopes often vary with weight; entered rectangular limits do not model a full envelope.
- Total weight (lb)
- Total weight (lb) from the formula above. Generic editable example, NOT aircraft-certified data. Real CG envelopes often vary with weight; entered rectangular limits do not model a full envelope.
- Total moment (lb-in)
- Total moment (lb-in) from the formula above. Generic editable example, NOT aircraft-certified data. Real CG envelopes often vary with weight; entered rectangular limits do not model a full envelope.
- Center of gravity (inches)
- Center of gravity (inches) from the formula above. Generic editable example, NOT aircraft-certified data. Real CG envelopes often vary with weight; entered rectangular limits do not model a full envelope.
Frequently asked questions
weight=sum station weights+fuel gallons×density; moment=sum(weight×arm); CG=total moment/total weight
Generic editable example, NOT aircraft-certified data. Real CG envelopes often vary with weight; entered rectangular limits do not model a full envelope.
No. Verify every result against the aircraft's official Pilot's Operating Handbook, current weather and official flight-planning information before flight.
Use current aircraft-specific records, approved POH data and official weather. Generic defaults are not approved aircraft limits.
No. You must supply current verified conditions; calculations are entirely local.