useful load GR 912

[Guest ando79]

can anyone tell me the useful load, or the empty weight for the GR 912?

 

cheers.

 

 

[CLAYT]

factory empty wieght is 302 kg as per aircraftmanual:thumb_up:

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

All I can find in the serv manual for my GR 912 (100 HP) with flaps, is the following:

 

GROSS WT: (take-off Wt ??) GR 912-T -flaps 480 Kg

 

GROSS WT: GA and GR 912 475 Kg

 

If the prev mentioned 302 Kg empty weight is correct that would give a usefull load of 173 Kgs which sounds close to the mark.

 

I will check the placard on the panel when I am in the hangar next.

 

Cheers

 

 

[Guest ando79]

does this mean that two people witha full fuel load and an overnight bag would put the A/C over MTOW? Trying to compare to a gazelle. Seems that operators of gazelles have no problems with operating thier A/C overweight and illegal?

 

Cheers. Ando

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

I checked the panel today and those figures are correct. However a Lightwing will take two bums, full fuel, (90 lts inc aux tank) plus a good amount of gear, and still get off in 100-150 mts, then climb out at a solid 700 ft min. I am talking about a 100 hp 912 s with a powerfin 3 blade prop, using half flaps on takeoff. I tend to get rid of the flaps around 300 ft or so. I know this for sure as I do it fairly often. I think the factory Lightwing figures are fairly slim as far as load carrying goes (unoffically of course) ,and I feel that the Lightwing should lift more load than the Skyfox/Gazelle because of the Lightwings' thicker and larger wing. hope this is helpfull. Cheers

 

 

[Guest ando79]

what about the sructural load limitations put in place by the manufacturer????

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

That of course is something to consider. Anyone who has had anything to do with the Lightwing will know that they are built like the proverbial brick-shxxhouse, structurally speaking, as oppossed to some other designs of the same period.

 

I do only weigh in at 69 kg and although I may be close to max take-off weight with full fuel, I don't believe I am over max take-off in the Lightwing. I once did a take-off in a really heavily loaded 582 Drifter, (long trip, lots of fuel and gear) and it felt real heavy, the Lightwing doesn't feel heavy, and still has lots in reserve.

 

I would not of course advocate heavy overloaded takeoffs, and I do not hesitate to pull out the old bathroom scales, if I need to check the weight of a potential load. Last time I did this, I still had a number of KGs to go before exceeding flight manual figures.

 

Remember also that the wing on the Lightwing uses the classic 'Clark Y' airfoil, as used on many 'load lifters' of the WW2 period, such as the DC-3, B17, Liberator and many others. It was also interesting to note that Nestor's SS-4 Storch, uses only a basic 'Clark Y' wing with a fixed LE slat, and lots of flap to achieve it's impressive performance.