Balance and CG

Work out where the CG should be

Enter or measure the wing's size to find the range where the model should balance.

Written for iPhone. The steps are the same on iPad.

What you need

  • A ruler or tape measure, or a photo of the wing

Steps

  1. Open the aircraft and tap Calculate CG. Or open Bench and tap CG calculator.
  2. Under CG preset, choose Tailed for most aircraft, or Flying wing.
  3. Under Wing shape, choose Tapered for a wing with one straight taper.
  4. Measure one half of the wing. Enter the root chord, tip chord and half-span.
  5. Enter Tip LE sweep: how far the tip's leading edge sits behind the root's.
  6. Read the CG from the root leading edge, and mark it under both sides of the wing.
  7. Tap Save to keep the result with the aircraft.

Good to know

  • 28% of the MAC is a safe first-flight target for a tailed aircraft.
  • For a wing with more than one taper, choose Multi-panel and add a row for each panel.
  • Tap Measure with camera to fill in the sizes from a photo instead.
  • Compare the result with the kit or plans. If they differ, start with theirs and fly carefully.

Words used here

CG
Center of gravity: the point where the model balances. Too far back makes it unstable. Too far forward makes the nose hard to lift.
MAC
Mean aerodynamic chord: the average front-to-back width of a tapered wing. CG positions are given as a percentage of it.
Chord
The width of a wing or control surface, from its leading edge to its trailing edge.
Root
The inner end of a wing or stab, where it meets the fuselage.
Tip
The outer end of a wing or stab.
Span
The width of the wing from tip to tip. Half-span is one side, from the centerline to the tip.
Sweep
How far the tip's leading edge sits behind the root's. Forward sweep is a negative number.
Leading edge
The front edge of a wing, stab or control surface.

Still stuck?

Email goes straight to the developer. Say which guide you were following, and whether you're on iPhone or iPad.