Weighing your plane
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Gadsden,
AL
Posts: 182
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Weighing your plane
How do people weigh their planes?
Do you get on the bathroom scale with your plane, then substract your own weight? That seems so dumb and inaccurate. I do not recall ever reading anything on this matter. I am sure there are lots of scales out there that can be used but would like to know what you guys think
Thanks
Luis
Do you get on the bathroom scale with your plane, then substract your own weight? That seems so dumb and inaccurate. I do not recall ever reading anything on this matter. I am sure there are lots of scales out there that can be used but would like to know what you guys think
Thanks
Luis
#2
RCU Forum Manager/Admin
My Feedback: (9)
RE: Weighing your plane
I've got a scale that we use for weighing UPS shipments, but we have that since we are a business. I know of a couple of flyers at our field that use a fishing scale. They are not real expensive, and easy to get since you can buy them at Wal-mart
That's my 02¢ worth
That's my 02¢ worth
#7
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: East Cobb County,
GA
Posts: 1,390
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: Weighing your plane
ORIGINAL: Maelstrom
How do people weigh their planes?
How do people weigh their planes?
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Brantford, ON, CANADA
Posts: 3,305
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: Weighing your plane
The fish type scale is virtually useless, something has to hung on them and the scale has to be hung. Use a postal type scale that stands on a worktop. individual components can be weighed without having to figure out how to hang them on the scale.
Ed S
Ed S
#10
Senior Member
RE: Weighing your plane
I use an Ultra ship 50. Weighs in grams, and 1/10 of ounces. Good up to 50 pounds. You can also zero out an item you place on it to give you enough heigth to weigh the model as a whole.
#14
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Macon,
GA
Posts: 657
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: Weighing your plane
I borrow a digital field scale from the office ( I work in a company that does soil and concrete testing). We have nice big flat-bed digital scales that are annually calibrated - traceable to the US Bureau of Standards - accurate to 1/10th pound. I would be glad to weigh anyone's plane for free. S&H paid by the owner <g>.
jon
jon
#15
My Feedback: (41)
RE: Weighing your plane
Me too. That was one of the best investments I ever made in this hobby. I weigh everything so I use that thing constantly. I just put a box on top of it, zero it, then I set a 27% on top of the box. It's great. I could do that with a 40% too.
ORIGINAL: Deadeye
I use an Ultra ship 50. Weighs in grams, and 1/10 of ounces. Good up to 50 pounds. You can also zero out an item you place on it to give you enough heigth to weigh the model as a whole.
I use an Ultra ship 50. Weighs in grams, and 1/10 of ounces. Good up to 50 pounds. You can also zero out an item you place on it to give you enough heigth to weigh the model as a whole.
#16
My Feedback: (21)
RE: Weighing your plane
ORIGINAL: Ed Smith
The fish type scale is virtually useless, something has to hung on them and the scale
has to be hung. Use a postal type scale that stands on a worktop. individual
components can be weighed without having to figure out how to hang them
on the scale.
Ed S
The fish type scale is virtually useless, something has to hung on them and the scale
has to be hung. Use a postal type scale that stands on a worktop. individual
components can be weighed without having to figure out how to hang them
on the scale.
Ed S
(included) and hang what ever you want on the hook. The scale reads in pounds
and ounces, and is dead accurate. It is very handy, and a great deal at under $20.
It is much more convenient than dragging your postal scales, or bathroom scales
to the field. I have a wide, soft shoelace tied in a loop....to either wrap around
the prop or the tail of the plane to hang it with.
FBD.
#17
My Feedback: (12)
RE: Weighing your plane
ORIGINAL: Flyboy Dave
Ed....the scale in the picture is up side down. You must hold the scale by the handle
(included) and hang what ever you want on the hook. The scale reads in pounds
and ounces, and is dead accurate. It is very handy, and a great deal at under $20.
It is much more convenient than dragging your postal scales, or bathroom scales
to the field. I have a wide, soft shoelace tied in a loop....to either wrap around
the prop or the tail of the plane to hang it with.
Ed....the scale in the picture is up side down. You must hold the scale by the handle
(included) and hang what ever you want on the hook. The scale reads in pounds
and ounces, and is dead accurate. It is very handy, and a great deal at under $20.
It is much more convenient than dragging your postal scales, or bathroom scales
to the field. I have a wide, soft shoelace tied in a loop....to either wrap around
the prop or the tail of the plane to hang it with.
#18
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Gadsden,
AL
Posts: 182
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: Weighing your plane
ORIGINAL: BillS
In the past I have made a fool of myself and carried the airplane in the grocery store.
Bill
In the past I have made a fool of myself and carried the airplane in the grocery store.
Bill
Thanks all for your replies. Very interesting
Luis
#20
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Corona, CA,
Posts: 4,444
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: Weighing your plane
Kinda depends on how big your aircraft are. What works for a foamie, won't work well for a 4# plane. On a 4 or 5 pound plane, if you are within, say, half an oz. that is pretty good. On a 50# plane, who cares about half an oz. ?
Most fish scales are not very accurate near the bottom or the top of thier ranges. On the other hand, they come in different ranges, basically for fresh water fish or salt water fish.
For a big plane, a bathroom scale may work. Whats half a pound error on a 50 pound plane?
Of course, you can buy a scale that is accurate, but it may cost a LOT more than you want to pay.
I have a gm scale that goes to 75 gm, a postal scale that goes to 5#, and a digital fish scale that goes to 15 pounds, a digital fish scale that goes to 60 pounds and a bathroom scale that I try to destroy by weighing myself.
Most fish scales are not very accurate near the bottom or the top of thier ranges. On the other hand, they come in different ranges, basically for fresh water fish or salt water fish.
For a big plane, a bathroom scale may work. Whats half a pound error on a 50 pound plane?
Of course, you can buy a scale that is accurate, but it may cost a LOT more than you want to pay.
I have a gm scale that goes to 75 gm, a postal scale that goes to 5#, and a digital fish scale that goes to 15 pounds, a digital fish scale that goes to 60 pounds and a bathroom scale that I try to destroy by weighing myself.
#21
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Hamond,
IN
Posts: 252
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: Weighing your plane
Danger.
Do no weigh your birds.
I won a digital scale in a fishing contest; weighed my favorite pattern ship, it weighed nine pounds,( .60 size candy without retracts.) Now it don't fly so good.
Oh Well
Matt
Do no weigh your birds.
I won a digital scale in a fishing contest; weighed my favorite pattern ship, it weighed nine pounds,( .60 size candy without retracts.) Now it don't fly so good.
Oh Well
Matt
#23
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Hamond,
IN
Posts: 252
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: Weighing your plane
Dave
You may not believe this, but it really did. Knife edges and all.
I don't really know. I'll find out this week-end. It Just Feels that way.
What do you think.
Matt
You may not believe this, but it really did. Knife edges and all.
I don't really know. I'll find out this week-end. It Just Feels that way.
What do you think.
Matt
#24
My Feedback: (21)
RE: Weighing your plane
Ignore the scales....it's you on the sticks. Work harder and concetrate on
making the manuevers better. You know how your car seems to run better
when you wash and wax it ?
Same thing with the plane....clean it all up and go completely over it. Replace
any sloppy linkages and such.
Dave.
making the manuevers better. You know how your car seems to run better
when you wash and wax it ?
Same thing with the plane....clean it all up and go completely over it. Replace
any sloppy linkages and such.
Dave.
#25
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Cameron,
WI
Posts: 281
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: Weighing your plane
My fish scale works great. IF I can't hang the plane on the hook, I just attack string or cradle to hold the plane while weighing. My scale uses tear weight, or it sets zero to the weight that is on the hook when turned on, so you don't have to separately weigh a cradle, string, etc.. It is accurate enough for this measurement.