Getting to grips with weight and balance - …

1 Getting to grips with Aircraft weight and balance 1 SYSTEMS A. Cargo Systems .. 9 1. Type of ULDs and 9 9 IATA identification code for Unit Load Devices (ULDs).. 10 ULDs among the AIRBUS fleet .. 14 2. Cargo Holds Bulk cargo 19 Cargo Loading Systems (CLS):.. 21 Cargo loading system failure 28 Additional Cargo holds related systems .. 29 B. Fuel Systems .. 38 1. Generalities .. 38 2. The Single-Aisle family (A318/A319/A320/A321) .. 40 Tanks and capacities .. 40 Fuel System .. 43 CG travel during refueling .. 45 In-flight CG travel .. 48 3. The Long-Range Family (A330/A340) .. 49 Tanks and capacities .. 49 Fuel 52 CG travel during refueling .. 55 In-flight CG travel.

2 59 4. The Wide-Body Family (A300-600/A310) .. 64 Tanks and capacities .. 64 Fuel Systems ..65 CG Travel during refueling .. 66 In-flight CG travel .. 67 CG control 67 C. Less Paper in the Cockpit weight and balance system .. 69 1. Generalities .. 69 2. User interface general presentation .. 70 2 Getting to grips with Aircraft weight and balance weight AND balance ENGINEERING A. 75 1. 75 Center of Gravity (CG) .. 75 Mean Aerodynamic Chord (MAC) .. 75 2. Forces applied on flying aircraft .. 76 3. Influence of the CG position on 77 Impact on the stall speed .. 77 Impact on takeoff 79 Impact on in-flight performance .. 84 Impact on landing performance .. 87 Summary.

3 88 Conclusion .. 88 4. Certified limits design process .. 89 Certification requirements .. 90 Take-off Aircraft stability and maneuverability Limitations .. 93 Final Approach Limitations .. 98 Landing Limitations .. 99 Limitation summary .. 99 Certified limits definition .. 100 SUMMARY : CG ENVELOPES .. 104 B. weight and balance Manual .. 108 1. Section 1 : weight and balance 108 : GENERAL .. 108 : 109 : 111 : FLUIDS .. 114 : PERSONNEL .. 114 : INTERIOR ARRANGEMENT .. 115 : 115 : ACTIONS ON GROUND .. 117 : Examples .. 117 2. Section 2 : weight 118 Getting to grips with Aircraft weight and balance 3 weight AND balance ENGINEERING C.

4 balance Chart 121 1. Moment and Index definitions .. 121 121 Index .. 123 2. Index variation calculation ( Index) .. 125 Index for one item .. 125 Index for additional crew member .. 125 Index for additional weight on the upper deck .. 126 Index for passenger 127 Index for cargo 128 Index for fuel 130 3. operational limits determination .. 135 Calculation principle .. 135 Margins determination method .. 135 Inaccuracy on initial data (DOW and DOCG) .. 138 Inaccuracy on items loading on board the aircraft (passengers, cargo, fuel) .. 140 Inaccuracy due to CG computation 162 Item movements during flight impacting the aircraft CG position .. 167 Total operational margins determination.

5 175 Takeoff, Landing, In-Flight operational limits 176 Zero Fuel limit 178 4. balance Chart Drawing 181 index scales or tables for loaded items .. 182 Operational limits 184 5. The AHM560 .. 186 186 PART A: COMMUNICATION 186 PART B: GENERAL INFORMATION .. 187 PART C: AIRCRAFT 187 PART D: LOAD PLANNING 189 D. Load and Trim Sheet software .. 191 1. 191 2. 191 3. Software description .. 192 Unit system: .. 192 Aircraft modifications: .. 192 Aircraft configurations: .. 193 Cabin layout: .. 194 Operational margins customization .. 195 4 Getting to grips with Aircraft weight and balance LOADING OPERATIONS A. Loading Generalities .. 201 1. Load 201 Loading constraints.

6 201 Load control organization and responsibilities .. 201 Load control 204 2. Aircraft weight .. 205 205 Aircraft 206 3. Passenger weight .. 207 General .. 207 207 4. Loading Operations ..210 Preparation before loading .. 210 Opening/Closing the 215 On loading .. 216 Off loading .. 217 5. Loading 218 Structural limitations and floor panel limitations .. 218 Stability on ground Tipping .. 223 6. Securing of 225 Introduction .. 225 Aircraft acceleration .. 225 Tie-down computation .. 227 B. Special Loading .. 241 1. Live animals and perishable 241 241 Live animals transportation .. 243 Perishable goods .. 246 2. Dangerous goods ..249 249 249 Definitions.

7 249 250 250 Packing .. 254 Marking and labeling .. 255 Handling and loading .. 258 Special shipments .. 259 Getting to grips with Aircraft weight and balance 5 LOADING OPERATIONS C. Operational Loading Documents .. 263 1. Load and volume information codes .. 263 Load Information Codes .. 263 ULD Load volume codes .. 263 Codes used for loads requiring special attention .. 264 2. Loading Instruction / Report (LIR) .. 265 Introduction 265 Manual LIR 266 EDP 269 3. Container/Pallet distribution message (CPM) .. 271 4. 273 Introduction .. 273 Manual 274 EDP 278 ACARS loadsheet .. 279 5. balance calculation methods.

8 280 Introduction .. 280 Manual balance calculation method .. 280 EDP balance calculation methods 288 A. CARGO SYSTEMS Getting to grips with Aircraft weight and balance 7 SYSTEMS SYSTEMS CARGO SYSTEMS INTRODUCTION Airbus aircraft are designed for passenger civil air transport with a passenger cabin on the upper deck. The lower deck of the airplane is dedicated to passenger luggage as well as additional freight transportation. So at the end of the 60 s, the A300 was originally designed to accommodate, with a semi-automatic, electrically powered cargo loading system, the Unit Load Devices that were already standardized at that time for the B747, considering that the cargo area was too great for it to be loaded manually.

9 This solution was later used for to all the other long-range programs. On the single aisle family two cargo loading solutions are proposed to the operators either manual bulk loading or semi-automatic, electrically powered cargo loading system accommodating Unit Load Devices derived from the larger aircraft ULDs. The following chapter describes the cargo loading areas on Airbus aircraft and the systems related to cargo holds. As an introduction the first paragraph is dedicated to Unit Load Devices description. A. CARGO SYSTEMS Getting to grips with Aircraft weight and balance 9 SYSTEMS A. CARGO SYSTEMS 1. TYPE OF ULDS AND CONFIGURATION History When the first Boeing 747 went into service in 1970, the air transport industry faced a dramatic change of ground-handling culture.

10 In fact, the lower-deck capacity of the 747 was too great for it to be loaded manually. Baggage and cargo had to be accommodated in Unit Load Devices (ULDs), which had previously only been used for freighter aircraft. The 747 was originally designed to accommodate the 96in square cross-section of the ISO standard marine containers on the main deck, which determined the overall shape and size of the fuselage. The space remaining in the lower deck, after satisfying the main deck requirement determined the basic dimensions and shape of the lower-deck containers. Most carriers at that time used 88in x 125in pallets on freighter aircraft. The 747s lower-deck system was required, therefore, to be able to accept the 125in dimension across the width of the lower deck.