Does anyone in the community have or know of a source for a weight & balance program for the 170B that includes the extended baggage area. I simply do not have the Excel skills to craft one of my own that stands any chance of being even halfway correct.

You might want to look into an app called "Aviation W&B". I much preferred the early version- super simple and super user-friendly. I was actually the first 170B in his model library. The developer, Roy, was extremely communicative and helpful, and worked with me to get my settings established, including for my extended baggage. The app then went through a heavy revision when iOS necessitated one. Unfortunately, I don't find it as simple and user-friendly and longer, and it became a subscription instead of a one-time purchase. But it does have a 170B in the library, and it does have an extended baggage option, and if Roy is still behind it, I can vouch for his customer support.

-DP

Or just play with the weight and balance feature in ForeFlight if it is just for your extended baggage.

I have one I use for mods, but it’s not refined enough to share. Still too easy to make mistakes.

Statics calculations are something that I work with regularly for load weight distributions on my trucks. Multi-axle trailer combinations with extremely heavy payloads. I’m a weight and balance nerd! I find it to be more fun than a Sudoko puzzle!

One exercise I did was to enter every item ever permanently removed, and every item ever permanently installed on my airplane on one spreadsheet. It was an interesting exercise and identified a couple previous errors. I’ve weighed my airplane twice, and there is no substitute for that.

If you’re trying to estimate the effect of your engine swap and other concurrent mods, it’s easy and I can help. The hardest part is knowing the individual weights and moment arm length for each addition and subtraction.

I’ll PM you.

Thanks for the kind offer Pinecone, PM reply sent.

On a related note I've sent an email to FltPlan customer support to ask if they can amended their W & B feature to include an extended baggage zone and will report back on their reply as well.

Update: The support group at FltPlan.com replied very quickly and have forwarded the query on to the W & B team for them to consider.

You can add your own extended baggage to ForeFlight.

Follow up as promised,

FltPlan.com on request added an field within my W & B profile to accommodate the extended baggage area. They initially "ballparked" the moment arm but its was "editable" to allow for the any correct necessary.

I guess nobody remembers how to do a simple W&B workup?



I can see needing or at least wanting an app to do it if you haul a lot of wierd / oddly placed loads,
but for everyday flying, how often do you need to do a W&B?

I've forgotten more things than I care to remember, thanks

I use WnB Pro on my iPhone/iPad.

Ultra simple. Only does weight and balance. Easily configured my Cessna’s extended baggage.

Cannon wrote:I use WnB Pro on my iPhone/iPad.

Ultra simple. Only does weight and balance. Easily configured my Cessna’s extended baggage.

I'll have a look, thanks

Edit: I can no longer find this on the App Store. Not sure what happened to it. Bummer, as it is dirt simple.


I just added some pics, and remembered that I had never renamed my baggage stations. Took about 20 seconds.

Cannon wrote:Edit: I can no longer find this on the App Store. Not sure what happened to it. Bummer, as it is dirt simple.


I just added some pics, and remembered that I had never renamed my baggage stations. Took about 20 seconds.

Looks like maybe they renamed it WnB Ultra??

MTV

hotrod180 wrote:I guess nobody remembers how to do a simple W&B workup?



I can see needing or at least wanting an app to do it if you haul a lot of wierd / oddly placed loads,
but for everyday flying, how often do you need to do a W&B?

Legally you have to do it every flight. At least in Canada. So there's that...
Having an app that allows quick calculations is great, odd loads or not.

A1Skinner wrote:

hotrod180 wrote:I guess nobody remembers how to do a simple W&B workup?



I can see needing or at least wanting an app to do it if you haul a lot of wierd / oddly placed loads,
but for everyday flying, how often do you need to do a W&B?

Legally you have to do it every flight. At least in Canada. So there's that...
Having an app that allows quick calculations is great, odd loads or not.

That might be the case in Canada, but not the US. The regulation requires that you verify that the plane is being operated within its W/B envelope.

When I was working airplanes, I had “sample W/B” for different loading. Everything that went into the planes was weighed. But, based on those samples, I could legally load the plane any time.

Basically, an FAA Inspector can ask you to verify weight and balance. I was always willing to weigh everything......never had one ask to do so. If they were to weigh all the stuff you drag out of there, and it’s under legal and within C/G, no sweat. And I’ve seen the FAA do so and lose the bet.

MTV

Yup, every DHC6 I flew was 12499 @ 13 %

hotrod180 wrote:I guess nobody remembers how to do a simple W&B workup?

Apparently not. Every airplane out there seems to have an error in some old revision. Few airplanes out there are found to weigh what their most recent W&B documentation asserts. Reference the Skywagon actual weight thread on this forum to see it. These errors are propagated by maintenance professionals who should be held to a higher standard than we hold a pilot given that they sign off and create a permanent record.

I read between the lines that Mapleflt was contemplating the effect his future mods were going to have on the aircraft empty weight and balance, and how some sample loads might balance out. Good planning.

Rather than scorn anyone who finds weight and balance challenging, I’d prefer they ask questions, and maybe find and learn an APP to help stay safe.

Pinecone wrote:

hotrod180 wrote:I guess nobody remembers how to do a simple W&B workup?

Apparently not. Every airplane out there seems to have an error in some old revision. Few airplanes out there are found to weigh what their most recent W&B documentation asserts. Reference the Skywagon actual weight thread on this forum to see it. These errors are propagated by maintenance professionals who should be held to a higher standard than we hold a pilot given that they sign off and create a permanent record.

I read between the lines that Mapleflt was contemplating the effect his future mods were going to have on the aircraft empty weight and balance, and how some sample loads might balance out. Good planning.

Rather than scorn anyone who finds weight and balance challenging, I’d prefer they ask questions, and maybe find and learn an APP to help stay safe.

What he said, thanks Pinecone

Some clarity, I've likely completed about a Gabillion W & B calculations in my career to date via numerous processes. They neither scare or intimidate me in the slightest.

I Canada we may at any point be required to "prove" an aircraft is within limits for a private flight and are required to complete a W & B for all commercial flights. A simple application would make this task easy and straight forward if or when challenged to do so for a private flight.

In the days of paper a "drop down" W & B one was completed, left with each station agent and thereafter retain on file for a period of time. In these modern times the W & B is a function of the take-off performance calculations and the required V speeds will not be posted unless one is completed.

I now believe we have beat this horse to death, thanks to all for the input.

As mentioned above, ForeFlight has a very good W&B