Wings Forum

DaveU · Joined: 16 Aug 2006 Posts: 160

I would like to know what people are getting for empty weight on the planes. Please, if you don't mind, post with the type of aircraft and the empty weight.

Mine is Highlander, 675 empty weight

Dave

b1x4nqb · Joined: 14 Aug 2006 Posts: 176 Location: Orwigsburg, PA

Highlander @ about 300lbs right now, soon to grow to about 500. OK, just for laughs :P

scubarider2 · Joined: 28 Jan 2008 Posts: 192 Location: Cleveland, GA

Hey Dave, I just did my weight and balance and got a dry weight of 730lbs for the Escapade. I didn't spare anything I wanted to put on/in her so...
D

rgmullins · Joined: 04 Sep 2007 Posts: 79 Location: Cincinnati

Dave, what kind of paint did you use? I was surprised to learn that despite having only 5 coats for the polyurethane vs about 10 for dope, the dope finish is lighter. Polyfiber told me 5-10 lbs for a plane this size.

DaveU · Joined: 16 Aug 2006 Posts: 160

#97 is Superflite. I do not know what the weight penalty or advantage is to the various paints. I can not believe it makes much difference. Most of the liquid evaporates and leaves the paint.

Dave

rgmullins · Joined: 04 Sep 2007 Posts: 79 Location: Cincinnati

With the urethane you mix a catalyst with the paint which causes it to harden, you lose much less to evaporation than with the other systems.

Dave Krall CFII SEL SES · Joined: 14 Mar 2007 Posts: 294 Location: Seattle WA

DaveU wrote: I would like to know what people are getting for empty weight on the planes. Please, if you don't mind, post with the type of aircraft and the empty weight.

Mine is Highlander, 675 empty weight

Dave

It will make empty weights posted much more meaningful if they are qualified by the model engine installed and it's wet weight since their weights are so significant plus any other highly significant weights such as floats &/or amphib gear.

Mine isn't quite to the point of weighing in but will be soon. The remote (Mustang style) radiators/intercooler took less engine coolant and oil, and weigh less overall, for all components including thin walled stainless steel tubing than we thought. Their weight is not only off of the engine mount but well aft of the datum line as well.

Lynng · Joined: 13 Oct 2007 Posts: 23 Location: Gainesville, FL

My Highlander with the Goodyear bushwheels came in at 704. The tires are 48 lbs. Stock tires weight is somewhere around 26 lbs. My instruments are all digital so the pael wasn't too heavy.

Lynn

rgmullins · Joined: 04 Sep 2007 Posts: 79 Location: Cincinnati

We finished up the plane last weekend and taxied it around the field a little bit. I did the weight and balance and was a bit surprised. We have the Rotax 912 and the empty weight is 720 lbs with oil, coolant, and minimum fuel. I thought we were being very careful with weight, but we did add a metal leading edge wrap, we used polyurethane paint, and my instrument panel weighed 22 lbs. We used very little filler on the frame, we are using the doors without the opening window frames, and tried to use as light a coat of paint as we could. I can see how I could have saved maybe 50 lbs, but I don't see how we could have saved 100lbs. My hat is off to those guys that built one under 650 lbs.

The FAA is coming out for the inspection 7/22. Stay tuned for a flight report :)

billy5823 · Joined: 16 Oct 2007 Posts: 36 Location: murphy

highlander with 912s ready to fly came in at 610 lbs i have added a few things since so should be at 620 now .

rgmullins · Joined: 04 Sep 2007 Posts: 79 Location: Cincinnati

Just curious, you guys with the low 600 weights, are you using good quality scales? The first time I weighed mine with bathroom scales and was pleased it was only 650 but I was suspicious. So I borrowed some better ones and I gained 70 lbs

I don't think my plane would be 610 if I left off the doors, interior, instrument panel and paint...

taildrgfun · Joined: 16 May 2008 Posts: 9 Location: Nampa Idaho

I could have gotten mine around 600 by leaving off a minor part like the engine. I would be extremely suspicious of any scales that read under 700. :wink:

alan · Joined: 04 Feb 2005 Posts: 109 Location: Baytown, TX

Our weight came in at just less than 700#. I was upset since the literature stated 620# so I called Troy, actually Jamie. He said "Yeah, 620 is about right." About 20 minutes later Jamie called back and said they didn't know what a Highlander should weigh so they were weighing a customer plane right then. :shock: Another half hour and he called back and said "With a Jabaru 3300 a Highlander weighs 740#, nothing fancy added."

I felt much better about our weight but gotta wonder about the literature specs. As some of you have noticed, the speeds are also way off.

Alan

b1x4nqb · Joined: 14 Aug 2006 Posts: 176 Location: Orwigsburg, PA

As far as literature goes someone once told me last year that kits cost twice as much to build, take twice the time as stated and perform at half of what they say. I can't say all that is true but it has the right idea. It is always best if you can see the finished product and verify things before taking the plunge. Alan, I think you're our first on here anyway so I look at you as our test pilot for things to come. I did several things differently because of your advice.

Thanks,
Paul, PA