Weighing Helicopters vs Fixed Wing

There are some differences when weighing a helicopter compared to weighing an airplane.

  • When weighing a helicopter it  must be leveled in both Lateral ( left to right) and longitudinal (front to back) axis.  Most fixed wing aircraft only require longitudinal leveling.

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  • The center of gravity range is much smaller on a helicopter compared to a fixed wing aircraft and less forgiving. (no CG range should be exceeded on any aircraft) Also there is a lateral CG to be considered.
  • There are some helicopters that can be weighed on platforms. However in most cases it is faster and easier to use load cells and the factory jack points on a rotor wing aircraft. With a fixed wing it is just the opposite, in most cases it is faster and easier to pull the aircraft on to platforms.
  • It is very important to follow the manufacturers procedures to get an accurate weight. This information can be found in the maintenance manual or the type certificate of the helicopter in question. This is also true on fixed wing but there will be more information to use and needed for a helicopter.
  • The equipment list is always a consideration on any aircraft but must be checked closely on a helicopter. Many times you may think an item should be in the aircraft but it is not on the equipment list. An excellent example of this is an air ambulance.
  • Most helicopters fall into the “Must be weighed every three years” category because they are for hire and working aircraft.

You can see there are some differences and it is very important to get an accurate weight on a helicopter. This in no way covers them all, but it does cover some of the highlights. We weigh helicopters and would love to help you save money and time with our calibrated, certified scales.

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