Weight!

[Larry Wong]

What is the right way to determine the weight of a plane? With engine installed and fueled ready to fly , or without engine.and fuel. I fined it hard to believe that a 46-60 size plane weigh is less than 48oz without engine.
    

[L0U CRANE]

Larry,

I believe the accepted standard is to have everything on, except the fuel.

Some builders end up with either extreme - light or heavy. Most of us are somewhere between.

With today's powerful engines and approaches (props, fuel, setting, trim, etc.) simple weight is less of a factor than when engines of very modest power were expected to do it all for us on a 10-6 prop.

[Larry Wong]

Thanks Lou.
I'm finishing a vary light lost foam wing plane with molded fuselage instead of blocks, hollowed out  59" W S. and 48" long it's covered with Polyspan and Tom  M, controls ultra-light 2 1/4" wheels and wing gear. clear is on and filler is sanded, with P/A 40 ultra - Lite and pipe, final finish yet to go, it weighs
as it sit 48oz is that about right?    

[RC Storick]

48 oz is a matter of opinion I guess. Thunder-blots less engine finished 39 oz 59 total .S6b finished less engine is 34 oz 56 total. so I would say if it is a piped ship 48 plus hardware it ill come in the 65 ounce range.

[Bill Little]

My Geo Juno (based on the Super Saturn) was 53 oz., dry, RTF w/Piped OS 40 VF.  It got 2nd in Concours at  Joe Ortiz's last Flushing Contest it's first time out in 1997 (??).  Still flies great.

My USA-1 was 54 oz. RTF, that's over 700 sq. in. of wing.  So Low 40 ozs., upper 30 ozs. is not uncommon for a "big" plane finsihed, w/o engine.  I felt my SV-11 was a "porker" at 64 oz. RTF!

[frank carlisle]

my modded legacy 56 oz. rtf