Weight Shift Formula

The Weight Shift Formula

The weight shift formula is a quick way to adjust your aircraft’s center of gravity (C of G) without recalculating the entire weight and balance. The key factors in the formula are the weight to be moved, total aircraft weight, change in C of G, and the distance the weight is moved.

Example:

Assume the total aircraft weight is 2,600 lbs, and a 150 lb bag needs to be shifted forward by 40 inches.

• Formula: (150 lbs × 40 inches) ÷ 2,600 lbs = 2.31 inches

This means moving the bag forward will shift the C of G by 2.31 inches. If the new C of G remains outside limits, additional adjustments may be required, such as removing the weight.

Further Adjustments:

If the C of G is still beyond the limit, consider using the weight change formula to calculate if completely removing the weight will bring the aircraft within safe limits, without redoing the entire weight and balance calculation.