REFLECTOR:173 Front Seat Ballast

[reflector@tvbf.org]

Ronnie, 

An idea that I toyed with....

Now bear in mind that with my fat butt I don't need any ballast in flight. However on the ground the nose lightness was always a problem. Always wanting to sit on her tail (and her tail was that expensive and delicate MIT prop!!) 

When I was at home I had 2 30 pound bags of cement that I had soaked in water bag and all then set in the floor of the plane on top of plastic sheet while still wet. They conformed to the shape of the floor and dried. That was fine and good at home but no so good on the road. 

So one idea I had was to make a bulkhead in the nose just forward of the nose gear well. Seal off the nose water tight then put water in there. 2 or 3 gallons maybe. 16 to 24 pounds of weight as far forward as it can get. 

Then just drain it when you don't need it. 

The idea was that sand, lead shot, cement etc., could be hard to come by when away from home but you can always get water. 

Land at Podunk airport, get a few gallons of water in the nose and she would sit better. Open the valve and get in while it drained. 

Idle brain farts for what it's worth. 

Rob