REFLECTOR: Gross Weight Increase

[Scott Baker]

Good question.
The aircraft's original paperwork includes the official GW of the aircraft, 
which is an aircraft limitation.  I imagine it's going to take some document 
revisions with the FAA to make the GW change.  The FSDO representative may 
or may not ask for engineering justification - if so, I'd increase the gross 
weight and introduce a +5g load factor limitation - using the Velocity 
factory wing load factor data as justification.
Please let me (and the Reflector) know how things work out!
Scott B.


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Scott Derrick" <scott at tnstaafl.net>
To: "Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list" <reflector at tvbf.org>
Sent: Friday, December 10, 2004 6:06 PM
Subject: REFLECTOR: Gross Weight Increase


>
>>4.    Set your Gross Weight higher than what you really expect.  The 
>>Velocity manual is a _recommendation_.  You are the manufacturer.  You set 
>>the operating limitations.  Even if you never plan on flying at ...say 
>>2600-pounds, consider adopting this as your official GW ... I say this 
>>because ... if you elect to use the 2400-pounds (I can't remember what the 
>>recommend GW for the 173 is at this moment) ... some day, God forbid, you 
>>are flying 5-pounds over gross and have an accident, the insurance 
>>company - sure as shootin - is going to try to find some way to deny you 
>>your claim.
>
> Scott,
>
> This brings up a point of interest for me..   I plan on raising the gross 
> weight of my airplane when I upgrade the engine.   Beefier brakes and main 
> legs and the new nose gear fork/strut/pivots to support the additional 
> weight.
>
> Do I need to do anything but log this increase along with the engine 
> install?  Possibly a note in the logs that it was tested to the new gross 
> weight?
>
> Scott
>
>
> "Those who sacrifice freedom to get security, deserve neither."
> - Benjamin Franklin
>
> _______________________________________________
> To change your email address, visit 
> http://www.tvbf.org/mailman/listinfo/reflector
>
> Visit the gallery!  www.tvbf.org/gallery
> user:pw = tvbf:jamaicangoose
> Check new archives: www.tvbf.org/pipermail
> Check old archives: http://www.tvbf.org/archives/velocity/maillist.html
>