REFLECTOR:173 Front Seat Ballast

[Greg Poole]

That water could come in handy for those occasional desert engine outs!
.....we know all about it down here!

....just waiting for the rash of evaporative cooling ideas that are likely
to result from a water tank in the nose!

Cheers!

Greg in drought affected OZ


----- Original Message ----- 
From: <RJohn15183@aol.com>
To: <reflector@tvbf.org>
Sent: Tuesday, June 24, 2003 8:06 AM
Subject: Re: REFLECTOR:173 Front Seat Ballast


> 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
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