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   Weight & Balance   More functions than your average flight computer:
Calculate two axis weight & balance
 

Introduction

  
 

Your Essential Toolkit for Aircraft Weight and Balance, CG, and Load Planning.


Ensuring your aircraft is safely loaded and balanced is one of the most critical parts of flight planning. This page provides a complete set of calculators to manage your aircraft's weight distribution and find its Center of Gravity (CG). Our tools cover everything from quick assessments to specific loading problems:
  • Generic Weight & Balance Sheet (for 1 and 2-axis) with temperature based fuel density compensation
  • CG Shift (calculating the effect of moving weight)
  • CG % Aft of MAC (Mean Aerodynamic Chord)
  • CG from Datum
  • Ballast (finding the weight needed to reach a target CG)
  • Cargo Pallet Load
These weight and balance calculators are a key component of our comprehensive flight planning suite, complementing the tools on our other pages for navigation, altimetry, and aircraft performance.

Each calculator is built with a powerful "inverse" feature: simply leave any single field blank, and the tool will solve for it. This makes it perfect for "what-if" scenarios, designing training problems, or planning a flight with partial information. Full support for multiple units is included for maximum flexibility.
 

Page Table of Contents

 Use these links to go directly to desired calculator
  Weight & Balance Sheet CG from Datum
  CG Shift Ballast
  CG % Aft of MAC Cargo Pallet Load

Weight & Balance
Sheet

                                             Show two more decimal points

  Longitudinal Axis

Row Tools Description Fuel
(volume)		  | Weight of item Longitudinal
Arm		 Longitudinal
Moment		 Calculate
Weight Arm Moment Total
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  Lateral Axis

Row Tools
Description
Fuel
(volume)
  | Weight of item
Lateral
Arm
Lateral
Moment
  
Calculate
  
  Arm Moment  
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  Type of Fuel

    Weight per Volume (specific weight)  
  Type of Fuel     [lbs / US gal] [lbs / IMP gal] [Kg / US gal] [Kg / IMP gal] [Kg / Liter]
  AV Gasoline     
  Jet A     
  Jet B/JP-4     
  Other     
             
  weight per volume (specific weight) based on temperature          [oC]      [oF]   
 Note: results for weight per volume are typically accurate up to one decimal point only. Due to the inherent variability of fuels even the same type of fuel may vary greatly depending on its origin. The figures provided here are a very rough estimate.
Values based on FAA-H-8083-1A, Aircraft Weight and Balance Handbook Chart, page 7-13.
       
  protect type of fuel weight per volume parameters*  

  Load Examples

Light Aircraft (twin piston, four seats)      
Commuter Aircraft      
Light Helicopter (piston, two seats)      

      Instructions: Select type of fuel (if appropriate), then begin by entering the weight and balance information for the longitudinal axis. Remember to
      select the appropriate calculation mode for each row before typing the information for that row. When entering a fuel quantity, you may use volume
      quantities by checking the fuel box in the desired row. This will then cause the sheet to calculate fuel weight based on the fuel selected and the weight
      per volume value. If you are entering the fuel weight directly then you do not need to check the fuel box. The description box is completely ignored
      in the computations. Use this box to describe the content of the row entered. Once the longitudinal axis is entered, the lateral axis can be entered if
      this is desired, otherwise ignore this section. The lateral axis is generally used for weight and balance calculations for helicopters.

CG Shift

                                         
CG Shift with Weight Diagram
Weight Shifted     [lbs]   [kg]   [oz]   [g]
Distance Shifted     [in] - L / + R   [m] - L / + R   [ft] - L / + R   [cm] - L / + R
Total Weight     [lbs]   [kg]   [oz]   [g]
Shift in CG (ΔCG)     [in] - L / + R   [m] - L / + R   [ft] - L / + R   [cm] - L / + R

    Enter any three fields then press "Eval" on any remaining field for that field's result.

CG % Aft of MAC

                                         
CG - Mean Aerodynamic Cord Diagram
Distance Aft of LEMAC     [in]   [m]   [ft]   [cm]
LEMAC     [in]   [m]   [ft]   [cm]
CG  % Aft of LEMAC     [%]      

    Enter any two fields then press "Eval" on any remaining field for that field's result.

    Abbreviations:     MAC = Mean Aerodynamic Cord
                              LEMAC = Leading Edge Mean Aerodynamic Cord

CG
from Datum

                                         
LEMAC     [in]   [m]   [ft]   [cm]
MAC     [in]   [m]   [ft]   [cm]
CG % Aft of LEMAC     [%]      
CG distance from Datum     [in]   [m]   [ft]   [cm]

    Enter any three fields then press "Eval" on any remaining field for that field's result.

    Abbreviations:     MAC = Mean Aerodynamic Cord
                              LEMAC = Leading Edge Mean Aerodynamic Cord

Ballast

                                         
Ballast Diagram
Weight of Aircraft
without Ballast		   [lbs]  [kg]  [oz]  [g]
Distance Out of Limits   [in] - L / + R [m] - L / + R [ft] - L / + R  [cm] - L / + R
Distance Between
Ballast and Desired CG		   [in] - L / + R [m] - L / + R  [ft] - L / + R [cm] - L / + R
Ballast Weight   [lbs]  [kg]  [oz]  [g]

    Enter any three fields then press "Eval" on any remaining field for that field's result.
    Note: "Distance Out of Limits" and "Distance Between Ballast and Desired CG" must have opposite signs for balancing to be possible.

Cargo Pallet
Load

                                         
Pallet Load
Length of Pallet (L)     [in]   [m]   [ft]   [cm]
Width of Pallet (W)     [in]   [m]   [ft]   [cm]
Loaded Pallet Weight     [lbs]   [kg]   [oz]   [g]
Floor Load     [lbs/in2]
    [kg/in2]
    [oz/in2]		   [lbs/m2]
   [kg/m2]
   [oz/m2]		   [lbs/ft2]
   [kg/ft2]
   [oz/ft2]		   [lbs/cm2]
   [kg/cm2]
   [oz/cm2]

    Enter any three fields then press "Eval" on any remaining field for that field's result.

  

   
 
  Navigation Simulator  
  Practice in our simulator specifically designed for learning the basics of instrument navigation. Try the Navigation Simulator, available for Windows PC. Now completely free, forever!. There is also an online version that runs directly on this website, and can be viewed on a Windows PC, Mac, or Linux OS.  
 

 

 

   
 
  Free Online Simulators
No installation required. These simulators are ready to run on your web browser and have a rich set of features. Practice basic VOR, ADF, RMI and HSI intrument orientation and execute holding patterns. Other simulators include pitot static system and altimeter errors. Click here to go to main online simulator page.		  
 




 

Units and Abbreviations

Length or Distance
m -  meters
ft -  feet
in -  inches
cm -  centimeters
 

Volume
US gal -  US gallons
IMP gal -  Imperial gallons
Liter -  Liter
m3 -  cubic meters
ft3 -  cubic feet
fl oz -  fluid ounce
 

Weight
g -  grams
oz -  ounces
lbs -  pounds
Kg -  Kilogram
 

Temperature
oF -  degrees Fahrenheit 
oC -  degrees Celsius 
 

Area
in2 -  US gallons
m2 -  square meters
cm2 -  square centimeters
ft2 -  square feet
 

Other
CG -  center of gravity
L -  length
W-  width
Δ -  delta (meaning difference)
 

 

 
By Luiz Roberto Monteiro de Oliveira. Screenshots and video captures allowed (personal, business or military) as long as credited to author and link to this site or URL included. Permission required for all other uses.