Section 13: Center of Gravity
39
An important part of preparing the aircraft for flight is
properly balancing the model.
Do not inadvertently skip this step!
This is especially important when various engines
are mounted.
The recommended Center of Gravity (CG) location for
the Alpha is 4
1
/
4
" behind the leading edge of the wing
against the fuselage.
Step 1
Turn the wing (and plane, if assembled) upside down.
Where the sheeting stops on the underside of the
wing, measure back 4
1
/
4
" from the leading edge of
the wing and use a felt-tipped pen at the location.
This will be the balance point.
Step 2
Attach the wing as described in Section 11. Turn the
model upright and lift the model at the marks made
in the previous step. It should balance with the
fuselage level or with the nose down slightly when
balanced correctly.
If the plane hangs with the tail down, some
weight must be added to the nose of the plane.
If the plane hangs with the nose down, weight
must be added to the tail of the plane to correct
the balance.
Stick-on weights are available at your local hobby
shop and work well for this purpose.
Tail Heavy
Nose Heavy
CG Correct
