Aircraft Weight and Balance Calculator

Flight safety notice: This calculator is an informational and training aid only. Do not use sample values for flight operations. Verify every number against the aircraft's current approved POH/AFM, supplements, equipment list, loading limitations, and official weight-and-balance records.

Aircraft and Limit Data

Aircraft Make / Model

Registration / Tail Number

Flight Date

Weight Unit

Arm Unit

Moment Index Divisor

Use 1 if moments are not indexed.

Basic Empty Weight

Empty Weight Arm

Empty Weight Moment (optional)

Max Ramp Weight

Max Takeoff Weight

Max Landing Weight

Max Zero Fuel Weight

Forward CG Limit

Aft CG Limit

Minimum Operating Weight

Loading Stations

Add crew, passengers, baggage, cargo, ballast, or any other approved loading station.

Include	Station	Weight	Arm	Max	Moment	Action

Fuel Planning

Fuel Type

Quantity Unit

Fuel Density (weight / quantity)

Enter an approved planning density.

Primary Tank Quantity

Primary Tank Arm

Primary Capacity

Secondary / Aux Quantity

Secondary / Aux Arm

Secondary / Aux Capacity

Burn Sequence

Taxi Fuel Burn

Trip Fuel Burn

Reserve Fuel

Cruise Burn to Checkpoint

Custom CG Envelope Points

Optional. Add certified envelope points as weight, forward CG, and aft CG. Limits will interpolate by weight. Leave empty to use constant CG limits above.

Weight	Forward CG	Aft CG	Action

Scenario Tools

Desired Takeoff Fuel

Ballast Arm

Target CG

CG Envelope Chart

The chart is a visualization aid. Official aircraft documentation remains controlling.

Results

Enter aircraft limits and loading data.

Useful Load	—
Payload Weight	—
Ramp Weight	—
Takeoff Weight	—
Cruise Weight	—
Landing Weight	—
Takeoff CG	—
Landing CG	—
Remaining Takeoff Margin	—
Remaining Landing Margin	—
Max Payload at Current Fuel	—
Max Fuel at Current Payload	—

Stage Status

Stage	Weight	CG	Status

Warnings

No calculation yet.

Export

How Aircraft Weight and Balance Works

Aircraft weight and balance planning combines loading weight with each station’s distance from a reference datum. That distance is the arm. Multiplying weight by arm creates a moment. Adding all moments and dividing by total weight gives the aircraft center of gravity. A safe result must satisfy both the aircraft weight limit and the approved center of gravity envelope. A result inside one limit does not compensate for a violation of another limit.

Why Center of Gravity Matters

Center of gravity affects aircraft stability, control response, stall behavior, rotation characteristics, and landing performance. A forward center of gravity can increase control forces and required takeoff distance. An aft center of gravity can reduce longitudinal stability and available recovery margin. Loading can also change during flight as fuel is burned. Therefore, useful planning checks ramp, takeoff, cruise, and landing conditions instead of looking at only one static total.

Loading Changes During Flight

Fuel location can influence center of gravity as tanks empty. Cargo movement, seat changes, or configuration changes can also alter loading. Recalculate whenever the planned distribution changes, and use the aircraft’s approved procedures for unusual loading cases.

Formula Used

The fundamental formulas are simple. Moment equals weight multiplied by arm. Total moment is the sum of all individual moments. Center of gravity equals total moment divided by total weight. Fuel weight is found from fuel quantity multiplied by an approved planning density. If an aircraft uses indexed moments, apply the aircraft’s published moment divisor exactly as documented.

How to Use This Calculator

Start with current basic empty weight and its corresponding arm or moment. Enter certified ramp, takeoff, landing, and center of gravity limits. Add each occupant, baggage compartment, cargo item, and other station using approved arms. Enter usable fuel, fuel arm, taxi burn, expected trip burn, and any reserve information. Review every warning and compare the plotted points with the official envelope. Save or export the result for planning records, but independently verify all values before flight.

Example Calculation Table

Item	Weight	Arm	Moment
Basic empty aircraft	1,500	40.0	60,000
Front occupants	340	37.0	12,580
Baggage	50	95.0	4,750
Fuel	240	48.0	11,520
Total	2,130	CG = 41.71	88,850

Example values are fictional and provided only to explain the calculation method. They are not approved aircraft data.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is basic empty weight?

Basic empty weight is the aircraft’s documented empty configuration weight under the applicable approved definition. Use the current aircraft record, not a generic handbook number.

What is an arm?

An arm is the horizontal distance from the aircraft reference datum to the center of gravity of an item or loading station.

What is a moment?

A moment is weight multiplied by arm. Aircraft documents may present raw moments or indexed moments using a published divisor.

Why check landing weight and CG?

Fuel burn changes aircraft weight and may shift center of gravity. Landing limits can also differ from takeoff limits, so both stages need review.

Can I use estimated passenger weights?

Use weights permitted by the regulations, procedures, and operational rules applicable to your flight. When actual weights are required or more appropriate, use them.

What should I do if the calculator shows outside limits?

Do not treat the warning as something to override. Reconfigure the load using approved procedures and verify the new result against official aircraft documentation.

Is this calculator approved for operational use?

No approval is implied. This page is a general computational aid. The aircraft’s approved documents and current records control the flight decision.