General Weight Summary Format
In
general the weights reported in the references listed above fall into
a "Weight Breakdown Structure" similar to the one shown below
shown below, with a few small exceptions, as discussed below.
In
general
Basic Mission Gross Weight
= Basic Empty Load
+ Useful Loads
Maximimum Gross Weight
= Basic Mission Gross
Weight + Additional
Loads
Where
Basic Empty Weight - is the sum of
Groups 1 through 3 below
- Structural Weight
- Wing
Group, which includes;
- Wings
- Cemter Section/Fuselage
carry through structure
- Intermediate Panels
- Tips
- Ailerons
- Flaps
- Slats
- Struts
- Tail
Group, which includes;
- Stabilizers
- Elevators (including Balance Weight)
- Fins
- Rudders (including Balance Weight)
- Body
Group, which includes;
- Fuselage less Engine Section & Camouflage Pant
- Windshield (not including Armor Glass)
- Cockpit Enclosure (including Windows)
- Flooring
- Acces Doors & Hand Grips
- Lift Tube & Jack Pad
- Wing Fillets
- Empennage Fillets
- Fixed Ballast
- Alighting/Landing
Gear, which includes:
- Land Type
- Main
Landing Gear
- Chassis Support Provisions
- Pivot Support Casting
- Lock Fitting
- Plate
- Bolts, Etc
- Strut Doors, Hinges & Links
- Wheel Well Door & Hinges
- MainStrut, Axle, Pivot & Boots
- Wheels, Brakes, Tires & Tubes
- Hydraulics & Linkage for:
- Retracting
- Door Operating
- Brake Controls
- Auxiliary
Landing Gear (ie tail or nose wheels, etc)
- Wheel, Tire & Tube
- Chassis
- Wheel Well Doors, Hinges & Links
- Retracting Hydraulic & Linkage
- Steering & Declutching Mechanism
- Water Type
- Main Float(s)
- Auxiliary Float(s)
- Engine Section
- Engine Mount Structure
- Lord Mount Bushings & Housings
- Bolts & Adaptors to Attach Engine to Lord Mounts
- Bolts & Nuts to Attach Engine Mount to Firewall
- Firewall (not including Armor Plate)
- Cowling (not including Camouflage Paint)
- Coeling Supports & Former
- Cowl Front Seal
- Power Plant Weight
- Engine (as
installed)
- Engine (less Starter Motor)
- Engine
Accessories
- Spark Plug Cooling
- Exhaust Stacks
- Stack Shroud & Fairing
- Vacuum Pump, Relief Valve & Oil Separator
- Carburetor Intake System
- Intake Duct
- Shut-Off Gate
- Turbocharger(s)
(If not included with Engine Accessories)
- Water
Injection System (If
not included with Engine Accessories)
- Power Plant
Controls
- Throttle & Mixture Controls
- Carburetor Air Controls
- Suprcharger Aneroid Switch
- Radiator Duct Controls
- Oil Cooler Duct Controls
- Propeller(Group)
- Propeller(s)
- Oil in Propeller
- Propeller Governor
- Spinner
- Prop Adjusting Controls
- Starting
System
- Starter Motor
- Starter Solenoid
- Starter Wiring
- Priner & Piping to Engine
- Starter Crank & Ext Stowage
- Cooling System
- Radiators & Ducts
- Radiator (Engine & Aftercooler)
- Radiator Supports
- Radiator Air Ducts
- Engine System
- Header Tank
- Relief Valve
- Piping & Fittings
- Coolant
- Aftercooler
- {Pping & Fittings
- Coolant
- Lubricating
System
- Tanks
- Piping Etc & Cooler
- Oil Cooler & Control Valves
- Oil Dilution System
- Piping & Fittings
- Fuel System
- Cell Installation
- Self-Sealing Cells
- Filler Caps & Flanges
- Support Studs
- Resin Board Backing
- Balsa Fillers
- Boost Pumps & Mountings
- Vent System
- , Piping, etc
- Engine Fuel Pump
- Strainer
- Cross-Flow Check-Valve
- Selector Valves, Mountings & Controls
- Piping & Fittings for Wing Cells & Main System
- Piping for Droppable Tanks
- Sway Brace Pads for Droppable Tanks
- Fixed
Systems & Equipment
- Insruments
- Indicators for;
- Air Speed
- Altimeter
- Gyro Horizon
- Clock
- Compass
- Directional Gyro
- Rate of Climb
- Turn Indicator
- Coolant Thermometer
- Engine Gage & Capillary
- Hydraulic Pressure
- Manifold Pressure
- Suction Gauge
- Tachometer
- Fuel Quantity Gauges
- Pitot Tube & Supports
- Pitot Piping
- Thermometer Bulbs
- Vacuum Valve, Piping & Filter
- Tachometer Generator
- Misc Lines, & Fittings Etc
- Surface
Controls
- Control Stick Installation
- Rudder Pedal Installation
- Control Lock System
- Controls for;
- Ailerons
- Elevators
- Rudder(s)
- Flaps
- Aileron Tab
- Elevator Tabs
- Rudder Tab
- Hydraulics
Systems
- Engine Driven Pump
- Hand Pump
- Filter
- Reservoir
- Accumulator
- Valves
- Piping & Fittings
- Fluids (Entire System)
- Misc
- Electrical
Equipment and Systems
- Electronics/Communications Equipment (Sometimes included as
part of the Useful Load Group for early war aircraft)
- Armament Provisions, Armor Plate, and Bullet Proof
Glass
- For Guns:
- Ammunition Feed Chutes
- Ammunition Boxes
- Case Ejection Chutes
- Gun Post Support
- Blast Tunnels
- Charging Hooks
- Ring & Bead Sights
- Gun Camera Provisions
- For Bombs:
- Bomb Rack Supports
- Manual Release Installation
- Electrical Release Provisions
- Armor:
- Windshield Front Glass
- Firewall Plates
- Coolant Header Tank Plates
- Pilot Seat Plates & Supports
- Furnishings
- Personnel Accommodations
- Seat Installation
- Belts & Harness
- Cushion
- Rear View Mirror
- Instrument Board & Shield
- Relief Tube Installation
- Drop-Message Bag
- Report & Form Holders
- Control Pedestal
- Cockpit Trim
- First Aid Kit & Stowage
- Stowage for Mooring Kit
- Pyrotechnic Provisions
- Radio Equipment Supports
- Oxygen Cylinders
- Oxygen Supports, Accessories & Lines
- Cockpit Heating
- Cockpit Ventilating
- Windshield Defrosting
- Emergency Accommodations
- Provisions For Flight
- Air Conditioning Equipment
- Anti-Icing
Equipment (if not included Furnishings Group)
- Auxiliary Power Plant
- Auxilliary Gear
- Anchor, Towing & Hoisting Gear
- Arresting Gear (Moved to the Structural Weight Group in Ref
[2])
- Emergency Flotation Gear
- Other/Miscellaneous/Unaccountables
Useful
Loads - is the sum of
items 1 through 7 below
- Crew (& Parachute)
- Fuel
- Oil
- Armament
- For Guns
- Front Trunnions
- Rear Bolt & Brackets
- Solenoids
- Link Chutes
- Gun Port Seals
- Electric Heaters
- Ammunition Feed Chutes
- Ammunition
- Gun Site Installation
- Gun Camera
- Pyrotechnics
- Pistol
- Signals
- Incendiary Grenade(s)
- Bombs
- Droppable Fuel Tanks
- Radio/Communications
Equipment (if not included in the Fixed Equipment Group - Including Potential Alternate Radio Equipment)
- Miscellaneous/Other
Useful Load Items
- Mooring Kit
- Data Case
- Wheel Well Liners
- External Power Connection Adapter
- Interaircraft Signal Light & Filters
- Radio Range Receiver & Mounting Brackets
- Starter Handgrank & Extension
Caveats/Comments
- For a few
aircraft (primarily
early war or pre-war types) Electronics/Communications systems (such as
radios) were identified as part of the useful load instead of as part
of the Fixed Systems & Equipment weight group. I will
try and
highlight such instances in the analyses of the data and parametric
plots developed.
- It is
currently unclear what all is included in the "Engine Section"
weight group. For most of the aircraft it appears that this
includes the the engine
mounts as well as cowling and cooling flaps for aircraft with
radial
engines. However for a few aircraft such as the
XP-63A a very low value of 4lb is given, while for the P-63A-10 and
P-63C no value is given, leading to the suspicion that the weights of
the enine mount for those aircraft may be included elsewhere in the
weight estimate (such as in the "Fuselage" weight or "Engine
Accessories" weight groups.
- It appears
that "Fuselage" weight is equal to the
sum
of the "Body" and "Engine Section" weight groups. However for
the
weight listed in Ref [1] for several of the Brewster F2A and B339
variant aircraftit appears that the "Landing Gear'weight group has been
included with the "Body" weight group. As such I have included a row
for "Body + LG" in the tables below, that I intend to populate for the
other aircraft types soon, to allow for a comparison between the
reported weights for those Brewster Aircraft and the other aircraft in
the tables. Similarly, for the XF2A-1 listing from Ref [1] it
appears that the wiht listed for the "Body" group also includes the
"Enine Section" weight in addition to the "Landing Gear" weight, so a
line has also been added to the table for "Body + Engine Section + LG"
as well.
- For
a few aircraft Turbocharger and Watr Injection weights are listed
separately, whereas it it appears that for some other aircraft listings
(which are known to have these systems) these values may be included in
the Engine (As Installed) or Engine Accessories weight groups.
- For a few
aircraft Anti-Icing
systems weights are listed separately, whereas it is indicated in some
of the references that this weight is included in the Furnishings
weight group.
Notes:
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Rev 3-3-26