Digital COG Scale

[Wayne]

I think the key to this will be the price and the features. Technically we are not making it as a CG scale. If all goes to plan we will sell it as a aircraft angle finding tool. We will be able to read flight surface, incidence and thrust angles. The scale will be an add on option. I think the angle tools are much more practical, and it will help to make the scale option much more affordable.

We can also measure G load, rotation and acceleration with our sensors but I can't think of a use for that data. Nothing of much use. Might something for setting up a helicopter..?

 

[Skye]

Sounds great!

 

[sande005]

There have been a few variations of this done several years ago as one-man creations, marketed to the pattern fliers. But, cost back then was VERY expensive. If Aloft can get one for the <50cc class of plane (~15-18 lbs max), I'd jump right away. Right now I'm using a postal scale, digital level, meter ruler, and math to run the weight and balance numbers. Too much chance of measurement variation skewing things, so it gets tedious checking and double checking. Smaller planes - fingers under the wing work, but when you get into the greater than 60 inch wing spans, it starts getting to be a real pain.

 

[Wayne]

Initially we are building for planes upto about 10 lbs. We would have to use a slightly different design to work well with the larger planes. It is something we are debating, but I think it is something we will do if the smaller unit does well in the market.

As a quick update, we have done a few rounds of testing and development with the electronics and programming and have started design work on the mechanicals.

 

[Konrad]

I had the opportunity to see some of the early development work going on with this project. I mean early as in bread board stage. It was up lifting to see a small dedicated group (4 guys) so involved. Unlike what I’ve been exposed to in corporate America, these guys were working easily across all department asking and finding solutions to the questions. Some of these issues were what function to have, how to program such functions, what physical features to have and why, what are the shipping constraints. Where were they in the manufacturing of test articles what supplier issue were there and how to work around them in the mean time.


These are not dedicated engineers but rather enthusiastic guys all with highly valued skill sets giving of “their” time to make a better product for us the modeler. I loved seeing the attitude of how can we do, this, that or the other thing. Rather than what I have usually seen as the we can’t do XYZ, so prevalent in large corporate structure.

 

[Wayne]

Wow you makes us sound like we know what we are doing. LOL Refreshing to hear your take on the project, thank you very much for your feedback. It is always good to bounce things off others, thank you for the honest feedback!

 

[Konrad]

What, you don't?

My pleasure.

I learned from Jobs that to be innovative in the market you must interact with your suppliers and customers. Or put another way don't be afraid to obsolete your own product, because if you don't somebody else will. While I might ask for the moon. There is no way to get the moon if you don't ask, or show that there is a market for the moon.

I look forward to seeing what develops!

All the best,
Konrad

 

[thenated0g]

just watched this video and my brain still hurts. I didnt realize this was even a thing. Looking forward to seeing the new version of your scales. As someone that is always making diy planes from zero plans i am interested in anything that will let me check cg in a new way.

 

[thenated0g]

does this method apply also to flying wings? if so assuming you do one weight test in the nose and one in each wing tip?

 

[Zipper1949 Wally]

Yes, two fingers worked fine in my 47 years of flying for planes like a 0.60 size nitro or smaller But as I latently started with gas planes and larger ones, my old fingers and their arthritis doesn't like me to balance 18 to 25 lb. airplanes on them. I'm currently using 3 Harbor Freight scales on the gear and on-line programs to calculate the CG. Besides, when you build bigger more expensive planes, and these planes must fly safer, you want more accuracy. I understand why the volume might dictate covering smaller planes, but perhaps the need for accuracy on a larger plane is greater for safety reasons. On second thought, actually I could argue both ways for smaller and larger planes, smaller planes being more sensitive. And yes, the video above does represent what you have to do for larger planes and is necessary.

 

[Doc James Hammond]

I have one, and it sure helps with my fingers too. Problem is that my 61 years of modelling still can't calibrate my digits at the accuracy now needed to extract the last bit of performance from the latest slew of mouldy planes.

As to function, it works very well indeed - if a little heavy on the battery, but then I have an early development prototype version that was a birthday present from Wayne and his hardworking crew.

I'm sure Wayne and the Aloft Brains Trust will come up with a rechargeable version or one that is less needy on the battery though. One good thing about Wayne and the Aloft crew is that they ALWAYS have a new idea to make anything better. Its a case of having several very enthusiastic people contributing both inside and outside fo the company

Excellent product that is getting better yet.

Cheers,

Doc J.

 

[Wayne]

Actually, the new one will not use any batteries. But it can be powered with a flight lipo if you like.

-Wayne

 

[Wormwood]

Wayne,
I'm not trying to badger you but, what's the hold up with these scales? If there's not an eta yet on these scales, can you say if they're still being developed or not? Thanks!

Wormwood

 

[Wayne]

Wormwood- No problem. We have done some testing of the electronics and programming and the concept works. We will have some refinement of the programming needed, but need to get the mechanicals first.

We have done a first round of the mechanicals and have refinement to do on the drawings before another prototype can be created. Normally this would not take long, but Chris here is the CAD guy and he has been out for some medical issues and also a vacation. Basically, I have Chris wearing to many hats around the office right now, and I am trying to make more time for this project. I thought we would be back to full staff this week, but due to some travel issues, bad luck and some illness, we are running closer to 50% staff.

One of the joys of small business, when one person is not in the office, we all feel the impact as we have to cover that position.

Chris should be caught up on some other duties after today, and I hope to get him going on the drawings for this. We are close, just matter of getting the time invested. I wish I had a dedicated R&D team, but right now we have R&D after our normal duties. It is what we enjoy, but it is hard to make happen sometimes.

In terms of the design, we have some great ideas that will make this tool both easy to use and economical also. We need to do some testing of our concepts as we are going a few new things with the design that we have not attempted before. I would love to have the mechanicals dialed in and done by the first week of November, and maybe be able to go into production sometime in December.

 

[Wormwood]

Okay Wayne, evidently there were folks waiting up at night looking to receive an in stock notification to buy a set of these scales... So by the time I got to your website you were out of stock. Any idea when you might have more???