What's new
Van's Air Force

Don't miss anything! Register now for full access to the definitive RV support community.

Empty Weight Question

bobg56

Well Known Member
I have a Legacy 2010 RV 12 the empty weight is listed as 722 lbs...I'm not the builder, I don't know if it was weighed before it was painted or not. It has the exterior/interior light kit, D-180, AP74 auto pilot, wheel pants, 2 blade prop, and is painted. I'm wondering if someone can tell me about how much weight paint adds and if 722# seems a bit low given what I have on it? I'm thinking 750 is probably the correct weight without having to go through the hassle of re-weighing it...what are your empty weights with similar equipment? Thanks...
 
You really need to go through the "hassle" of reweighing your airplane. You need to know the empty of your airplane. Otherwise you cannot accurately calculate current weight & balance. And this is a requirement for every flight.

Paint weight can vary a lot depending on who did the painting. Paint can easily vary from 18 to 35 lbs. and even more.
 
What Mel said ^^^^

I have weighed my airplane several times over five year period. I've used two different sets of scales, calculated W&B, and included same with current equipment list in the POH.
 
I'm usually flying solo well below max gross weight, I'm at 180 lbs, I've had passengers weighing up to 250 lbs and full fuel, assuming my airplane weighs in at 750 I'm still under gross weight, that's 28 lbs more than what my placard says (722)...the seats don't move fore and aft and luggage is limited to 50lbs ...there is little danger of exceeding the CG limits, I'm just asking others to tell me what their empty CG is as a comparison, I've owned a 4 place aircraft before and have had to calculate W&B for passengers and fuel...the likely hood of exceeding the CG limits in a RV12 would be highly unusual the way I fly...
 
PLEASE, get your airplane reweighed and perform proper W&B calculations. In case of an accident, neither the investigator nor the insurance company is going to accept "the likely hood of exceeding the CG limits in a RV12 would be highly unusual the way I fly..."!

Not to mention that your airplane is not legal without this up-to-date information onboard the airplane.
 
Last edited:
What is the point of your question? If you are happy with 750 lbs and do not want to weight your airplane to find out, go with it. Asking for comparable empty weights is irrelevant, the "sample loading chart" in the RV-12 POH uses 738 lbs which is just as good as guessing at 750 lbs. For reference, my RV-12 (EAB) has an empty weight of 863 lbs and does not seem to get any lighter every time I weight it.

John Salak
RV-12 N896HS
 
My tail cone was primed, legacy RV-12, with one panel Skyview package, 472, GPS 2020, SL-40 AP, full interior, and full one color Navy blue paint job with wheel pants.

Actual weight... 772# Paint on the whole tail cone, along with primer back there too, generally shifts the CG slightly to the rear of the plane.

Friend has a 2016 build without AP, Skyview, 472, GTR200 ,with minimal paint in the form of a Z stripe, Western Airlines theme 1950s, wheel pants, full interior, 755#. Wheel pants are about 9.5 to 10 #.

It's all a guess, just take the time to weigh your plane and log it down, so you absolutely know for sure.

Top the tank off full and subtract 119# for fuel at 19.8 gallons.
 
Last edited:
I have a Legacy 2010 RV 12 the empty weight is listed as 722 lbs...I'm not the builder, I don't know if it was weighed before it was painted or not. It has the exterior/interior light kit, D-180, AP74 auto pilot, wheel pants, 2 blade prop, and is painted. I'm wondering if someone can tell me about how much weight paint adds and if 722# seems a bit low given what I have on it? I'm thinking 750 is probably the correct weight without having to go through the hassle of re-weighing it...what are your empty weights with similar equipment? Thanks...

As already mentioned, knowing the actual weight is only one of the reasons for doing the weight and balance calculation process.
Note that balance is the second (and possibly most important) part.

I can tell you with almost certainty (from a lot of experience with RV-12's) that your listed weight of 722 lbs is not correct. That is a very typical of an early D-180 equipped RV-12 Without lights, wheel pants, autopilot, or much paint.

It needs to be re-weighed and have a proper calculation for it's current empty C.G. done.
In fact, with you now knowing that, it technically isn't "In a condition for safe operation", since valid W&B data is required to be in the aircraft and available to the pilot for legal flight.
 
Another very important point for ALL LEGACY RV12 owners re. W&B: check your balance when solo, full fuel, and 50# of baggage. I weigh 145#, and with that scenario, I am OUT OF BALANCE, just slightly tail heavy, on takeoff. And if you cheat on your 50# baggage...
 
Many local EAA chapters have scales you can borrow, or rent for a small fee. The procedure is not difficult.
 
Thanks for all your input, I will re weigh it, I figured the 722 was too light. In reality it will be heavier and the useful load will be less and will have no effect on the way I operate it...I got input from two other owners of unpainted planes with similar packages one was 746 the other 767 a 21# difference...my question was based on curiosity...thanks again
 
Weighting is worth it

I am building a -12 and when I read the POH, the Production Acceptance Procedures and the Flight Training Supplement I realized how important it was to know my plane´s weight and CG. Even similar -12's (or any same model planes for that matter) can have significant different weight and CG´s and you might be in for a surprise when you do the work on yours. Plane´s gain weight with the years and the CG usually changes too...
 
....Plane´s gain weight with the years and the CG usually changes too...

I weighed two certified airplanes once. For both, it had been years since they were weighed. One was 50 pounds heavier than the logs said. The other was 50 pounds lighter.

Unfortunately mine was the one that got heavier.

Dave
 
What is the point of your question? If you are happy with 750 lbs and do not want to weight your airplane to find out, go with it. Asking for comparable empty weights is irrelevant, the "sample loading chart" in the RV-12 POH uses 738 lbs which is just as good as guessing at 750 lbs. For reference, my RV-12 (EAB) has an empty weight of 863 lbs and does not seem to get any lighter every time I weight it.

John Salak
RV-12 N896HS
Wow John! My 12is came in almost exactly 100 lbs less (no paint yet) i’m sure you have all kinds of cool stuff in there.
 
- Avidyne IFD540 + custom reinforced panel w/wiring and three additional antennas = +25 lbs
- Full interior with leather Comfort Foam seats (worth every extra pound) = +15 lbs
- Honda engine with ECU, dual fuel pumps, two batteries, lots of wire and a customized cowling (hidden oil door, NACA ducts, "remodeling") = +45 lbs
- Wheel Pants with integrated split gear fairings = +3 lbs over stock Van's
- Halon Fire Extinguisher = +3 lbs
- TS Flightlines RV-12 SS brake hose kit with Matco parking brake valve
- Heated Dynon Pitot + wing mounting reinforcement
- Safety/Survival pack (includes canopy breaker) = +3 lbs
- 2nd Landing Light
- Panel mounted iPad

See how easy it is to add 100 lbs. An initial Forward CG issue at empty weight was fixed by moving the fuel pumps and batteries to the tailcone (also reinforced). No CG issues with any loading scenarios. I added one additional Phase I test flight card with a 1,420 lb gross weight to 12,500 ft. Takeoff and climb numbers still matched the standard RV-12 POH tables at 1,320 lbs. As I fly by myself 99% of the time, I am not really concerned about the extra weight.

John Salak
RV-12 N896HS
 
An “Equipment List” should accompany the W&B. The Equipment List is a reference that specifies how the airplane was configured during latest W&B. if equipment is added or removed the list needs to be updated and W&B recalculated.
 
Back
Top