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Aileron Counter Balance Weight

Asked by: 1325 views Aerodynamics, Aircraft Systems, Flight Instructor

Does anyone have a good description for the function/purpose of the aileron balance counterweights specifically on the seminole? I have heard various descriptions for control flutter, effectiveness, and a resistance force. Just looking for the best simple answer if asked on the preflight walk around for instructor checkride!

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1 Answers



  1. KDS on Sep 06, 2024

    Since nobody answered, I’ll take a bit of a stab at it. The following is a straight cut and paste from an answer someone gave to that question at another site. I’ll add my own two cents worth after that:

    “I assume you are referring to the little triangular plate mounted on sort of a pylon ahead of and below the aileron. The little triangular surface provides a torque opposite to the resistance of the aileron in order to reduce the control force required to move the aileron out of the faired position. The weight moves the cg of the control surface to a location at or ahead of the hinge line to avoid a tendency to flutter. Many production aircraft have the counterbalance weight concealed within the leading edge of the aileron where it isn’t obvious. But all have some way to keep the control surface balanced near the hinge line to avoid flutter.”

    Personally, I’ve always considered it a flutter prevention because my logic tells me the pressure of the one aileron counterbalances the other. But in my defense, I’ll add that I only took one semester of aeronautical engineering in college, so if someone says otherwise, listen to what they have to say.

    I have heard it explained in terms of a dart with the weight in front and the feathers in back.

    A question I’ve seen check pilots ask is how many counterbalance weights are in the aileron. Personally, unless I’m the factory test pilot, I don’t care. If for some reason one of them is missing, it is going to be quite obvious to me during the preflight that something happened.

    I know that in the leading edge of an elevator on a Cessna 150, 152, 172, 182, etc. there is a lead weight that you cannot see. A check pilot once asked me what it means if you move the elevator, and you hear a clunking noise. The answer he wanted to hear was the lead weight inside is loose and moving around. My answer was it means something is wrong because none of the other ones do that.

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