On Fri, 20 Apr 2012 02:59:15 +0000, Ventus_a
wrote:

'Bob Gibbons[_2_ Wrote:
.... text deleted

-- Max gross with or without the engine is 500kg. The issue with the
engine in place is the 255kg non-lifting limit. With the engine in
place, the pilot weight determines whether the max gross of 500kg or
the non-lifting limit of 255kg kicks in first. For my weight and 28
gal of water, I hit max gross just before I hit the non-lifting limit.
Bottom line, with the engine in place and ballasted to max gross, you
are at the same loading as without the engine, but you cannot dump
down to the same low loading as without the engine. With the engine
in, I can go from 10.1 lbs/ft2 max down to 7.9 lbs/ft2 min. Without
the engine, W/L ranges from the same 10.1 lbs/ft2 down to 7.2 lbs/ft2
(all with 17.6m span). The B model has the same issue and limitations.



Every Ventus cT manual that I have looked at says the max weight with
the engine in is 430 kg regardless of the span. With the engine out,
500kg at 16.6. and 17.6m respectively

Cheers
Colin

Colin, you are correct in quoting the handbook. Several of us actually
discussed this apparent contradiction with Klaus Holighaus on a visit
a number of years ago.

He agreed that it so long as the non-lifting limit is followed, it
makes no difference whether the engine is in or out.

The engine represents a fuselage (non-lifting) load on the airframe,
the cause of this non-lifting load should not be a factor in the
overall gross weight, so long as the non-lifting limit is observed.

Bob