On Apr 20, 2:56*am, Peter Purdie wrote:
If pilot + other non-lifting parts exceeds 255kg, then you can't fly. *If
you can fly, then you can water up to the 500kg limit.

Indeed, it should be beneficial as water in the wings reduces wing root
bending. *It increses bending at the end of the tank area, but the
manufacturer should have taken care of that.........

At 08:43 20 April 2012, Peter F wrote:



At 03:36 18 April 2012, Bob Gibbons wrote:
-- 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.

You've lost me somewhere.

Why does pilot weight stop you getting to max gross as long as the wing
tanks are big enough?

Assuming tanks *are* big enough to get to max gross without the engine
then
it should be a piece of cake to get there *with* the engine.

PF- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

The Ventus (and nearly all gliders out there) fuselage is hanging from
the wings by four pins. On the Ventus they are about 15-20 mm in
diameter. The non-lifting weight limit is the maximum load those pins
can support and is unchanged by the extra weight water ballast adds.