This is based on a Thruster Microlight we ghave at The Strip I fly from.
Anyone concidered the weight on aircraft structures. The wing is a big area as is the tail.
We have 130 mm snow covering the aircraft at Wing Farm @ 38kg per sqr meter.
Each Wing of a Thruster is 7.846 square meters.
That = 298.14 kg per wing X 2 = 596.29 kg for both wings.
Then add on the tail plain and elevators @ 2.18 square meters.
That = 82.84 kg for the tail.
Thats a whoping total of 679.13 kg sitting on the aircraft that has an empty weight of about 191 kg and a MAUW of between 390 and 450 kg.. 😮
Just think how heavy the snow is on bigger aircraft like the Vulcan in the Pics recently posted on here.
Regards
Mark
By: Mark V - 31st March 2025 at 15:05
It depends on how compacted the snow is, newly fallen at a shallow depth of 130mm on an aircraft wing, not very – so overall mass is closer to 70 to 100 Kg/cu. m. With compaction and ice formation it can increase to 190Kg.cu m.
I would suggest using a figure of 120kg per cu. metre (which equates to 15.6Kg per sq. metre at a depth of 130mm). That gives a maximum of 245Kg of snow on the wings alone
By: PeterVerney - 31st March 2025 at 15:04
I still don’t think you could get it airbourne in a hurry.
PS kg per cu metre has this old fool totally bewildered.
By: SpockXL319 - 31st March 2025 at 15:03
Any chance one of you could work it out for the Vulcan at NEAM where the snow was 8″ deep on top! I’ll try and find out the total wing area so its going to be more than a couple of thousand lbs.
By: RPSmith - 31st March 2025 at 15:03
……PS kg per cu metre has this old fool totally bewildered.
You aint alone :confused::confused:
Roger Smith.
By: Thunderbird167 - 31st March 2025 at 15:03
Snow weight on XL319
Wing Area of a Vulcan B2 is 368.4 square metres.
Thickness of snow = 8″ or 0.2m
Therefore there will be 368.4 x 0.2 cubic metres of snow
Approximatley 74 m3
Assuming Density is 120 Kg/m3 then
120 x 74 should be weight of snow
i.e 8800 kg or 19536 lbs
By: Mark V - 31st March 2025 at 15:03
I still don’t think you could get it airbourne in a hurry.
PS kg per cu metre has this old fool totally bewildered.
Kilos per cubic metre!
By: RPSmith - 31st March 2025 at 14:59
Kilos per cubic metre!
methinks you miss the point – some of us still think in pounds and ounces and feet, inches and yards!!!!
Roger Smith:)
By: SpockXL319 - 31st March 2025 at 14:58
thanks dave, thats an impressive figure. i may only be 16 but i need things in ft inches etc. i mean come on no one says they’re 185cms no your 6′ 1″
rant over:rolleyes:
By: PeterVerney - 31st March 2025 at 14:56
methinks you miss the point – some of us still think in pounds and ounces and feet, inches and yards!!!!
Roger Smith:)
AND those are much more practical measures to get ones head around. Still can see an inch and a half, and step out a distance in yards.
Sign In
January 10, 2010 at 10:36 am