1496. Mass Properties Methodology – Yesterday, Tomorrow….??

Paper

Abstract

During my 48 years working in the engineering/design field of the airplane business I have witnessed and experienced the voluminous changes t h a t have taken place in the approaches to designing airborne vehicles and the methods used by each engineering discipline involved in that process.
There can be no argument t h a t the sole purpose for designing and building an airborne vehicle is to carry a useful load. Useful; whether it regularly provides monetary reward; or whether iits purpose will eventually prove to be beneficial to mankind.
In our profession of Weight and Balance Control and Mass Properties Engineering there are two fundamental questions we should constantly be asking ourselves. (1) How much do we know and is it enough?, (2) If there is need for improvement – how do we achieve it ?
In an attempt to have you think of answers t o those questions I will approach it this way.