Ballasting a Shadow 2.

[Gunnergolly]

Flew my new Shadow 2 in the wind today for the first time and I’m thinking that some ballast would really help.

My original idea was to use a 12mm x 3mm stainless steel bar with some self-adhesive lead weight strips attached, then slid down the fuselage and fastened in place by a bolt at the rear of the canopy. 

This would work but things are going to start to get bulky and messy at around 300g of ballast using the self adhesive lead weights, I’m wanting to keep the form factor of the ballast bar as slim as possible to aid it's installation in the gap between the Rx and fuse. 

Just wondering what you guys are using as a denser alternative to lead for ballasting ?.

Thanks.

 

 

 

[satinet]

Brass is ok for a small amount of ballast like that. E.g round bar. Search metal weight calculator on Google. 

You can drill a hole for the screw.

[Rayg]

I've used ballast from a Maxa. Take a look at Hyperflight site, spares for Maxa. I didn't have room for a ballast tube so the ballast rattles a bit but it is secured by a bolt in the rear of the canopy opening. This would give you ballast of up to 760gr. I've only needed four slugs so far, 350g. and the plane flew well. Any more needed than this and I would change to a different model.

[Gunnergolly]

Thanks for your replies.

My Shadow weighs in at 1500g empty so i'll try 300g of ballast using the self adhesive weights and the s/s bar that i already have. 

When ballasting is it advisable to move the CoG a few mm forward ?, it's currently set around 117mm.

 

[Rayg]

When I use ballast I don't move the c/g. Mine fly's at 115mm