Empty Weight of C-140

[8224]

I am nearing the completion of the restoration of a 47 Cessna 140. The plane is ready to fly but I have not yet completed the paperwork. I had the original seat bottoms and back re-upholstered but there is no other Upholstry of any kind installed. Bare aluminum! I know it will be noisy but I will fly it that way, at least for a while. I weighed the completed airframe on very expensive digital scales and checked them with known weights. They are right on the money for accuracy. The fuel tanks were empty but the C-85 had 5 quarts of AeroShell 80 break in oil. The total weight was 871 lb. I have a document dated 2/25/47 from the Cessna Aircraft Company that shows the average empty weight of a 140 being 889.5 lb. Apparently Cessna did not weigh each airplane, they knew the REAL empty weight of a standard airframe and just added the known weights of whatever options were added. I have installed a B&C light weight starter and alternator. I replaced all the old wiring with new and removed the landing light mounting hardware from the wing. I did install navigation lights. My question is this, what is the empty weight of your C-140?
Steve Hawley
N140SK

[6643]

978

[8474]

992 for my A model

[8224]

John and Blain, thanks for your response. My good friend up in NC, Mac Forbs told me his 140 was 973. It appears all the goodies people add to their plane weighs an average of 100 pounds. I am a fanatic about keeping airplanes from being over weight. While I was in the process of restoring the 140 I removed all the things I knew would never be used, like the formed aluminum mounting assembly for the speaker, the little steel mast riveted to the top of the cabin, ashtray, and landing light mounting fixture in the wing. I don’t think it was a weight savings but I replaced the fuses with circuit breakers. The only paint on the fuselage is the doors, vertical stabilizer, and the horizontal stabilizer. These parts were painted to cover the “Bondo” used to fill dents. The paint right now is an automotive epoxy primer, off white. These parts will eventually be painted silver. Actually, the vertical fin had a bullet hole through the right side and a bulge on the left where the bullet had spent its energy without penetrating the skin. I’m pretty sure it was a 22 caliber. The wings are covered with the Stits process, 3 cross coats of Poly Spray on the bottom surface and 4 on the top. No paint. I installed Cleavland wheels and brakes but I think that is a trade off. It will take several hours of time to fill out the log books indicating all the work that was done and then the 337s for the major repairs. I have not yet installed an ELT for the simple reason I don’t have one.
Steve

[8342]

Steve<

What about unusable fuel?
I did a complete overhaul of my airplane also and weighed it.
I used the FAA weight and balance manual to determine the unusable fuel.
My Empty weight with unusable fuel is 1002 lbs.

You do need to add unusable fuel to your empty weigh for it to be correct.

Rick

[6643]

I'm curious how much unusable fuel you came up with. If you go by fuel that cannot be drained from the system without taking things apart the answer is probably less than a pound, but if you go by fuel that cannot be burned in all normal attitudes then the answer is more like 36 lbs...

[8224]

Rick and John, I ran the engine prior to the first start. I had put 5 gallons in each tank and then started the engine. When I was ready to weigh the plane I drained all the fuel that would run from the disconnected line to the carb. Really don’t know how much was left In the tanks. The plane was in the three point position when drained. Now I kinda wish I weighed the plane dry and then drained, would have been interesting.
Steve

[meloosifah]

Mine has Cleveland’s, 150 exhaust, all interior except baggage carpet, lightweight alternator and lightweight battery. I posted about the entire weight loss program last year if you want to read details. Mine weighed in at exactly 950. I think there are about 20 more pounds of weight loss in a new com, transponder, light weight starter and a few other goodies. But I still have the entire speaker and mic system and I still have the landing light. I wanted to keep the nostalgia. I think I could realistically get it under 900 with interior removal and the other things, but just not sure it’s worth it. I also have the child seat, pad and seat belt in the back - I think it’s less than 10lbs - can’t remember off hand.

[6643]

Now I kinda wish I weighed the plane dry and then drained, would have been interesting.

The "easy way" is to fill the tanks and weigh the plane, then subtract the weight (and arm) of full tanks.

[7130]

970 SN 9907 lightweight starter, original instruments, full interior. On the scales last year.