Measurement device and method for mass and centroid of large aircraft

Xiaolin ZHANG , Yuyang ZHANG , Lifeng YANG , Hongzhi ZHAO , Meibao WANG

Journal of Measurement Science and Instrumentation ›› 2025, Vol. 16 ›› Issue (3) : 341 -349.

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Journal of Measurement Science and Instrumentation ›› 2025, Vol. 16 ›› Issue (3) :341 -349. DOI: 10.62756/jmsi.1674-8042.2025033
Measurement theory and technology
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Measurement device and method for mass and centroid of large aircraft

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Abstract

The precise acquisition of the quality characteristic parameters of large aircraft directly affects its performance characteristics. For large aircrafts such as missiles and rockets with internal fillings, traditional measurement methods involving large-angle tilting or rotation may pose safety risks. In light of the characteristics of large aircraft and in combination with existing measurement methods, we design a mass and centroid measurement method based on four-point support and small-angle tilting, and develop a set of mass and centroid testing system. This method obtains the intersection point of the gravity action line in the product coordinate system through coordinate transformation in two postures, thereby obtaining the three-dimensional centroid of the aircraft. We first elaborate on the principle of this method in detail, then introduce the composition of the equipment, and analyze the structural stress of key components. Finally, experimental verification and uncertainty analysis are carried out. Experimental verification shows that the maximum deviation of the mass measurement accuracy is less than 0.02%, the centroid measurement accuracy in the X direction is ±0.15 mm, in the Y direction it is ±0.21 mm, and in the Z direction it is ±0.19 mm.

Keywords

large aircraft / centroid measurement / coordinate transformation / multi-point weighing method / gravity line

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Xiaolin ZHANG, Yuyang ZHANG, Lifeng YANG, Hongzhi ZHAO, Meibao WANG. Measurement device and method for mass and centroid of large aircraft. Journal of Measurement Science and Instrumentation, 2025, 16(3): 341-349 DOI:10.62756/jmsi.1674-8042.2025033

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