Guides

How to Balance an RC Plane

Set the center of gravity to the manufacturer range — the single most important flight check.

October 30, 2026 7 min read RC Calculator Team

Find the target

Get the recommended CG range from the manual — usually a % of wing chord or mm from the leading edge.

Fully assemble the plane (battery in), lift it at the wing root where the target CG sits. Nose drops = nose-heavy; tail drops = tail-heavy.

Use the CG Calculator to express where it balances as % of chord, then compare with the spec. See CG explained for why % matters.

Move the battery forward/aft first, then add weight if needed. Re-check after every change.

Never maiden a plane outside the published CG range — a tail-heavy first flight is usually a short one.

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