I did some weight checking in another thread and I'm very disappointed to find out the DT and bomb racks on 190s weigh nothing. If you take a DT and drop it you weight exactly the same as if you'd not taken the DT at all. Same for any centerline bomb. Same for all versions of the 190.
We have a 190A-8 with a rear aux tank that, even when empty of fuel, adds weight to the rear of the craft and destabilizes it. This was countered by moving the ETC rack forward on the airframe, so that the weight of the ETC rack would counter out the weight of the aux (moving the center of gravity back forward, where it should be). Most 190A-8s flew with the rack on, even if they did not carry a bomb or a drop tank, because it was required to keep the aircraft stable when manuvering. Here in Aces High we even have the 3D model of the rack moved forward (as it was historically), but we don't get the benefit of it moving the CoG forward because the rack weighs zero pounds.
Can we get the weight of the rack added? Can we get it to balance out the aux tank and move the CoG forward?
Barring that, can we have the ETC rack attached to the 190A-8 permanently, and move the CoG forward? That means even when you don't take a centerline option it will be present? This would have historical precedent.
190F-8 would not require this, as it has 500lbs of armor moving the CoG forward.
I've been under the impression that along with drag the racks had weight, and have been using them to (supposedly) balance out the aux tank for quite a long time. I'm upset to find out I've not been doing anything all this time.
