How to use this AS350 W&B calculator
- Pick your variant: H125 (AS350 B3e), B3+ (Arriel 2B1) or B2 (Arriel 1D1). All three are limited to 2,250 kg (4,961 lb) internal.
- Enter your equipped empty weight, longitudinal arm and lateral arm from the aircraft's weight and balance record, with the mission equipment you are carrying included.
- Choose your units. The page opens in the manual's kg, metres and litres; switch to lb, inches or US gallons if you prefer, and everything follows.
- Enter the pilot, front passenger and rear passengers by seat, and any freight on the cabin floor and in the three cargo holds.
- Set your fuel, at the manual's specific gravity of 0.79.
- Add an external load if you are flying with the cargo swing, and it is checked against the supplement's envelope.
- Check the status box and the two CG envelope charts. The filled dot is takeoff, the hollow dot zero fuel. Green means inside limits, red means outside.
- Hit Print or save as PDF, or jump to the AS350 hover ceiling calculator with your weight already filled in.
AS350 weight and balance limits
These are the figures the calculator uses, shown in the units you selected above. For the B3e and B3+ they are taken from Sections 2 and 6 of the Airbus flight manuals and the 1,400 kg cargo swing supplement; the B2 figures come from the Tool in the Cockpit app. The flight manual for your aircraft, with its supplements, is always the authority.
| Limit | H125 (B3e) | B3+ | B2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum gross weight | 2250 kg (4960 lb) | 2250 kg (4960 lb) | 2250 kg (4960 lb) |
| Minimum gross weight | 1310 kg (2888 lb) | 1200 kg (2646 lb) | 1150 kg (2535 lb) |
| Flight manual sample empty weight | 1200.0 kg @ 3.560 m | 1200.0 kg @ 3.560 m | 1357.0 kg @ 3.538 m |
| Forward CG limit | 3.170 m up to 2000.0 kg, then 3.210 m at 2250.0 kg | 3.170 m up to 2000.0 kg, then 3.210 m at 2250.0 kg | 3.170 m up to 2000.0 kg, then 3.210 m at 2250.0 kg |
| Aft CG limit | 3.490 m up to 1750.0 kg, then 3.425 m at 2250.0 kg | 3.490 m up to 1750.0 kg, then 3.425 m at 2250.0 kg | 3.490 m up to 1750.0 kg, then 3.425 m at 2250.0 kg |
| Lateral CG limit | 0.180 m left to 0.140 m right at the widest point, narrowing towards the ends of the envelope (see chart) | ||
| Usable fuel | 540.0 L, about 426.6 kg of Jet A-1 at 6.592858569418 lb per US gal | ||
| Compartment limits | Rear cabin floor 310.0 kg, forward left cabin floor 150.0 kg, left cargo hold 120.0 kg, right cargo hold 100.0 kg, rear cargo hold 80.0 kg | ||
| External load (H125 (B3e)) | 1400.0 kg at 3.450 m, 2800.0 kg combined (cargo swing 1400 kg supplement SUP.13) | ||
| Reference datum | 2.540 m forward of the main rotor shaft centreline | ||
H125 / AS350 B3e station arms
| Station | Longitudinal arm (m) | Lateral arm (m) | Limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pilot (front right) | 1.550 | +0.360 (right) | see seat limit |
| Front left passenger | 1.550 | -0.360 (left) | see seat limit |
| Forward left cabin floor (freight) | 1.550 | -0.360 (left) | 150.0 kg |
| Rear left outer passenger | 2.540 | -0.620 (left) | see seat limit |
| Rear left middle passenger | 2.540 | -0.207 (left) | see seat limit |
| Rear right middle passenger | 2.540 | +0.207 (right) | see seat limit |
| Rear right outer passenger | 2.540 | +0.620 (right) | see seat limit |
| Rear cabin floor, left (freight) | 2.250 | -0.410 (left) | see seat limit |
| Rear cabin floor, right (freight) | 2.250 | +0.410 (right) | see seat limit |
| Left cargo hold | 3.200 | -0.560 (left) | 120.0 kg |
| Right cargo hold | 3.200 | +0.560 (right) | 100.0 kg |
| Rear cargo hold | 4.600 | 0.000 | 80.0 kg |
| Fuel tank (Jet A-1) | 3.475 | 0.000 | 540.0 L |
How the AS350 weight and balance calculation works
Each item has a weight and an arm, its distance from the datum 3.40 m ahead of the main rotor head. Weight times arm is its moment. The sum of the moments divided by the total weight gives the CG, and the calculator does this both fore and aft and side to side, exactly as the manual's worked example does. With the manual's example load (1,200 kg empty, two up front, two passengers on the right of the rear bench, freight in the cabin and all three holds, full fuel) it gives the same 2,152 kg at 3.285 m and 0.008 m right.
The AS350 is forgiving longitudinally with a normal load, but it is easy to go out of limits laterally: the pilot sits on the right, the envelope allows only 0.14 m right, and a heavy right-hand rear seat or a full right cargo hold adds to it. The chart shows both, and the zero fuel dot shows where you will be at the end of the flight.
AS350 weight and balance FAQ
What is the maximum weight of an AS350 B3e / H125?
The maximum internal weight for flight, takeoff and landing is 2,250 kg (4,961 lb) on the B3e, B3+ and B2, and the B3e's minimum is 1,310 kg (2,888 lb). With the 1,400 kg cargo swing on a B3e or B3+, the all-up weight with an external load may go to 2,800 kg (6,173 lb), or the maximum weight that still allows a hover out of ground effect if that is lower. Weight above 2,250 kg has to be the jettisonable external load.
What are the AS350 B3e CG limits?
Longitudinally, the forward limit is 3.17 m (124.8 in) aft of datum up to 2,000 kg, moving to 3.21 m (126.4 in) at 2,250 kg. The aft limit is 3.425 m (134.8 in) at 2,250 kg, 3.49 m (137.4 in) at 1,750 kg and 3.498 m (137.7 in) at 1,310 kg; on the B3+ the chart runs to 3.50 m at 1,200 kg. Laterally the CG may be up to 0.18 m (7.08 in) left or 0.14 m (5.51 in) right of the plane of symmetry. The datum is 3.40 m (133.8 in) forward of the main rotor head centre line.
How much fuel does an AS350 hold?
The tank holds 540 litres (142.7 US gal), which the flight manual gives as 427 kg (941 lb) at a specific gravity of 0.79. The fuel arm is 3.475 m, aft of the usual CG, so the CG moves forward as you burn it off. The calculator checks both the takeoff and the zero fuel CG for that reason.
What are the AS350 baggage and cargo hold limits?
From Section 2 of the B3e flight manual: right cargo hold 100 kg (220 lb), left cargo hold 120 kg (264 lb), rear cargo hold 80 kg (176 lb), rear cabin floor 310 kg (682 lb) and forward left cabin floor 150 kg (330 lb). The holds and cabin floor are limited to 300 kg per square metre distributed load, and the rear hold to 145 kg per square metre. The calculator flags any compartment you overload.
What empty weight should I enter?
Your aircraft's equipped empty weight (EEW) and its moment, from its weight and balance record. The AS350 manual defines EEW as the empty weight plus the mission equipment you are carrying, such as dual controls, a cargo swing, floats or a hoist, so enter it with that equipment included. The default is the manual's worked example (1,200 kg at 3.56 m) and is only a starting point.
How do I do weight and balance with the cargo swing?
Tick External load and enter the load. The swing release unit is at 3.45 m on the centreline, and the loaded case is checked against the cargo swing supplement's own envelope, which is drawn dashed on the chart and runs to 2,800 kg. The case without the load is still checked against the normal envelope, because you have to be within limits after you release it.
Is the AS350 B2 data verified?
The B3e and B3+ figures are taken from their flight manuals and reproduce the manuals' worked example exactly. We did not have a B2 flight manual, so the B2 option uses the figures from the Tool in the Cockpit app, which match the B3 airframe data but have not been checked against the B2 manual. Check them against your own before relying on them.
Is this AS350 weight and balance calculator free?
Yes. It runs entirely in your browser, needs no account, and works in kg or lb, metres, centimetres or inches, and litres, US gallons, kg, lb or percent for fuel. If you want to save aircraft profiles, sign your weight and balance, email it and see hover ceilings live in flight, download the free Tool in the Cockpit app.
