LSA Weight Requirements

[Eric Page]

John beat me to the punch this morning, but I'll just add this.

Declaring more than the factory/designer-recommended weight is generally frowned upon, but it does happen. Dick Van Grunsven wrote an article in Sport Aviation about ten years ago on this topic, responding to an earlier article about an RV-10 builder who set his MGTOW at 2,800# in an apparent effort to offset his lavish interior and 120-gal (standard is 60-gal) fuel tanks. TLDR: the airplane weighed well over 1,800# empty and had a full-fuel useful load of less than 150# at the factory 2,700# limit.

Any increase beyond the factory/designer weight limit really should be analyzed by a competent engineer.

[Maverick]

With regard to the increasing the gross weight, I thought that only the builder could increase the weight. Is that not correct? And, if that is not correct, then who legally could do it?
Mav

[jrevens]

The structural load limits, for example +6 & -3 G's, are initially determined and set by the designer at a specific gross weight, usually with a small margin for safety factor - but not necessarily. Structural analysis and test flights are part of the process. If you go above that weight limit, the load limits decrease linearly. That means that an abrupt maneuver, turbulence or a hard landing, for instance, can create permanent deformation or failure of structure more easily and at a lower G force. With an experimental amateur built airplane you can set that weight at whatever you want to, but be aware that your structural load limits will be decreased.

[109JB]

With regard to the increasing the gross weight, I thought that only the builder could increase the weight. Is that not correct? And, if that is not correct, then who legally could do it?
Mav

Anyone can reenter phase 1 and change the gross weight. Not limited to just the builder.