Definition
A weight and balance technique in which the pilot calculates the aircraft's loaded weight and center of gravity (CG) by multiplying each item's weight by its arm (distance from the reference datum) to get a moment, then summing all weights and all moments and dividing total moment by total weight to find the CG location.
Plain English
A pencil-and-paper (or calculator) way of working out how heavy the aircraft is and where its balance point sits, by doing the arithmetic yourself rather than reading the answer off a chart or graph.
Context Anchor
Seen in weight-and-balance planning before flight, especially when loading passengers, baggage, and fuel.
Derivation
From Latin computare, meaning 'to count or reckon together.' The name simply signals that the answer comes from doing the calculation directly, rather than looking it up.
Why Pilots Care
Provides exact CG location values without the approximation limits of graphs.
Intuition Check
Do not assume computational method means a computer must do it. In this context, it means the arithmetic method, whether the pilot uses paper, a calculator, or an approved digital tool.
Example Sentence 1
Because the rental Cessna's POH did not include a loading graph for her configuration, she used the computational method to verify the aircraft was within CG limits before departure.
Example Sentence 2
Compared to the graph method, the computational method gave a more precise arm measurement for the CG envelope check.