In airplanes, loading to most rearward CG increases range.

So: Does CG location in a conventional helicopter design (main rotor / tail rotor configuration) have an effect on fuel economy / range / airspeed? If so, what gives max range: most forward CG, mid-range CG, or most rearward CG? State your reasoning or cite your reference please. 

Thanks. 

And engineering of fixed wing aircraft in the longitudinal axis, favor a downforce supplied by the elevator. That downforce, if removed(or lessened as in slow flight or MCA), allows the nose to pitch down during stall. In a rotor wing aircraft, downforce on an elevator keeps the longitudinal axis of the airframe from paralleling the main rotor. It is more for minimizing drag.

It may even contain some true information but it doesn't even come close to answering the question.

While not coming close to answering the question.

q: what's the best cg for range?

a: the thing in the back pushes the nose up...the longitudinal axis... parelling the helicopter... minimize drag

me: okay lol thanks got it

CP has just as much or more to do with optimum range. Max range in a helicopter comes from the longitudinal axis being most in line with relative wind to minimize drag.

plate drag is the operative term to express what is being minimized by the action of the horizontal elevator to optimize forward movement, aka airspeed.

knows what they're talking about.

So if we want to minimize Plate Drag then will loading the aircraft to a forward CG, and aft CG, or a middle CG do this minimization, thus saving fuel, which is the goal--? And, what is the reason this is so? Thanks.

you aren't going to seat people in a helicopter differently just to try to save a couple drops of fuel. Most trips are so short, any savings would be insignificant. It's just not the place to look to save fuel. You load the helicopter to stay within cg limits. Very few variables beyond that. End of story.

that you don't know or don't care. I do and I want an answer. The question still stands. 

with no practical application. A complete waste of energy. Ask until youre blue in the face. It's about the same a arranging passengers in a car for better gas mileage.

can cite data and references, all you are saying is you don't know, or at best your opinion. I want facts backed up by references anr flight test data. The question stands. 

there will be no references because its something that has no practical application. Nobody has studied this and nobody is going to study this. You need to accept that. Go ask on pprune. Those guys love to get wrapped around the axle with stupid sh*t but I doubt anybody would even bother.

you got no answers on prune because it's a stupid question. those people just want to hear themselves talk anyway.

ur on the edge of running out of cyclic control.  If you've never been there trust you don't want to!  Flew for an operator who reconfigured a BH47 and forgot to replace the aft ballast on reconfiguration thus some subsequent pilots ran out of aft cyclic occasionally.  DO said everyone was full of it, until on a demo flight displaying the merits of the BH47 vs the H300C he crashed on landing with the 'clients' on board.

Thus another adventure of the most inept DO in the historic annals (anals?) of east coast helicopter operator epics.

I always put everyone in the baggage compartment. it doesn't do anything for range but makes for a peaceful ride.