Why don't aircraft weigh themselves?
Following on from the thread in R&N, where an a/c had a tailstrike following a ten tonne loadsheet error - why aren't there sensors connected with the landing gear that provide an actual weight after loading? Also, assuming that the CoG is somewhere within the geometry of the wheels (surely a safe assumption!), that could be detected and any out-of-safety discrepancy reported.
There are plenty of factors that armchair designers miss, cost/benefit tradeoffs and the usual unforeseen consequences of adding yet more complexity to the already fearsomely complex mix that is a modern aircraft, but none suggest themselves in this case. There are already squat switches - just need to get the resolution up a bit from the "one aircraft" range.
R