Antonov An-225 Transport Aircraft

General characteristics
Crew: 6 Payload: 250,000 kg (550,000 lb) Door dimensions: 440 x 640 cm (14.4 x 21 ft) Length: 84 m (275.6 ft) Wingspan: 88.4 m (290 ft 2 in) Height: 18.1 m (59.3 ft) Wing area: 905 m2 (9,743.7 ft2) Cargo Volume: 1,300 m3 (46,000 cu ft)) Empty weight: 285,000 kg (628,315 lb) Max takeoff weight: 640,000 kg (1,323,000 lb) Powerplant: 6 ZMKB Progress D-18 turbofans, 229.5 kN (51,600 lbf) each Takeoff run: 3,500 m (11,000 ft) with maximum payload Performance Maximum speed: 850 km/h (460 knots, 530 mph) Cruise speed: 800 km/h (430 knots, 500 mph) Range: With maximum fuel: 15,400 km (9,570 mi) With maximum payload: 4,000 km (2,500 mi)) Service ceiling: 11,000 m (36,100 ft) Wing loading: 662.9 kg/m (135.5 lb/ft) Thrust/weight: 0.234

The comprehensive research of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics has resulted in several new highly efficient aerofoils. The systematic nature of this research indicates that the possibility of further marked improvement is remote, and would be of comparatively small value and costly to discover. Various attempts have been made to so design an aerofoil that it would develop an especially high L/D ratio, better minimum drag at cruising speed.

Dihedral is the upward angle of the wings from a horizontal (front/rear view) axis of the plane. The benefit of a positive dihedral wing, is extra stability on the ROLL axis. Since both wings are angled slightly up, and if the RIGHT wing were to start rolling down (or clockwise), it will stop when it becomes perpendicular to the horizontal axis. This is because when the wing reaches 0-degree horizontal angle, it produces lift, thus raising the right wing back up. This now causes the LEFT wing to to reach 0-degree horizontal angle, thus making it cause left and rise again. Because both wings Lift back and forth naturally, it keeps the airplane stable on the ROLL (horizontal) axis. This design is used on most commercial airlines today to keep them very stable during flight.

Anhedral is the exact opposite. Instead of lifting the wings and stabilizing the plane, anhedral planes lift the wing and keep rolling the plane. This makes the airplane very unstable on the roll (horizontal) axis, but is great for military fighter jets. This allows fighters to be more agile and maneuverable, rather than being stable.

universal theories. The differential lift theory (top image in this post) doesn't explain why high mounted straight wings (no dihedral) make a plane stable. But side-slip does: side-slip creates a sideways drag component on the wing. That force then (with the help of the tail) creates roll torque which levels the plane.

based on the huge An-124, itself larger than the U.S. C-5 Galaxy, but with a 50%
improvement in payload, the An-225 is simply the largest aircraft ever built, and flown more than once. The An-225 added 50 feet to stretch the fuselage, 6 engines instead of 4, and 7 pairs of wheels per side instead of 5. It also utilized a newly designed wing root assembly to support a 50 foot increase in wing length.

A supercritical airfoil is an airfoil designed, primarily, to delay the onset of wave drag in the transonic speed range. Supercritical airfoils are characterized by their flattened upper surface, highly cambered (curved) aft section, and greater leading edge radius as compared to traditional airfoil shapes

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The supercritical airfoil, below, maintains a lower Mach number over its upper surface than the conventional airfoil, above, which induces a weaker shock. four main benefits: o They have a higher drag divergence Mach number. o They develop shock waves farther aft than traditional airfoils. o They greatly reduce shock-induced boundary layer separation. o Their geometry allows for more efficient wing design (e.g., a thicker wing and/or reduced wing sweep, each of which may allow for a lighter wing). Air brakes are a type of flight control surface used on an aircraft to increase drag or increase the angle of approach during landing.

All-moving fin: The advantage is that all of the fins surface can be used to overcome a side wind during takeoff and landing.

Wing loadings are usually given in either lb/ft2 or kg/m2, and occasionally in N/m2. Wing loadings of 10 lb/ft2, 48.8 kg/m2 and 479 N/m2 are the same.

Range of wing loadings

Buzz Z3[2][3] Fun ASK 160[4] 21 Nieuport 17 Ikarus C42 Cessna Vans 152 RV-4 Messerschmitt Bf-109 MD11F

Aircraft

DC-3

Spitfire

B-17

B-36

Eurofighter

F-104

A380

B747

Wing Loading (kg/m2)

3.9

6.3

33

38

38

51

67

123

158

173

190

272

311

514

663

740

844

Role

paraglider

hang glider glider

fighter

microlight private sports airliner fighter

fighter

bomber bomber

fighter

fighterairliner airliner airliner bomber

Year

2010

2007 1990

1916

1997

1978

1980

1936

1942

1941

1938

1949

1998

1958

2007

1970

1990

The table, which shows wing loadings is intended to give a feeling for the range of wing loadings used by human-built aircraft. Maximum weights have been used. There will be variations amongst variants of any particular type. The dates are approximate, indicating period of introduction.

Larger wings move more air, so an aircraft with a large wing area relative to its mass (i.e., low wing loading) will have more lift at any given speed.

The use of Fowler flaps increases the wing area, decreasing the wing loading which allows slower landing approach speeds.