Indiana Aerospace University

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Aircraft Design I
AE 410

Report #.3
Preliminary Weights Estimation

Arleigh Jan I. Pangatungan

Name
 AIRCRAFT DESIGN 1 Report No.: 3
AE 410 Title: Preliminary Weights Estimation
Name of Aircraft: Date Submitted: September 24 ,2022
Name of Student: Pangatungan, Arleigh Jan I. Grade:

Mission : For 6- seater airplane

The mission of the designed airplane is to provide accommodation for six full adults during recreational
flying, tour and occasional travel. The airplane will be capable of carrying a payload of 1100-1200 lbs,
excluding the pilot and fuel, to fly with a cruising speed of 280-310 km/hr. at 8,000-10,000 feet cruising
altitude. The aircraft should be designed to be a compliant to FAR Part 23.

Page 2 of 14
 AIRCRAFT DESIGN 1 Report No.: 3
AE 410 Title: Preliminary Weights Estimation
Name of Aircraft: RH-26 Date Submitted: September 24,2022
Name of Student: Pangatungan, Arleigh Jan I. Grade:

Mission Specification: FOR 6- SEATER

1. Reciprocating engine, propeller driven GA Aircraft, certifiable to FAA Part 23 Airworthiness
standard
2. 5 passengers & 1 pilot capacity
3. Range- 1700 km
4. Cruising Speed- 310 km/hr
5. Cruising Altitude 8,000 feet
6. Payload 1100 lbs.
7. All metal structure

Page 3 of 14
 AIRCRAFT DESIGN 1 Report No.:3
AE 410 Title: Preliminary Weights Estimation
Name of Aircraft: RH-26 Date Submitted: September 24 ,2022
Name of Student: Pangatungan, Arleigh Jan I. Grade:

Mission Profile:

Page 4 of 14
 AIRCRAFT DESIGN 1 Report No.: 3
AE 410 Title: Preliminary Weights Estimation
Name of Aircraft: RH-26 Date Submitted: September 24,2022
Name of Student: Pangatungan, Arleigh Jan I. Grade:

A. Take-off Weight Calculation

W0= Wcrew + Wpayload + Wfuel + Wempty
Wcrew= Wpilot + Wbaggage
Wpayload= Wpassengers + Wbaggage

Assuming: Wpassengers or Wpilot= 170 lbs. each

Wpax= 170 lbs. x 5= 850 lbs.
Wbaggage= Wpayload – Wpassengers= 1100lbs. – 850lbs. = 250 lbs.
Wcrew= Wpilot + Wbaggage= 170lbs. + 250lbs. = 420lbs.
Where: W0 = Take-off Weight
W0 = Wcrew + Wpayload

1- (Wf )
Wo Wo
-( )
We

Wf = Fuel Weight Fraction

Wo
We = Empty Weight Fraction
Wo
B. Empty Weight Fraction, for fixed-wing, Single Engine:
We
= 2.36 𝑊0−0.18
Wo
C. Fuel Weight Fraction,
Wf W6
= 1.06 ( 1 - )
Wo Wo

Page 5 of 14
 AIRCRAFT DESIGN 1 Report No.: 3
AE 410 Title: Preliminary Weights Estimation
Name of Aircraft: RH-26 Date Submitted: September 24 ,2022
Name of Student: Pangatungan, Arleigh Jan I. Grade:

C. Historical Mission Segment Fractions

W1
Take-Off and Warm-Up, = 0.97
Wo

W2
Climb, = 0.985
W1

W4
Descent, =1
W3

W6
Landing = 0.995
W5
 Page 6 of 14

AIRCRAFT DESIGN 1 Report No.: 3

AE 410 Title: Preliminary Weights Estimation
Name of Aircraft: RH-26 Date Submitted: September 24 ,2022
Name of Student: Pangatungan, Arleigh Jan I. Grade:

D. Cruise

From Breguet’s Range Formula: Page 7 of 17

( )
− RC
V L W3 W3
W 2 e ( D)
R= ln = V L
C D W2

Converting Range from km to ft and Cruising Speed from km/h to ft/s:

R = 1700km ( 1000
1 km )( 1 m )
m 3.28084 ft
= 5577428 ft

h ( 1 km )( 1 m )( 3600 s )
km 1000 m 3.28084 ft 1h
V = 310 =282.52 ft / s

Solving for C – Engine Specific Fuel Consumption

𝐶= ( CbhpV
500 ŋp
) / 3600 ,Cexpressedin
lbs
hp
hr
 Page 7 of 14

AIRCRAFT DESIGN 1 Report No.: 3

AE 410 Title: Preliminary Weights Estimation
Name of Aircraft: RH-26 Date Submitted: September 24,2022
Name of Student: Pangatungan, Arleigh Jan I. Grade:

From table 3.4, we determine Cbhp and ηp for piston-propeller fixed pitch, cruise:

So, Cbhp=0.4 and ηp=0.8

Substituting values to find C:

( 0.4 )( 282.52 )
[ ¿=¿ lbs
C = ( 550 ) ( 0.8 ) 7.34 x 10-5 hr
hp
3600
Swet
Using Fig. 3.5. and 3.6 with chosen wing aspect (AR), determine & (L/D)max
Sref

Page 8 of 14
AIRCRAFT DESIGN 1 Report No.: 3
Title: Preliminary Weights Estimation
AE 410
Name of Aircraft: RH-26 Date Submitted: September 24 ,2022
Name of Student: Pangatungan, Arleigh Jan I. Grade:

Choosing AR=7.4 and from fig. 3.5, the similar aircraft type with the design is Cessna Skylane
with estimated Swet/Sref =3.75.

𝐴𝑅 .
𝐴𝑅𝑤𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑑 = (𝑆𝑤𝑒𝑡/S𝑟𝑒𝑓 ) = . = 1.97

From fig. 3.6, along the fixed-gear prop aircraft curve, ARwetted = 1.97 has an estimated (L⁄D)max =
12.7

W3
Solving for W 2 :

− RC
W3
W2 =
V( )
L
D
e

E. Loiter
From Endurance Formula
L
1 L W5 W 5 −EC /( D )max
E= ln ( )→ =e
C D W4 W4
Where:

L L
( )loiter=0.866( )max
D D

Vloiter = 0.76 Vcruise √ ρcruise

ρloiter
C= ¿)/3600

Page 9 of 14

AIRCRAFT DESIGN 1 Report No.: 3

AE 410 Title: Preliminary Weights Estimation
Name of Aircraft: RH-26
Name of Student: Pangatungan, Arleigh Jan I.
 Date Submitted: September 24 ,2022
Grade:

Solving for (𝐋⁄𝐃)𝐥𝐨𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫:

(L⁄D)loiter = 0.866 × 12.7 = 10.99

Solving for 𝐕𝐥𝐨𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫:
ρ8000
√
Vloiter Vcruise → Vloiter Vcruise ρ4000

Solving for density at 8,000 ft, ρ8000:

K 1m
Tcruise = 288.16K + (−0.0065 )(8000 ft)( )=272.31 K
m 3.28084
slug
ρcruise=0.002377 ¿
ft 3
slug
ρcruise=0.001668
ft 3
Solving for density at 4,000 ft, ρ 4,000 :
K 1m
Tloiter = 288.16 K + (-0.0065 ¿( 4000 ft )( )=280.24 K
m 3.28084 ft
m
9.80665 2
s
2
K m
slug 280.24 K (−0.0065 )(287
m s 2
K
)
ρloiter =0.002377 3 ( )−1
ft 288.16 K
slug
ρloiter =0.001997
ft 3
Substituting ρ 8,000∧ ρ 4000 ¿Vloiter formula :

Vloiter = 0.76Vcruise
√ ρ8000
ρ 4000

√
slug
0.001668
3
Vloiter = (0.76)(282.52 ft/s) ft
slug
0.001997 3
ft
ft
Vloiter = 196.23
s

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 AIRCRAFT DESIGN 1 Report No.: 3
AE 410 Title: Preliminary Weights Estimation
Name of Aircraft: RH-26 Date Submitted: September 24 ,2022
Name of Student: Pangatungan, Arleigh Jan I. Grade:

Solving for C:
From table 3.4, we determine Cbhp and ηp for piston-propeller fixed pitch, loiter:

So, Cbhp = 0.5 and ηp = 0.7

CbhpVloiter
Substituting values to find C: C = ( )/3600
550 ηp

C=
(( (
0.5 )( 196.23 )
550 ) ( 0.7 ) ]
/ 3600=0.0000708
lbs
hp
hr

W5
Solving for :
W4

W 5 −EC /¿ ¿
=e
W4

(
− ( 30 mins )
( 601mins
hr
) )(0.0000708 )
W5 10.99
=e
W4

W5
=0.9999967789
W4

W6
Total Weight Fraction,
Wo

W 6 W1 W 2 W 3 W 4 W 5 W 6
=
Wo Wo W 1 W 2 W 3 w 4 W 5
 Page 11 of 14

AIRCRAFT DESIGN 1 Report No.: 3

AE 410 Title: Preliminary Weights Estimation
Name of Aircraft: RH-26 Date Submitted: September 24,2022
Name of Student: Pangatungan, Arleigh Jan I. Grade:

W6
Solving for :
Wo

W6
=(0.97)(0.985)( 0.89)(1.00)(0.9999967789)(0.995)
Wo

W6
=0.85
Wo

Solving for Fuel Weight Fraction:

Wf
Wo (
=1.06 1−
W6
Wo )
Wf
=1.06(1−0.85)
Wo

Wf
=0.159
Wo

Solving for Take-off Weight:

Wcrew+Wpayload
Wo =
1−
Wf
W0 ( )( )
−
We
Wo

420 lbs .+1100 lbs .

W0 =
1−(0.159)−¿ ¿

W0 = 4672.5 lbs

Assuming Wo= 4672.5 lbs

W0 =
W0 = 4672.5 lbs
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AIRCRAFT DESIGN 1 Report No.: 3
Title: Preliminary Weights Estimation
AE 410
Name of Aircraft: RH-26 Date Submitted: September 24 ,2022
Name of Student: Pangatungan, Arleigh Jan I. Grade:

We
Solving for Empty Weight Fraction: :
W0
We
= 2.36 Wo-0.18
Wo
We
= (2.36)(4672.5-0.18)
Wo
We
= 0.5157
Wo
Solving for Fuel Weight:
Wf
= 0.159
Wo
W f = Wo (0.159) = (4672.5 lbs.) (0.159)
W f = 742.93 lbs.
Solving for Empty Weight:
We
= 0.5157
Wo
We = W0 (0.5157) = (4672.5 lbs.) (0.5157)
We = 2409.61 lbs

Page 13 of 14
 AIRCRAFT DESIGN 1 Report No.: 3
AE 410 Title: Preliminary Weights Estimation
Name of Aircraft: RH-26 Date Submitted: September 24 ,2022
Name of Student: Pangatungan, Arleigh Jan I. Grade:

Summary of Results

W3
= 0.89
W2
W5
= 0.9999967789
W4
Page 15 of 17
W6
= 0.85
Wo
Wo = 4672.5 lbs
Wf = 742.3 lbs.
We = 2409.61 lbs.

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