Project # 6

Airplane Performance in Powered Steady Flight

 Project # 6
Airplane Performance in Powered Steady Flight

1. Introduction
Following physical parameters are called as basic steady flight
performance parameters:
•maximum level flight speed Vmax,
•minimum flight speed Vmin,
•maximum climb speed (vertical speed) wmax,
•flight speed for wmax , Vw,
•maximum path angle γmax,
•flight speed for γµax, Vγ ,
•absolute (theoretical ) ceiling ht,
•service ceiling hs,
•minimum climb time form ground (h=0) to an altitude h<ht.
All parameter listed above we can calculate using simple algorithm
based on steady state equations of motion.
 Project # 6
Airplane Performance in Powered Steady Flight
2. The engine-propeller propulsion systems
Let assume:
•aircraft is flying in vertical plane with constant speed V and with no
rotation along any axis (see fig. 1),
•propulsion thrust force T is parallel to the flight speed V,
•path angle γ is small, less than 15 … 20 degree,

Fig. 1
 Project # 6
Airplane Performance in Powered Steady Flight

Due to above assumptions the equations of airplane's motion can

be expressed as:

∑ Fj 0,
=
j
∑M
j
j ≡ 0; (1)

Forces equations (first set) have the scalar form as follows (fig 1):

D + mg sin γ − T =
0 (2)
L − mg cos γ = 0 (3)

Multiplying the equation (2) by flight speed we are go to the

following power balance:

0 (4)
Plevel + PQ − Pavail =
 Project # 6
Airplane Performance in Powered Steady Flight

Where:

Plevel =DV - the power required for balancing of

the aerodynamic drag,
PQ=mgsinγV - the power for vertical lifting of the airplane,
Pavail =nengTV - the power of propulsion system
(see project no. 5),
neng - number of the engines in the propulsion system.
Using the power balance equation (5) we have:

Pavail − Plevel Pavail − Plevel

w= , γ= (5)
mg Vmg
 Project # 6
Airplane Performance in Powered Steady Flight

Flight speed can be calculated using the equation (3) and using
assumption of small path angle γ (cos γ ≈ 1):

2mg
V= (6)
ρ S wC L

Using (6) for estimating of the power required for steady level
flight Plevel , we obtain:
 Project # 6
Airplane Performance in Powered Steady Flight

3
1 1  2 mg 
Plevel
= DV = ρ S wCD=
V 3
ρ S wC D  
2 2  ρ S C
w L  (7)
2
2 mg C 2 mg 1
mg ⋅ ⋅ = mg ⋅ D
⋅
ρ Sw C ρ Ss E
3
L

The power Plevel depends on flight altitude, aircraft's

parameters (mass, wing area) as well as the aerodynamic
energy function E (see project No. 3).
 Project # 6
Airplane Performance in Powered Steady Flight

Taking into account formulas (5) thru (7), the algorithm of

computations performance parameters: climb speed w=w(V,h)
and path angle γ=γ(V,h) can be specified as follows:
 assume a set of flight altitudes, same as altitudes used for
calculations of propulsion system characteristics Pavail(V,h),
 for each of flight altitude assume a series of CL values
starting from CL max until CL close to zero when climb
speed and path angle goes to negative values,
 from aerodynamic characteristics of the aircraft
(project No. 3) for each value of CL take the value of
power function E,
 compute required power Plevel ,
 compute flight speed V,
 from propulsion characteristics for calculated value of
flight speed V take proper value of Pavail ,
 Project # 6
Airplane Performance in Powered Steady Flight

 compute ΔP= Pavail -Plevel, w and γ,

 reapeat all calculations until for last fligth altitude h all
values of w and g will be negative,
 present result of calculation on graphs (see fig. 2 and 3
, light airplane with no supercharged engine).
 Project # 6
Airplane Performance in Powered Steady Flight
 Project # 6
Airplane Performance in Powered Steady Flight
 Project # 6
Airplane Performance in Powered Steady Flight
Using above results of calculations (graphs and table)
estimate following additional performance parameters:
 maximum level flight speed Vmax
(w(Vmax ,h) = γ(Vmax ,h) =0 !),
 minimum flight speed Vmin (CL max or w = 0)
 maximum climb speed wmax,
 maximum climb speed flight speed Vw,
 maximum path angle γmax,
 maximum path angle flight speed Vγ ,
 absolute (theoretical) ceiling ht (wmax=0),
 service ceiling hs (wmax=0.5 m/s),
 time of faster climbing from ground to a flight altitude th

(8)

 time of climbing to the service ceiling th s.

 Project # 6
Airplane Performance in Powered Steady Flight

All these data should be collected in a table (see table 6.2) and
then should be presented on the offer graph (fig. 4 and 5).
 Project # 6
Airplane Performance in Powered Steady Flight
 Project # 6
Airplane Performance in Powered Steady Flight
 Project # 6
Airplane Performance in Powered Steady Flight
 Project # 6
Airplane Performance in Powered Steady Flight
 Project # 6
Airplane Performance in Powered Steady Flight
 Project # 6
Airplane Performance in Powered Steady Flight

3. The turbojet propulsion systems

If the airplane is powered by turbojet propulsion system
(one or more engines), very similar method as described in the
previous paragraph 6.2 can be used, but instead of power, the
thrust of engine (engines) must be used. Therefore:

Of course, Tavail = nengines T, where T is the thrust of single

turbojet engine.
Usually, jet airplanes rather are operating in high subsonic
range of the flight speed (Vmax > 720 km/h, 200 m/s) and
because this the influence of air compressibility (Mach number
effect) must be taken into account. It can be done using
following algorithm:
 Project # 6
Airplane Performance in Powered Steady Flight
 Project # 6
Airplane Performance in Powered Steady Flight

Remark: the method described above may be applicable

for jet airplanes with relatively large mass-to-thrust ratio
(more than 300 kg of take-off mass per 1 kN of all engines
thrust); this limitation is derived directly from the limitation
of path angle g ; if the requirement is not satisfied, for
example the airplane is a high-performance military fighter,
more accurate methods (ie. Joukowsky thrusts method)
must be used.
 Project # 6
Airplane Performance in Powered Steady Flight