The Faculty of Power and Aeronautical Engineering – Mechanics Division

Project no. 6
Airplane Performance in Powered Steady Flight

6.1 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 γmax, 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.

6.2 The engine-propeller propulsion systems

Let assume:
• an 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,
Due to above assumptions the equations of airplane's motion can be expressed as
∑ F j= 0 , ∑  M c j ≡0 . (1)
Forces equations (first set) have the scalar form as follows (fig 1):
D+ m⋅g⋅sin γ−T =0 , (2)
L−m⋅g⋅cos γ=0 . (3)

Plevel + P Q − Pavail = 0 ,
L

T
D

Figure 1:
Multiplying the equation ( 2 )by flight speed we are go to the following power balance:
Plevel + P Q − Pavail = 0 , (4)

Zbigniew Paturski – Mechanics of Flight: Projects – Student's Guide, ed. 4.1 V-1
 The Faculty of Power and Aeronautical Engineering – Mechanics Division

where:
Plevel =D⋅V - the power required for balancing of the aerodynamic drag,
PQ=V⋅m⋅g⋅sin  - the power for vertical lifting of the airplane,
Pavail = n engines⋅T⋅V - the power of propulsion system (see project no. 5),
nengines - number of the engines in the propulsion system.
Using the power balance equation ( 5 ) we have:
P −Plevel P −Plevel
w= avail ,  = avail (5)
m⋅g V⋅m⋅g
Flight speed can be calculated using the equation ( 3 ) and using assumption of small path angle γ
(cos γ ≈ 1):

V=
 2⋅m⋅g
⋅S W⋅C L
,

Using ( 6 ) for estimating of the power required for steady level flight Plevel , we obtain:
(6)


2
1
2
2 m⋅g C D
Plevel =D⋅V = ⋅⋅S w⋅C D⋅V 3 =m⋅g⋅ ⋅
2 m⋅g 1
⋅ 3 =m⋅g⋅ ⋅
 Sw C L
⋅
 Sw E  (7)

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).
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 (see
table 6.1):
• 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 C L 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 C L 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 ,
• compute ΔP= Pavail -Plevel, w and γ,
• reapeat all calculations until for last fligth altitude h all values of w and γ will be negative,
• present result of calculation on graphs (see fig. 2 and 3 , light airplane with no
supercharged engine).
Table 6.1 Basic performances of the aircraft in powered flight
Flight altitude h0=0 km
CL[-] E [-] V [m/s] Pn [W] Pr [W] ∆P[W] w [m/s] γ [degree]
CL-max
......
CL-Vmax
Flight altitude h1=2 km
CL[-] E [-] V [m/s] Pn [W] Pr [W] ∆P[W] w [m/s] γ [degree]
CL-max
......
CL-Vmax
....

Zbigniew Paturski – Mechanics of Flight: Projects – Student's Guide, ed. 4.1 V-2
 The Faculty of Power and Aeronautical Engineering – Mechanics Division

Flight altitude hend > habsolute

Performane of the aircraft

m=2000 kg, S = 15 m^2, P_0 = 300 kW

10

5
H=0 km
0 H=2 km
30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 H=4 km
w [m/s]

H=6 km
-5
H=8 km

-10

-15

-20

V [m/s]

Figure 2

Performane of the aircraft

m=2000 kg, S = 15 m^2, P_0 = 300 kW

10
8
6
H=0 km
4 H=2 km
gamma [deg]

2 H=4 km
H=6 km
0
H=8 km
-2 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120

-4
-6
-8
-10

V [m/s]

Figure 3

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)

Zbigniew Paturski – Mechanics of Flight: Projects – Student's Guide, ed. 4.1 V-3
 The Faculty of Power and Aeronautical Engineering – Mechanics Division

• 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 :
dζ
h
th = ∫ (8)
0
wmax (ζ )
• time of climbing to the service ceiling th s .
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 ).

Table 6.2... ...Aircraft performances - the offer graph

h Vmin Vmax wmax Vw γmax Vγ th
[km] [km/h] [km/h] [m/s] [km/h] [degree] [km/h] [s]
0
2
...
hs th s
ht Vh t Vh t 0 Vh t 0 Vh t -
hmax -

Performance of the aircraft

the offer chart - climb performance

6 w_max
gamma_max
5 h_t
h [km]

4 h_p

0
-2 0 2 4 6 8 10

w_max [m/s], gamma_max [deg]

Figure 4

Zbigniew Paturski – Mechanics of Flight: Projects – Student's Guide, ed. 4.1 V-4
 The Faculty of Power and Aeronautical Engineering – Mechanics Division

The aircraft performance

the offer chart -- characteristic flight speeds

7
V_min
6 V_gamma
V_w
5 V_max
h [km]

h_t
4 h_p
t_h
3

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

speed [m/s], climb time [min]

Figure 5
Remarks:
• maximum level speed Vmax can be estimated using a simple linear interpolation formula

wn−1⋅V n −w n⋅V n−1

V max = , (9)
wn−1−wn
where index "n" and "n-1" denotes two close calculation points where w n is the first negative value
of climb speed in the set [Vj , wj ], see table 6.1 and figure 3, pairs [90.0, +0.042] and [100.0,
-3.9] for altitude h=0 km; similar expression may be used for calculation of the absolute and
service ceilings:
w max n-1⋅hn−wmax n⋅hn−1  w max n-1− 0.5 ⋅hn−  w max n− 0.5 ⋅hn−1
ht = , h s= , (10)
w max n-1−w max n wmax n-1− w max n
• for light airplanes with piston engine without supercharging the climb speed w max at any flight
altitude can be approximated with linear function:
h
wmax (h) = wmax (0) * (1 − ) (11)
ht
and for this case the integral for th give us the expression:
 
 
ht 1
th = * ln 
(12)
wmax (0)  h 
1− 
 h t 

Zbigniew Paturski – Mechanics of Flight: Projects – Student's Guide, ed. 4.1 V-5
 The Faculty of Power and Aeronautical Engineering – Mechanics Division

• if the aircraft is equipped with single-stage supercharged piston engine (see Project #5), the climb
time should be calculated using formulas:
for flight altitude h ≤ hnom
hnom w (h )−wmax (0)
t 0 h=
w max ( hnom)−wmax (0) (
⋅ln 1+ max nom
hnom
⋅
h
w max (0)
,
) (13)

for flight altitude h > hnom

ht −h nom h −h
t h=t 0 h +
w max ( hnom ) (
⋅ln t nom .
ht −h ) (14)

Note: hnom is the piston engine nominal altitude where the engine's power achieves maximum
value (for example, hnom =3.0 km, fig. 2 in the description of project no. 5); results calculation
of the climb time using formulas (13) and (14) are shown bellow (fig. 6 ).

Climb time t_h

9000
8000
7000
6000 t_h [sec]
flight altitude [m]

h_t
5000
w_max*100
4000
w_max*100
3000 h_nom
2000
1000
0
0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500
time [sec]

Figure 6

6.3 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:
 T avail−D ⋅V T −D
w= , = avail (15)
m⋅g m⋅g

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:

Zbigniew Paturski – Mechanics of Flight: Projects – Student's Guide, ed. 4.1 V-6
 The Faculty of Power and Aeronautical Engineering – Mechanics Division

• assume a set of flight altitudes, same as for the aircraft engine;

• for each of flight altitudes and for each of values of airplane's lift coefficient C L and drag
coefficient CD compute Mach number using formula:

Ma=

2⋅m⋅g
ρ⋅S⋅C L
as
, as =a s  h 
(16)

where as is the sound speed at the flight altitude h; calculations should be stopped if for
given CL the Mach number is greater than 1;
• compute corrected drag coefficient from Ludvig Prandtl formula:
CD
C D = , (17)
1−Ma 2
• continue calculations of performances using corrected drag coefficient C D instead of
regular low speed coefficient CD .
An example drag characteristics calculated using above method is showed on fig. 7.

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 γ ; 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.

Lilienthal altitude polars

(influence of air compressiblity)

1,4

1,2

1,0 incompr.
H=0
0,8 H=3 km
C_L

H=6 km
0,6
H=9 km
0,4

0,2

0,0
0,00 0,02 0,04 0,06 0,08 0,10

C_D

Figure 7

Zbigniew Paturski – Mechanics of Flight: Projects – Student's Guide, ed. 4.1 V-7