EX 10 ENDURANCE

(Part 1)
Objective

• Learn how to stay in the air the longest time per unit of fuel
consumed
Motivation

• Understanding how to set up our aircraft for endurance will help

us save on fuel 

• Safety will be enhanced by not running out of fuel

link

• Typically use endurance in straight and level

• Very good training Required to understand this before moving on to
slow flight
• Diversions lost procedure setting up diversion 
• Waiting for Wx (Fog), Busy airspace, don't want to burn fuel
• Holding over 
• Broken down plane on runway, flat tire,
 Tkt

1.How do you change airspeed in level flight?

2.How do you lean the mixture?
3.Two types of drag?
4.What does “maximum endurance” tell you?
5.How does power setting affect endurance?
6.What is parasite drag and induced drag?
ENDURANCE
• The length of time an aircraft may remain airborne for a given power setting and depending on the amount
of fuel carried is called endurance.

• How long you can stay in the air per unit of fuel consumed.

• High power setting= Reduced endurance

•  Low power setting= Increased endurance

• Dependant on: 

• Amount of fuel, Mixture, weight, air density (altitude)

• So we basically want to find the lowest power setting that will allow us to stay straight and level and not
descent
Power Curve

• Flight for maximum endurance occurs at the

minimum power required to maintain level
flight.

• Any speed above or below this point will

require a higher fuel burn.
POH 5-20
 Experimental Method
• 1. Lookout

• 2. Cockpit Check

• 3. Set the aircraft into cruise configuration

• 4. Reduce power in 100 RPM intervals and maintain level flight (trim and control yaw as
required)

• 5. Reduce until the aircraft is at a safe speed but unable to maintain altitude by pitching
upwards

• 6. Increase power to the last RPM setting before altitude loss occurred

• 7. Lean mixture
Recovery

• Power - increase power to cruise RPM, control yaw

• Attitude - set cruise attitude and airspeed

• Trim – to relieve control pressure

 Factors Effecting Endurance
1. ALTITUDE: Air being more dense at sea level, more lift can be produced for a given power setting
which translates to less power required to maintain level flight. (less fuel cons.), more endurance

2. WEIGHT: more weight means more power to keep level flight and consequently more fuel needed. This
decreases endurance

3. FLAPS: Flaps reduce endurance because of the extra drag they carry.

4. TURBULENCE: constant change of power to keep level flight  in turbulent air   cumulatively  reduces
endurance because more fuel is used in the process-(compare with car)

5. WIND: wind does not affect endurance performance 

Safety

• Lookout

• Be cautious of blind spots if flying with a nose-up attitude

• Increase speed 5-10kt if turbulent

• Cockpit checks(pre-descent) before commencing the exercise.

summary

• Endurance at a particular configuration is determined using POH charts.

• Maximum endurance is staying airborne for as long a time as possible for

the amount of fuel on board (Determined experimentally).

• Endurance is affected by altitude, weight, flaps & turbulence.

• Mixture has to be leaned properly to achieve maximum endurance.

Review Questions

1.What is maximum endurance? Minimum power setting to

keep us… 
2.Using the charts determine endurance  for 65% power at
5000 ft.
3.What power setting would be used in the previous example? 
4.How to set up for maximum endurance while in the air?
5.What factors affect endurance?