Performance Characteristics 1 Flashcards
What is best angle of climb?
The most altitude gained in the least amount of horizontal space (L/D Max airspeed)
What does best angle of climb depend on ?
Excess thrust
What is best rate of climb?
The most altitude gained in the shortest amount of time
What does best rate of climb depend on?
Excess power
Where does best angle of climb occur at on a lift drag curve?
L/D Max
How does weight affect climb angle and rate performance?
It decreases both
How does pressure altitude affect climb angle and rate performance?
It decreases both of them
How does wind affect climb rate or angle?
Wind does not affect climb rate or angle, only the climb gradient
What airspeed must you fly at to achieve max glide ratio?
L/D Max airspeed (230 KCAS + 1 knots for every 100 lbs of fuel remaining)
How does weight affect max glide distance?
Weight does NOT affect glide distance. It causes a higher descent ate/airspeed. You will glide the same distance as a lighter aircraft, but it will take you less time to glide said distance.
How does configuration affect max glide distance?
Decreases glide distance and glide airspeed
Remember configuration changes decrease L/D Max
How does a headwind or tailwind affect glide?
Headwind decreases glide distance
Tailwind increases glide distance
What is Specific Fuel Consumption
SFC = FF/Thrust
The rate of fuel used per pound of thrust, it measures turbojet engine efficiency
What factors affect SFC?
Factors such as RPM, temperature, and altitude affect the performance and fuel efficiency of the engine
How does an increase in RPM affect SFC?
It decreases SFC
Where does max range occur on this graph?
Max Range occurs at a point on a line from the origin tangent to the T_R Curve.
How does an increase in weight affect max range?
Range increases if the extra weight is due to fuel, but decreases if the extra weight is payload other than fuel
How does an increase in altitude affect max range?
Maximum range performance increases with altitude
How does configuration affect max range?
Lowering the landing gear or speed brake increases the thrust required, which
shifts the curve up, decreasing max range
How does wind effect max range?
Winds do not affect endurance (time airborne), but they do affect distance traveled and can affect the conditions necessary to maximize range. As you would expect, a headwind reduces range by reducing ground speed (which would be less than TAS), while a tailwind increases range
How does weight effect max endurance?
You should consider weight factors other than fuel when analyzing the effect of weight. Obviously, more fuel means
increased endurance. A heavier aircraft achieves maximum endurance at a higher airspeed than a lighter aircraft of the same type.
Max endurance decreases
How does configuration affect max endurance?
Lowering gear, speed brake, and/or flaps decreases endurance
How does altitude affect max endurance?
Endurance increases with altitude
