An estimation method for the fuel burn and other performance characteristics of civil transport aircraft during cruise: part 2, determining the aircraft’s characteristic parameters

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Abstract
A simple yet physically comprehensive and accurate method for the estimation of the cruise fuel burn rate of turbofan powered transport aircraft operating in a general atmosphere was developed in part 1. The method is built on previously published work showing that suitable normalisation reduces the governing relations to a set of near-universal curves. However, to apply the method to a specific aircraft, values must be assigned to six independent parameters and the more accurate these values are the more accurate the estimates will be. Unfortunately, some of these parameters rarely appear in the public domain. Consequently, a scheme for their estimation is developed herein using basic aerodynamic theory and data correlations. In addition, the basic method is extended to provide estimates for cruise lift-to-drag ratio, engine thrust and engine overall efficiency. This step requires the introduction of two more independent parameters, increasing the total number from six to eight. An error estimate and sensitivity analysis indicates that, in the aircraft’s normal operating range and using the present results, estimates of fuel burn rate are expected to be in error by no more than 5% in the majority of cases. Initial estimates of the characteristic parameters have been generated for 53 aircraft types and engine combinations and a table is provided.

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