Aircraft Performance Theory and Practice for Pilots

Aircraft Performance Theory and Practice for Pilots, 2ndEditionaddresses both European aircraft performance requirements (CS-23 and CS-25) and the Joint Aviation Regulations Operations rules (JAR-OPS 1) and so provides comprehensive and up to date coverage of the complex conditions within which all European public transport aeroplanes must operate today.
The subject of aircraft performance is an important part of the JAA Flight Crew Licensing syllabus for the examinations for commercial and airline transport licences, and this book provides a clear and authoritative text on a difficult topic.

It will also be of interest to commercial pilots for their annual standardization test and to flight planners, operations staff and airport operators.

Preface
Acknowledgements

List of Abbreviations

Weight and Mass

Introduction

PART 1 AERODYNAMIC THEORY

1 Preliminaries

1.1 Air Density

1.2 Speeds

1.3 Engine Performance

Self-Assessment Exercise 1


2 Level Flight Aerodynamics

2.1 Stability

2.2 Angle of Attack and Pitch Angle

2.3 The Four Forces

2.4 Mass

2.5 Lift

2.6 Drag

2.7 Analysis of the Total Drag Curve

2.8 The Effect of the Vareables on Drug

2.9 The CL v CD Polar Diagram

2.10 Analysis of the Lift/Drag Ratio

2.11 Thrust

2.12 Analysis of the Thrust Curves

2.13 The Effect of the Variables on Thrust

2.14 Power

2.15 Analysis of the Power Curves

2.16 The Effect of the Variables on Power

2.17 Summary

Self-Assessment Exercise 2


3 Take-off and Climb Aerodynamics

3.1 Take-off

3.2 The Effect of the Variables on Take-off

3.3 Climbing Flight

3.4 The Effect of the Variables on the Climb

3.5 Climb Gradient

3.6 Rate of Climb

3.7 Aircraft Ceiling

3.8 Climb Regimes

Self-Assessment Exercise 3


4 Cruise Control

4.1 Specific Air Range (SAR)

4.2 Buffet

4.3 The Buffet Onset Boundary Chart

4.4 Cost Index

4.5 Turns

4.6 Types of Cruise

4.7 Range and Endurance: General

4.8 Cruise Techniques for Piston-engined Aeroplanes

4.9 Cruise Techniques for Turbo-prop Aeroplanes

4.10 Cruise Techniques for Jet Aeroplanes

4.11 Summary

Self-Assessment Exercise 4


5 Descent Aerodynamics

5.1 The Forces in a Descent

5.2 Gliding for Maximum Range

5.3 Gliding for Maximum Endurance

5.4 Descent Regimes

Self-Assessment Exercise 5


PART 2 Scheduled Performance Theory

6 Performance Planning

6.1 Regulations and Requirements

6.2 The Performance Class System

6.3 Performance Legislation

6.4 Aeroplane Performance Levels

6.5 Performance Planning

6.6 Altimeter Corrections

6.7 Flight Manuals

6.8 Performance Calculations and Limitations

6.9 Noise Abatement Procedures

Self-Assessment Exercise 6


7 Aerodrome Geometry

7.1 Field Lengths Available

7.2 Take-off Run Available (TORA)

7.3 Obstacles

7.4 Stopway

7.5 Accelerate/Stop Distance Available (ASDA)

7.6 Clearway

7.7 Take-off Distance Available TODA

7.8 Balanced and Unbalanced Field Lengths

7.9 Field-Length-Limited Take-off Mass Calculations

7.10 Runway Alignment Reduction

7.11 Runway Slope Calculation

7.12 The Effect of Runway Slope on Obstacle Calculations

7.13 Landing Distance Available (LDA)

7.14 Runway End Safety Area (RESA)

Self-Assessment Exercise 7


8 Runway Surfaces

8.1 Aerodrome Pavement Strength

8.2 The Pavement Strength Reporting System

8.3 Aircraft Classification Number (ACN)

8.4 Contaminated Surfaces

8.5 Braking Coefficient of Friction

8.6 Surface Contaminants

8.7 The Effect of Runway Contamination

8.8 Hydroplaning

Self-Assessment Exercise 8


9 The Variables

9.1 Air Density

9.2 Wind Component

9.3 Aeroplane Flap Setting

9.4 Aeroplane Mass

9.5 Runway Slope and Surface

9.6 Miscellaneous Variables

9.7 The Maximum Take-off Mass

9.8 Calculations

Self-Assessment Exercise 9


10 Speeds

10.1 General

10.2 Summary

10.3 Stalling Speeds

10.4 Take-off Speeds

10.5 V Speeds and Take-off Field Lengths

10.6 Climb Speeds

10.7 Control Speeds

10.8 Landing Speeds

10.9 Other Significant Speeds

10.9.1 VFE

10.9.2 VFO

10.9.3 VMO/MMO

10.9.4 VNE

10.9.5 VP

Self-Assessment Exercise 10


PART 3 Scheduled Performance Practice

11 Class ‘B’ Take-off

11.1 General Regulations

11.2 Take-off Speeds

11.3 Take-off Requirements

11.4 Take-off Distance Requirements

11.5 Class ‘B’ Take-off Calculations

Self-Assessment Exercise 11


12 Class ‘B’ Take-off Climb

12.1 General Requirements

12.2 Climb Minimum-Gradient Requirements

12.3 Obstacle Clearance Requirements

12.4 Take-off Climb Calculations

12.5 Climb Calculations – SEP1 & MEP1

Self-Assessment Exercise 12


13 Class ‘B’ En-route and Landing

13.1 En-route

13.2 Landing

Self-Assessment Exercise 13


14 Class ‘A’: Take-off Theory

14.1 General Regulations

14.2 Field-Length Requirements

14.3 Class ‘A’ FLL TOM Analysis

14.4 Field-Length Requirements Analysis

14.5 Rapid Calculation Methods

Self-Assessment Exercise 14


15 Take-off Calculations

15.1 Field-Length-Limited Take-off Mass

15.2 The Aeroplane Flight Manual (AFM)

15.3 CAP 698 Section 4

15.4 Take-off Mass and Distance Calculations

15.5 Take-off Abnormalities

15.6 The Maximum Take-off Mass

Self-Assessment Exercise 15


16 Class ‘A’ Take-off Climb

16.1 The Take-off Climb Requirements

16.2 The Relationship of NFP to GFP

16.3 Climb-Limited TOM

16.4 MRJT Climb-Limited TOM Calculations

16.5 Obstacle Clearance

16.6 MRJT Obstacle-Limited TOM Calculation

16.7 Planned Turns

16.8 The Performance-Limited Take-off Mass

Self-Assessment Exercise 16


17 Class ‘A’ En-Route

17.1 En-route Required Navigation Performance

17.2 Descent Gradient Diminishment Requirements

17.3 Terminal Aerodromes

17.4 En-Route Requirements for all Class ‘A’ Aircraft

17.5 En-Route Requirements for Three and Four-engined Aircraft

17.6 En-Route Requirements for Twin-engined Aircraft

17.7 Maximum Distance from an Adequate Aerodrome (Non-ETOPS Aeroplanes)

17.8 ETOPS Aeroplanes

17.9 Obstacle Clearance Requirements: All Class ‘A’ Aeroplanes

17.10 Ceilings

17.11 Drift-Down Technique

17.12 Stabilizing Altitudes

17.13 Route Profile Comparisons

17.14 En-route Alternate Aerodromes

17.15 Fuel Jettisoning

17.16 En-route Calculations

Self-Assessment Exercise 17


18 Class ‘A’ Landing

18.2 The Landing Field-Length Requirements

18.3 Approaches

18.4 Short-field Landings

18.5 The Climb-Limited Landing Mass

18.6 Climb-Limited Landing Mass Calculations

18.7 Normal Field-Length Limited Landing Mass Calculations

18.8 Scheduled Landing Mass Calculations

18.9 The Quick Turnaround Limit

Self-Assessment Exercise 18


PART 4 CONCLUSION

19 Definitions

19.1 Speeds

19.2 Distances

19.3 Altitude, Elevation and Height

19.4 Weight and Mass

19.5 ETOPS

19.6 Obstacles

19.7 Performance

19.8 Power Unit(s)

19.9 Surfaces and Areas

19.10 Temperature

19.11 Formulae used in Performance



20 Answers to Self-Assessment Exercises

Self-Assessment Exercise 1

Self-Assessment Exercise 2

Self-Assessment Exercise 3

Self-Assessment Exercise 4

Self-Assessment Exercise 5

Self-Assessment Exercise 6

Self-Assessment Exercise 7

Self-Assessment Exercise 8

Self-Assessment Exercise 9

Self-Assessment Exercise 10

Self-Assessment Exercise 11

Self-Assessment Exercise 12

Self-Assessment Exercise 13

Self-Assessment Exercise 14

Self-Assessment Exercise 15

Self-Assessment Exercise 16

Self-Assessment Exercise 17

Self-Assessment Exercise 18

Bibliography

Index

Squadron Leader Swatton joined the Royal Air Force in 1952. He qualified as an instructor in 1961 and taught, among other subjects, the then new subject of Scheduled Performance for Group “A” aeroplanes at the Argosy Operational Conversion Unit (OCU) as one of his duties. He was posted to the Andover OCU in 1964 as the senior navigation instructor and examiner, where he continued teaching and examining aircrew in scheduled performance until 1975.

Subsequently he completed tours at the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough and at the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment, Boscombe Down. His last tour of duty, before retiring from the Royal Air Force in 1988 was at the Empire Test Pilots School where he taught scheduled performance to trainee test pilots. In 36 years of service he amassed 7500 flying hours


On retirement from the RAF he joined the instructional staff at the Professional Pilot Study Centre where one of his duties was to teach scheduled performance to the trainee pilots. Subsequently he and two of his fellow instructors started their own ground school, Ground Training Services (GTS), for private, commercial and airline pilots where he currently teaches aeroplane performance to the JAA syllabus. He is the aeroplane performance consultant for the CAA and updated the CAP 698 at the request of the CAA.