Elements of Airplane

Performance

Overview

Flight Dynamics
Equations of Motion
Steady Level Flight
Rate of Climb
Gliding Flight
Turning Flight

Flight Dynamics
An important discipline in Aerospace
engineering regarding the movement of
the airplane as it responds to four natural
forces: Lift, Drag, Propulsive Thrust, and
Weight.
Airplane Performance

Equations of Motion
ACCELERATED FLIGHT

Equations of Motion
STATIC PERFORMANCE

Equations of Motion
Static Performance (Level, Unaccelerated
Flight)

Steady Level Flight

Thrust Required for an airplane to fly at a
given velocity in level, unaccelerated flight.

Minimum in Maximum

Steady Level Flight

Thrust Required Curve

Steady Level Flight

Thrust Available and Maximum Velocity
Associated with the engine of the airplane.
The intersection of the curve (dependent on
the airframe) and the maximum
curve
(dependent on the engine) defines the
maximum velocity of the airplane at that
given altitude.
=

Steady Level Flight

Power Required

Minimum in
Maximum

Steady Level Flight

Power Required Curve

Steady Level Flight

Power Required and Maximum Velocity
Reciprocating Engine

Jet Engine

Maximum flight velocity is determined by

the high-speed intersection of the maximum
and the curves.

Rate of Climb

Gliding Flight

Higher the L/D, the

shallower the glide angle

Gliding Flight

Higher the L/D, the

shallower the glide angle

Turning Flight
Level Turn

Turning Flight
Pull-Up

Turning Flight
Pull-Down

Turning Flight
Wing Loading

Lower Wing Loadings will

have smaller turn radii and
larger turn rates

Reference
Introduction to Flight by Anderson

END