Airport Planning

L28: Aircraft Characteristics

Dr. Rajat Rastogi, Associate Professor

Lecture Outline

Aircraft characteristics
Influence of aircraft characteristics

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Aircraft Characteristics

Engine Type and

Propulsion

Minimum Circling
Radius

Size of aircraft

Capacity

Aircraft weight and

wheel configuration

Noise

Minimum Turning
Radius

Jet Blast

Speed

Vortices at tail ends

Fuel Spillage
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Engine Type and Propulsion

Propulsion Type
Piston engine, Jet engine (Turbo jet, Turbo propulsion or
Ram jet) or Rocket engine

Speeds: 500 km/hr, 800 km/hr, 1280 2400

km/hr, 4600 km/hr respectively
Altitudes low, low to middle and high altitudes
Ram jet is used in missiles and rocket engine is
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used for outside atmospheric operations

Engine Type and Propulsion

Specific Fuel Consumption Fuel required to
create thrust of 1 lb
Factors influencing:
Weight of aircraft

Altitude
Speed

Engines Bypass Ratio ????

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Size of Aircraft

Basic parameters Fuselage length (from nose to tail),

Gear tread (distance between main gears),
Height (at tail),
Tail width,
Wheel base (distance between nose gear
and main gear) and
Wing span (near main gear)

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Size of Aircraft

Tail width

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Aircraft Weight

Operating Empty weight (OEW) - a

Pay-load (PL) - b
Zero-Fuel weight (ZFW) c = a+b
Maximum Structural Pay-load = (ZFW OEW)>b
Maximum Ramp Weight (MRW): Apron to
Runway end
Trip Fuel Weight (TFW)
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Aircraft Weight

Maximum Gross Take-off weight (MGTOW) - d

Maximum Structural Take-off weight (MSTOW):
at sea level, Temp. 15oC, Standard Design
Wheel weight
Maximum Structural landing weight (MSLW): e
Weight for which landing gear is designed
Landing weight MSLW
Tae-off weight MSTOW
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Aircraft Weight

10

Fuel Reserve (4-6%)

24 16%
a (66-44%)

6 40%

TFW

c
e

MRW

d
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Aircraft Wheel Configuration

Aircraft weight and wheel configuration

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11

Minimum Turning Radius

12

Angle of Rotation Angle made by nose gear with

the axis of main gear while turning
The maximum angle of rotation is around 50 60o

Point of Rotation - The point of intersection of

axis of main gear and line through axis of steered
nose gear
The line joining the centre of rotation and the tip
of farthest wing of the aircraft is known as the
minimum turning radius
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Minimum Turning Radius

13

Minimum Turning
Radius
R = WB*Tan(90 - )
+ t/2
WB = Wheel Base
= Steering angle
t = Wheel track
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Minimum Circling Radius

14

This is the radius in space required for the

aircraft to take a smooth turn. It depends
upon
Type of aircraft
Air traffic volume
Weather condition

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Speed of Aircraft

15

Air Speed
Speed of aircraft relative to the medium
(i.e. air), depending upon air density
Indicated speed indicated by the
instrument on board
This is around 2 percent lower than the true
speed at each 330 m (1000ft) above sea level

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Aircraft Speed

16

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Aircraft Speed

17

Ground Speed
Speed of aircraft relative to the ground

Air speed = Ground speed (+/-) wind velocity

Mach 1 ~ equivalent to speed of sound
Speed of sound = 33.4 T0.5 miles per hr
T = Temperature in degree Rankine
1 knot = 1 naum/h (1 nautm = 6080ft = 1.15
land mile)
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Aircraft Speed

18

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Aircraft Speed - Performance

Do-Not Exceed speed (Vne)

Design Maneuvering Speed (Va)
Lift-off Speed (Vlo)
Rotate Speed (Vr)
Decision Speed (Vl)
Stall Speed (Vso)
Reference Landing Approach Speed (Vref)
Vref = 1.3 * Vso
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19

Aircraft Capacity

20

Defined as the number of passengers and

amount of cargo it can handle

Dependent up on
Size and design of an aircraft
Propulsive power of aircraft
Speed of aircraft

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Aircraft Noise

21

This is a big problem in the areas where

airports are quite near to the developed areas.
Major sources of noise are
Engine

Machinery (prominent during landing)

Primary jet (prominent during take-off)

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Aircraft Noise

22

Disturbances are much more sever during

take-off than during landing
Since the inception of the jet engines, the
noise has reduced due to technological
advancement
Aircraft noise is less damaging than road
traffic noise ????
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Vortices at Tail Ends

23

Vortices are made up of two counter rotating

cylindrical masses extending along the flight
path
These are formed near the tail ends of the
wings or tail end of the aircraft

The velocity of wind in these vortices may be

very high

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Vortices at Tail Ends

24

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Aircraft Jet Blast

25

This is the blast that comes out of the jet

engine at the rear of the aircraft to provide it
force for movement
Its severity depends up on
Height of the tail pipe from the round
Angle of the tail pipe

Blast fences need to be erected to control

damage
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Fuel Spillage

26

Spilling of fuel occurs when the engine is shut

down or is losing speed

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Influencing Aircraft
Characteristics

27

Engine Type and

Propulsion

Minimum Circling
Radius

Size of aircraft

Capacity

Aircraft weight and

wheel configuration

Noise

Minimum Turning
Radius

Jet Blast

Speed

Vortices at tail ends

Fuel Spillage
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Engine Type and Propulsion

Size of aircraft

Noise nuisance

Speed of aircraft

Circling radius

Length of runway

Range

Weight

Maintenance
facilities

Carrying capacity

Blast pads, etc.

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28

Size of an Aircraft

29

Load carrying capacity

Facilities like size of apron, terminal area, etc
Wing span taxiway width, separation
between traffic lanes, size of gate, apron size,
width of hanger gate

Length widening of taxiway on curves, size of

apron, hangers, aircraft capacity, width of exit
taxiway
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Size of an Aircraft

30

Asheville Regional Airport

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Chbu Centrair International Airport

Size of an Aircraft

31

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Size of an Aircraft

32

Height height of hanger gate, etc.

Tail width size of parking and apron

Wheel base minimum radius of
taxiway
Gear tread minimum turning radius
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Aircraft weight and wheel

configuration

33

Thickness of runway, taxiway, apron

Distribution of load through wheels
5% on nose gear and rest on landing gears

Generation of revenue
Turning
Stability

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Minimum Turning Radius

34

Radius of taxiways
Position in the landing aprons and hangers
Path of nose and main gears

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Minimum Circling Radius

35

Separation of two nearby airports

Adjustment of timings of landing and take-off
aircrafts
Airport capacity
Zoning laws relating to height of an
obstruction (in turning zone area)

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Aircraft Speed

36

Reduced journey times

Increase in frequency of operations
Broadening of air network

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Capacity and Range

37

Facilities like processing terminals

Passenger and baggage handling
Cargo processing
Need of equipments
Size of apron
Range proportional to Payload

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Noise

38

Sleep disturbances, startle

Annoyance
Health risks, deafness, heart attack, etc
Loss of Concentration, attentiveness

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Vortices at Tail Ends

Hazardous to the following aircraft due to tail
vortices and wing vortices
Tangential velocities ~ weight of aircraft and
inversely proportional to speed

More intense when near the airport

Stresses at the joints with fuselage

Pressure on or under the wings producing lifts
or drags

Wake-turbulence classification of aircraft

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39

Jet Blast

40

Inconvenience, discomfort or ever injury to

passengers

Wake velocities and hot exhaust gas may harm

nearby aircraft (if directed towards it)

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Fuel Spillage

41

Seriously affects the bituminous pavement

Slip of wheels

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42

?????
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