School of Mechanical Engineering

Aeronautical Engineering

Assignment 3 – Solutions

Prepared By: Mr Brad Gibson

Problem 1

The Boeing 777 has a wing planform area of 4605ft2. a) Assuming a takeoff  
weight of 520,000lb, and a takeoff velocity of 158mi/h, calculate the lift  
coefficient at takeoff for standard sea­level conditions. B) Compare the above  
result with the lift coefficient for cruise at Mach number 0.845 at 32,000ft,  
assuming the same weight.

Find

• Lift coefficient at takeoff,  C LTO
• Lift coefficient at cruise,  C L Cruise

Given Data

• Wing planform area,  S = 4605 ft 2
• Takeoff weight,  WTO = 520 ,000 lb
• Takeoff velocity,  VTO =158 mph
• Standard sea­level conditions at takeoff 
• Cruise weight,  WCruise = 520 ,000 lb
• Cruise altitude,  hCruise = 32 ,000 ft
• Cruise speed mach number,  M Cruise = 0.845

Solution

At takeoff:

(Density value from TCSA)

LTO = WTO = 520000 lb

VTO = 158 mph = 158 mph ×1.467 fps mph = 231 .8 fps
ρTO = ρSL STD
= 0.0023769 sl ft 3
Thus

LTO LTO
C LTO = =
qTO 1 2 ρTO VTO S

520000 lb
⇒ C LTO =
1 2 × 0.0023769 sl ft 3 ×( 231 .8 fps ) × 4605 ft 2
2

⇒ C LTO = 1.768

At cruise:
(Density and speed of sound values from TCSA)

hCruise = 32000 ft
ρCruise = 0.0008270 sl ft 3
aCruise = 986 .2 fps
LCruise = WCruise = 520000 lb
M Cruise = 0.845

VCruise = M Cruise aCruise = 0.845 ×986 .2 fps = 833 .3 fps

Thus

LCruise LCruise
C LCruise = =
qCruise 1 2 ρCruise VCruise S

520000 lb
⇒ C LCruise =
1 2 × 0.0008270 sl ft 3 ×( 818 .1 fps ) × 4605 ft 2
2

⇒ C LCruise = 0.3933

Summary of lift coefficients:

Lift coefficient at takeoff

C LTO = 1.768

Lift coefficient at cruise

C LCruise = 0.3933 4 SF

The lift coefficient at cruise is significantly less than at takeoff. This is obvious 
given the inverse square relationship between air speed and lift coefficient, 
which dominates over the inverse relationship between density and lift 
coefficient.

The difference highlights why flaps are used on wings at takeoff, to increase 
the lift coefficient during this flight segment.
Problem 2

A light aircraft indicates an airspeed of 258km/hr at a pressure altitude of 
2800m. If the outside air temperature is ­8°C, what is the true airspeed?

Find

• True airspeed, VTAS

Given Data

• Indicated airspeed, VIAS=258km/hr
• Outside air temperature, T=­8°C=265K
• Pressure altitude, hP=2800m

Solution

True airspeed and indicated airspeed are related by the following equation:

VIAS VIAS
⇒ VTAS = =
ρ ρ SLSTD σ

This is because instruments are calibrated to standard sea­level conditions, 
and so use standard sea­level density as the density reference. Unfortunately, 
the density of the atmosphere varies with height, so we must correct indicated 
airspeed measurements with the above equation.

For completeness, the derivation of the above relation is provided:

The lift and lift coefficient of the vehicle is constant, thus:

LTAS = LIAS = L
C LTAS = C LIAS = C L

Hence
C L 1 2 ρVTAS
2
S = C L 1 2 ρSL STD VIAS
2
S
2
 VTAS   ρSL STD  1
⇒
V  =
  ρ
 = 
 σ 
 IAS   

Where

ρ
σ=
ρSL STD
Thus

VIAS
VTAS =
σ

To find the true airspeed, we first need to calculate the actual density

First, find the pressure at the pressure altitude using the TCSA:

P − 74 .692 kPa 70 .121 kPa − 74 .692 kPa

=
2800 m − 2500 m 3000 m − 2500 m
⇒ P = 71 .95 kPa

Use ideal gas equation to find the density

P 71 .95 kPa
ρ= = = 0.9460 kg m 3
RT 287 J kg .K ×265 K

At standard sea­level conditions,

ρ SL STD
= 1.225 kg m 3

Thus

ρ 0.9460 kg m 3
σ= = = 0.7722
ρSL STD
1.225 kg m 3

Hence

VIAS 258 km / hr
VTAS = = = 293 .6km / hr
σ 0.7722

Therefore the answer is:

True airspeed:

VTAS = 293 .6km / hr 4 SF