Introduction

This report deals about the selection of the power plant , thrust to weight
ratio and wing loading of the Phoenix Jet. The mission profile characteristics
and wing design parameters determined in the previous report .

Power Plant Selection and Specification

The aircraft power plant is a device that propels the aircraft and drives the
various systems that support the operation of the aircraft. The power plant
must be chosen in such a way that it is capable of providing sufficient thrust
which is required at each stage of the mission profile of the aircraft.
For the Phoenix Jet, the power plant has been chosen keeping in mind
the long range requirement, cruise velocity and the take off characteristics.
Historical data suggests high bypass ratio turbofans for long range subsonic
aircrafts.From the data given in Raymer [2], the take off thrust for a subsonic
high bypass ratio turbofan must be ideally 4-5 times the cruise thrust.
L
(cruise) = 13.856
D
CL (cruise) = 0.347
CD,o = 0.015
e = 0.8
(For a typical Jet Aircraft)
During cruise , T=D and L=W.( where T=Thrust Required , D =Drag
Force on aircraft , L=Lift on the aircraft , W=Weight of the aircraft during
cruise).
WCruise = 344130N
T = (WL )
D

Tcruise =24,836.17 N (Thrust Required at Cruise)

TTO =5*Tcruise =124,180.8 N (Thrust Required at take off)
From the above calculations , the thrust provided by the power plant at
take off (sea level) must be at least 124.18 kN.
Table 1.1 lists the power plant data for aircrafts similar to Phoenix Jet .
From table 1.1, the Rolls Royce BR710C4-11 is chosen as the power plant
for the Phoenix Jet. Two engines will be mounted on the aircraft to provide
a maximum available thrust of 136.8 kN at sea level which is greater than the
TTO estimated earlier. The specifications[1] of the power plant are as follows:
Engine Name : Rolls Royce BR710C4-11
Maximum Thrust (Sea level) : 68.4 kN
Bypass Ratio : 4.2
Pressure Ratio : 25.7
1

Table 1.1: Power Plant Data of Similar Aircraft

Name
Dassault Falcon 7X
Gulfstream G500
Bombardier Global 5000
Gulfstream G650
Bombardier Global 8000

Engine Name
Pratt & Whitney PW307A [3]
Rolls Royce BR710C4-11 [4]
Rolls Royce BR710-A2-20 [4]
Rolls Royce BR721-A1-12 [4]
Next Gen-GE Engines [4]

Total Thrust (kN)

85.41
136.8
131.22
150.4
146.8

* All the above engines are turbofans

** All the above aircrafts are two-engine jets except Dassault Falcon 7X which is a three
engine jet.

Weight of the engine=1597 kg

Thrust to Weight Ratio

Thrust to Weight ratio (T/W) is the ratio of the thrust produced by the
power plant of the aircraft to its weight. It directly affects the performance
of the aircraft in terms of parameters like acceleration, climb rate, turn rate,
take off distance etc. T/W is not a constant. It depends on the flight
condition and also varies as fuel is burnt,as the weight decreases. Normally
when designers mean T/W ratio they refer to the T/W at static sea level
conditions , at maximum take-off weight and maximum throttle settings.
Therefore, the aim is to estimate T/W (take off).
T/W(take off) is estimated using ways shown below
1. From statistical data in Raymer[2] , the T/W(take off) = 0.25 for jet
transport.
2. From data available for similar aircraft as shown in Table 2.1 the max
T/W (take off) is 0.3616
3. The third method of estimating T/W(take off) is using the Thrust
Matching method.
(

T
Wcruise Ttakeof f
T
)takeof f ( )cruise

W
W
Wo
Tcrusie
2

(2.1)

Table 2.1: T/W(take off) for similar aircraft

Name
Wo (take off weight) kg T/W(take off)
Dassault Falcon 7X
31,752
0.2744
Gulfstream G500
38,600
0.3616
Bombardier Global 5000
42,071
0.32
Gulfstream G650
45,177
0.3397
Bombardier Global 8000
47,536
0.3151
*The W in T/W is Take off Weight multiplied by g(9.8 m/s2 )

T
)cruise =
(W

1
L
(D
)cruise

= 0.07217

Wcruise = 34413kg Wo = 35325kg

Ttakeof f = 136.8kN Tcruise = 24, 836.17N
T
)takeof f 0.38726
(W
The max T/W (take off) calculated among the three methods is 0.38726 and
will be used for wing loading calculations.

Wing Loading

The wing loading (W/S) is defined as the loaded weight of the aircraft divided
by the planform area of the wing.Wing loading is another important parameter of aircraft design which affects the take off and landing distances , turn
performance ,range ,flight ceiling, glide rate and other flight characteristics.
The wing loading is determined by the principal mission objectives of the
aircraft.

3.1

Wing Loading at Stall Speed

Stall speed is defined as the lowest speed at which an airplane can fly in
straight and level flight .for an airplane of given weight and size at a given
altitude, stall speed corresponds to the angle of attack that produces max
CL .The stall speed is taken to be 170 km/hr (at sea level) after comparing
the values of stall speeds of similar aircraft.The formula for calculating wing
loading at stall speed is as follows:

W
2
CL(max)
(3.1)
)stall = 0.5 Vstall
S
= 1.225kg/m3 (at sea level)
Vstall =47.22 m/s
[5]
For a business jet , the typical value of CL(max) =2.4
The value of W/S at stall speed is found to be : 3278 N/m2 .
The take off equivalent of (W/S) at stall speed remains unchanged.
(

3.2

Wing Loading-Climb

[2]

Based on FAR 25 regulations for a commercial aircraft, the climbing velocity should greater than or equal to 1.25 times the stall velocity .
The equation for estimating the wing loading during climbing phase is
given by the following equation:
q
4CD,o
T
T
[ W G] + [ W
G]2 ( ARe
)
W
(3.2)
( )climb =
2
S
qARe
The value of G is 0.012 for commercial aircrafts with 2 engines.[2]
The value of (W/S) during the climbing phase is found to be :4773.25
N/m2
The (W/S)TOEq for climb is found to be 4862.72 N/m2 .

3.3

Wing Loading-Cruise

The wing loading at cruise refers to the aircraft flying at an altitude of 40000
feet or 12,192 m . The corresponding density value and the Vcruise obtained
in Report 2 is used to estimate (W/S)cruise .
The wing loading continuously reduces during cruise as the aircraft weight
reduces due to the fuel consumed.In order to optimize cruise efficiency,the
dynamic pressure is reduced to compensate for the steady decline of wing
loading,which is achieved by climbing to obtain a lower air density.This range
optimizing technique is called cruise-climb.For maximizing the range for an
aircraft flying a cruise climb , the wing loading must be such that the parasitic
drag is 3 times the induced drag.The following formula is used for analytically
obtaining wing loading for a jet aircraft.[2]

W
2
( )cruise = 0.5 Vcruise

r
e AR

CD,o
3

(3.3)

= 0.30229kg/m3 ( at 12,192 m altitude)

Vcruise =923.94 km/hr or 256.65 m/s
e=0.8
AR=7.5
CD,o =0.015 [2]
The value of (W/S) at cruise is found to be : 3056.41 N/m2 .
The (W/S) take off equivalent for cruise is given by the formula:
(

W
Wo
W
)T OEq =
( )cruise
S
Wcruise
S

(3.4)

The (W/S)TOEq for cruise is found to be 3137.4 N/m2 .

3.4

Wing Loading -Loiter

The loitering of a jet typically happens for a period of 20 minutes at 3000040000 feet (9100 - 12120 m).This altitude is selected on the basis of best
specific fuel consumption at loiter power setting. For an aircraft that is
optimized for loiter the wing loading is chosen such that the L/D is maximized.The equation used to obtained W/S at loiter for a jet aircraft is as
follows.
p
W
)loiter = q AR e CDo
(3.5)
S
The altitude for loiter is chosen to be 35000 feet or 10668 m.
2
q = 0.5 Vloiter
The loiter velocity is chosen such that cruise velocity is 32 % greater than
the loiter velocity. This obtained from Carsons speed formula given by:
(

Vcruise = 1.32 V L (max)

D

(3.6)

We use the above formula as loitering generally happen at max L/D.

Using equation (3.4) q=7125.371 N/m2 in which density=0.37892 kg/m3 and
Vloiter =193.93 m/s
The value of (W/S) at loiter is found to be : 3788.81 N/m2 .
The aircraft is generally optimized for cruise and not loiter as the time
spent by the aircraft in loiter is insignificant when compared to the cruise
time.
5

The (W/S) take off equivalent for loiter is given by the formula:
)loiter
(W
W
( )T OEq = (WS5 +W6 )/2
S

(3.7)

W0

The (W/S)TOEq for loiter is found to be 6211 N/m2 .

3.5

Wing Loading-Take off

The total take off distance is equal to the sum of ground roll distance and
the extra distance (transition distance)required to clear an obstacle after
becoming airborne.
Figure 3.1: Pictorial Representation of take off parameters[6]

Take off distance depends upon thrust to weight ratio(T/W) and wing
loading (W/S).The take off and landing distances of similar aircrafts are
listed in table 3.1
For a jet powered aircraft ,wing loading is given using the formula
W
T
)takeof f = (T OP )CL(to) ( )takeof f
S
W
where =Air density at take off altitude/Sea Level Density
(

(3.8)

Table 3.1: Take off and Landing Distance of similar aircraft

Name
STO (m) SL (m)
Dassault Falcon 7X
1677
627
Gulfstream G500
1569
844
Gulfstream G550
1801
844
Bombardier Global 5000
1688
814
Bomardier Global Express
1887
814
Gulfstream G650
1828
914
Bombardier Global 8000
1767
856
TOP= Take off parameter
CL(to) =CL at take off.
TOP is defined using the following formula:
T OP =

W
S
T
CL(to) W

(3.9)

The take off distance was chosen to be 1569.72 m (5148.68 ft) from historical data.
For this value of take off distance the TOP = 5736.53 kg/m2 obtained
from the graph shown in Figure 3.2
Figure 3.2: Take off Distance vs TOP[2]

Assuming that take off happens at sea level =1

7

The aircraft takes off at about 1.1*Vstall so the take off lift coefficient CL(to)
=CL(max)(to) /1.1
CL(max)(to) =2.4
CL(to) =1.983
(T/W) at take off = 0.38726
The value (W/S) at take off is found to be: 4406.34 N/m2

3.6

Wing Loading-Landing

Landing distance is defined as the sum landing ground roll distance and the
obstacle clearance distance (landing transition distance). Landing ground
roll is defined as the distance traveled by the aircraft from touch down till it
come to rest.
Figure 3.3: Pictorial representation of Landing parameters[6]

The W/S at landing is given by the formula

(

CL(max)
W
)landing = (Slanding Sa )
S
80

(3.10)

where Slanding =Landing Ground Roll Distance =910 m (from historical

data)
Sa = Obstacle Clearance Distance =182.9[2] (for general aviation-type
power off approach)
CL(max) =2.4
The value of (W/S) for landing is found to be: 3422.5 N/m2
8

[2]

Taking into consideration the safety margin for aircraft (SM=1.67) and
thrust reversal (RT=0.66) ,the W/S is modified as (W/S)new =(W/S)/(RT*SM)
and is found to be : 3105 N/m2 .
The (W/S) take off equivalent for landing is given by the formula:
(

( W )landing
W
)T OEq = S W7
S
W0

(3.11)

The (W/S)TOEq for landing is found to be 5491.59 N/m2 .

3.7

Wing loading- Sustained Turn

The sustained turn rate is the turn rate at which the thrust of the aircraft is
sufficient to maintain velocity and altitude in the turn.The thrust is equal to
drag for sustained turn.The sustained turn rate is usually expressed in terms
of maximum load factor which is given by:
T L
)( )
(3.12)
W D
max (T/W) at 12,200 m(cruise altitude)=0.12514
max (L/D)=16
Sustained turn load factor is maximized by maximizing T/W and L/D.
The corresponding value of n is 2.002
Therefore the wing loading is given by the following formula:
q
4n2 CD,o
T
T 2
+
)

(
)
(
W
W
W
ARe
=
(3.13)
2
2n
S
( qARe )
n=(

The value of (W/S) for sustained turn is found to be: 4291.133 N/m2

3.8

Selection of Wing Loading

From the wing loadings estimated above the lowest value should be selected
to ensure that the wing is large enough for all flying conditions.
From Table 3.2 the lowest wing loading value is obtained at cruise stage
of mission which was estimated as 3056.41 N/m2 / a take off equivalent value
of 3137.4 N/m2 and this value is used for the purpose for the design of the
Phoenix jet.
9

Table 3.2: Wing loading data for different stages of mission profile
(N/m2 ) W
Mission Phase W
(N/m2 )
S
S T OEq
Stall Speed
Climb
Cruise
Loiter
Take Off
Landing
Sustained Turn

3.9

3278
4773.25
3056.41
3788.31
4460.34
3422.5
4291.133

3278
4862.72
3137.4
6211
4460.34
5491.59
-

Recalculated Thrust to Weight Ratios

The thrust to weight ratios calculated using the minimum value of W/S
chosen are shown in Table 3.3
The equations used for calculating new T/W ratios from the chosen (min.)
W/S value are as follows:
1
T
)cruise = L
W
( D )cruise

(3.14)

(W
)
T
S min
)takeof f =
W
T OP CL(to)

(3.15)

( W )min
qCD,o
T
)climb = W
+ S
W
( S )min qAR e

(3.16)

)
n2
(W
T
qCD,o
S min
( )turn = W
+
W
qAR e
( S )min

(3.17)

Table 3.3: Thrust to Weight Ratios at different stages of Mission profile

Mission Phase
T/W
Take-off
0.268
Cruise
0.07217
Climb
0.0864
Turn
0.1136
The max. T/W condition occurs at take off and is found to be 0.268

10

Conclusion
Critical performance parameters are:
T
)sealevel = 0.268
(W
W
= 3056.41N/m2
S
In the process of estimating these performance other characteristics of the
aircraft , namely , take off and landing distance , stall speed and load factor
have been determined . Further design of the Phoenix Jet will be carried out
using the parameters determined above.

11

References
[1] Dr.Elodie Roux - Turbofan and Turbojet Engines - A Database Handbook, Publisher Dr Elodie Roux,2007
[2] D.P Raymer - Aircraft Design: A Conceptual Approach,Publisher - AIAA
Education Series,1992
[3] www.planes.findthebest.com
[4] Gulfstream and Bombardier Websites
[5] Dr. Roskam- Aircraft Design,Publisher-Roskam Aviation and Engineering Corporation,1985
[6] David Hull - Fundamentals of Airplane Flight Mechanics,PublisherSpringer,2007

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