CLIMB PERFORMANCE OF A TURBOJET AIRCRAFT

Nomenclature

a = speed of sound [knots or m/s]

a0 = ISA speed of sound at sea level, a0 = 340.29 m/s = 661.46 knots
D = drag force [N]
d/dt = time derivative [s-1]
F = thrust force [N]
g = gravitational acceleration [9.81 m/s2]
h = altitude [feet or m]
kT = ISA temperature gradient below tropopause, kT = 0.0065 °K/m
M = Mach number
MR = reference Mach number
m = aircraft mass [kg]
p = atmospheric pressure [N/m2, Pa]
p0 = ISA atmospheric pressure at sea level, p0 = 101325 N/m2
R = real gas constant for air, R = 287.04 m2/°Ks2
T0 = ISA sea level temperature, T0 = 288.15 °K
VCAS = calibrated airspeed [knots]
VTAS = true airspeed [knots or m/s]

co = pressure ratio at the cross-over altitude

 = isentropic expansion coefficient, for air  = 1.4
 = climb angle [° or rad]
co = temperature ratio at the cross-over altitude

VTAS L

F


Horizontal plane

mg

Equations of motion

dVTAS dV dh
F  D  mg sin   m  m TAS
dt dh dt
L  mg cos   0

and the rate of climb:

 dh
v  VTAS sin 
dt

From Equation (1) and (3), the rate of climb becomes

1
dh F  D  VTAS dVTAS 
v  VTAS 1
dt mg  g dh 

or

dh FD
v  VTAS f (M )
dt mg

Aircraft lift coefficient

For small angles, we can assume that

L  mg

then

 2 
mg  C L VTAS S  C L pM 2 S
2 2

Thus

2mg 2mg
CL  
VTAS S pM 2 S
2

Aircraft drag polar

C D  C D0  KC L2

Aircraft drag

 2 
D  CD VTAS S  C D pM 2 S
2 2

Therefore

 2 2(mg ) 2  2(mg ) 2
D  C D0 VTAS S  K or D  C D pM 2
S  K
2 VTAS
2
S 20
pM 2 S

Climb factor
1
 V dVTAS 
f ( M )  1  TAS
 g dh 
is the climb factor.

For constant calibrated airspeed below tropopause

1
 
1
 

 RkT   1   1
  1   1 
f ( M )  1  M 2
 1  M 2 1  M 2
  1 
 2g  2   2  
  

If values of constants are substituted in this equation, it becomes

   1  0.2M  
2.5 1
2 3.5
f ( M )  1  0.133M 2  1  0.2M 2 1

For constant calibrated airspeed in stratosphere

1
 
1
 

   1   1
  1   1 
f ( M )  1  1 M 2 1  M 2
  1 
  2   2  
  

If values of constants are substituted in this equation, it becomes

   1  0.2M  
2.5 1
2 3.5
f ( M )  1  1  0. 2 M 2 1

For constant Mach number below tropopause

1
 Rk T 
f ( M )  1  M 2
 2g 

If values of constants are substituted in this equation, it becomes


f ( M )  1  0.133M 2  1

For constant Mach number in stratosphere

f (M )  1

Cross-over altitude

Pressure ratio at the cross-over altitude


   1 2   1
1  MR  1
 2 
 co  
   1 2   1
1  M  1
 2 

If values of constants are substituted in this equation, it becomes

 

 co 
1  0.2M  2  1
R 1

1  0.2M  2  1
1

Temperature ratio at the cross-over altitude

kT R
 co    co  g

If values of constants are substituted in this equation, it becomes

 co   co0.19019

The cross-over altitude

1000
hco  T0 1   co 
1.9812

If values of constants are substituted in this equation, it becomes

hco  145442.21   co 

CAS-Mach conversion

Reference Mach number

VCAS
MR 
a0

Mach number
 1
  
    1   1
  
  1 
2
MR  1  
2   2   
M  1    1
  1  p / p0  
  
  
 

If values of constants are substituted in this equation, it becomes

 1

M 

51 

1  0.2 M R2
3.5

 1 3.5
  1

 p / p0  
 

True airspeed

VTAS  Ma
Thrust of the aircraft

 h  h  
2

F  C Fc1 1   C Fc 3   
 C Fc 2  100000  

v  a  bh

h  hi v  vi
h  hi 1 v  vi 1

vi  a  bhi
vi 1  a  bhi 1

vi 1  vi
b
hi 1  hi

vi hi 1  vi 1 hi
a
hi 1  hi

dh dh
dt  
v a  bh

hi 1
dh 1 1  a  bhi 1 

h
t  ln(a  bh) hi 1  ln 
hi
a  bh b i
b  a  bhi 

Therefore

hi 1  hi  vi 1 
t ln 
vi 1  vi  vi 