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Contents
Speed,
Height,
Distance conversion
Approach
Planning

Profile

Cruise N1
N1's & Pitch Attitudes
Climb Speeds
Kinetic Heating
Driftdown
Fuel Consumption Formulae:
Optimum FL

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Step
climb
wind/altitude trade

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*** Updated 24 Feb 2013 ***

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Trip Fuel Reduction

Anti Ice
Non-Normal
Configurations

Speed, Height, Distance conversion

Level flight deceleration allow 10kts/nm & 1kt/sec (deceleration is faster at lower weights)
Descending deceleration allow 5kts/nm & 0.5kt/sec
Idle descent allow 3nm/1000'

Approach Profile Planning

Aim for 250kts, 10,000ft by 30nm out
Aim for 210kts, On ILS at 12nm

Cruise N1
N1 = (2 x Alt/1000) + 10 eg at FL350 = 70+10 = 80% N1
or
FF = (IAS*10)/2 -200 eg 250kts = 2500/2 -200 = 1050 kg/hr/engine

N1's & Pitch Attitudes

Phase of flight

%N1

Attitude (deg
nose up)

250kts

65

210kts

60

Flap 1, 190kts

60

Flap 5, 180kts

62

Gear down, flap 15, 150kts

70

Flap 15, 150kts

52

4.5

Flap 25, 140kts

52

Flap 30, Vref + 5

55

2.5

Flap 40, Vref + 5

62

Level Flight:

Gear down, & on glideslope:

All the above based on a gross weight of 47.5, N1 may vary by 5% and attitude by 2 at other weights.
Add 2% N1 in turns.
For single engine add 15% N1 + 5% N1 in turns.

Climb Speeds
If ECON info not available, use 250KIAS until 10,000ft then 280KIAS/M0.74 thereafter.
Best Angle = V2 + 80
Best Rate = V2 + 120

Kinetic Heating
Increases TAT by approximately 1/10kts IAS

Driftdown

Driftdown speed and level off altitude are for the terrain critical case; if terrain is not critical you may
accelerate to Long Range Cruise (LRC), this will cost approximately 3000ft. Otherwise slowly accelerate to LRC
at the level off altitude as weight reduces with fuel burn. If anti ice is required, the altitude penalties are severe.
See table below for figures (QRH PI.13.7).

Bleed requirements
Eng Anti-ice ON
Eng & Wing Anti-ice ON

Altitude penalty for engine bleed requirements

737-300
737-700
Terrain critical LRC
Terrain critical
-1500ft
-4000ft
-5600ft
-4800ft
-7600ft
-12500ft

LRC
-5900ft
-13000ft

Fuel Consumption Formulae

Optimum FL (FPPM p2.1.1)

Altitude away from

optimum
2000ft above
Optimum
2000ft below
4000ft below
8000ft below

Fuel Mileage Penalty %

737-300 M0.74
737-700 M0.78
1
2
0
0
2
2
4
5
11
14

12000ft below

20

Step climb & wind/altitude trade

Step climb under

consideration
FL290
FL310
FL330
FL370

FL330
FL350
FL370
FL410

24

(FPPM p3.2.16)

Break even wind

Break even wind

737-300 M0.74
< 34Kts
< 25Kts
< 12Kts
N/A

737-700 M0.78
< 75Kts
< 69Kts
< 55Kts
< 24Kts

The 737 burns approx 30kg/min. Hence subtract (30kg x reduced trip time in mins) from the trip fuel at the
proposed level. If this figure is less than the trip fuel for the planned flight level, the lower level is justified.

Trip Fuel Reduction = Weight reduction x Flight time in hrs x 3.5%

Eg: 10 pax less over a 2hr flight = 1000kg x 2 x 3.5% = 70kg lower trip fuel.

Landing Flaps
Flap 30 uses 25kgs less fuel than flap 40 from 1500 ft to touchdown.

Anti Ice
Engine Anti-ice burns 90 kg per hour.
Engine + Wing Anti-ice burns 250 kg per hour.

Non-Normal Configurations
Compared to 2 Engine LRC at Optimum Altitude for any given weight:
Engine Out LRC burns 21% more fuel.
Engine Out LRC increases Time Interval by 13%.
Depressurised LRC (2 Engines@10,000') burns 49% more fuel.
Depressurised LRC increases Time Interval by 20%.
Gear Down burns 89% more fuel! Gear Down increases Time Interval by 29%.
Hint. you can check the Depressurised figures quoted above by entering 10,000' as a "step altitude" in the CRZ
page and compare the fuel remaining at your destination.

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