AIRCRAFT WEIGHT ESTIMATION

Take-Off Gross Weight

The total weight of the aircraft can be divided into crew
weight, payload weight, fuel weight and empty weight.


avionics non avionics empty
empty payload fuel crew
W W W
W W W W W

+ =
+ + + =
0
( ) ( )
0 0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1 W W W W
W W
W
W W W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W W W
e f
payload crew
payload crew
empty fuel
empty fuel
payload crew

+
=
+ =
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+ + =
Empty Weight Estimation
The empty weight fraction can be
estimated statistically from historical trends.
Empty weight fractions vary from 0.3 to 0.7
and diminish with increasing total aircraft
weight.
If variable swept wing is to be used then,
empty weight fraction should be multiplied by
1.04.
( )
0
/W W
e
Empty Weight Fraction vs W0
Fuel Fraction Estimation
The total amount of fuel used during a mission is
based on considering the individual amounts
used within each flight phase/segment.
If there are N flight segment, then the total
amount of fuel used is


0 0
0
1
W
W
W
W
W W W
N
f
N f
=
=
If 6% allowance is given for trapped and reserved fuel
then,



Where is known as mission

segment weight fraction defined as the ratio of
weight of the aircraft at the end of the segment to the
weight of the aircraft at the beginning of the segment.
1 2
3
1
2
0
1
0
0 0
....
1 06 . 1

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N
N N
N
f
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
N i
W
W
i
i
,..., 2 , 1 ,
1
=

Typical Mission Profiles

For our initial estimation,
Mission Segment
Warm up ad Takeoff 0.970
Climb 0.985
Landing 0.995





1 i i
W W
Cruise Segment
From Brequet range equation, we have



for propeller driven airplane

for jet driven
airplane
( )
2 / 1 2 / 1
1
2 / 1
1
1
2 2
ln
ln
i i
D
L
t
i
i
i
i
t
W W
C
C
S c
R
W
W
D
L
c
R
W
W
D
L
c
V
R
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q
Loiter:
The loiter phase consists of cruising for a specified amount
of time over a small region.
Loiter time is usually included to allow for delays prior to
landing.

for jet driven airplane


for reciprocating engines

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i
i
i
i
t
W
W
V D
L
c
E
W
W
D
L
c
E
1
1
ln
1
ln
1
q
L/D Estimation
For a propeller driven airplane, efficient cruise
occurs at (L/D)max and efficient loiter at
0.866(L/D)max.
For a jet driven airplane, efficient cruise occurs at
0.866(L/D)max and efficient loiter at (L/D)max.

Examples
June10(3b):

?
837 . 0
387 . 0
26000
0
07 . 0
0 0
0
=
=
=
= +

W
W W W
W W
N W W
e
f
payload crew
( ) ( )
07 . 0
0
0
0 0
0
837 . 0 387 . 0 1
26000
1

=

+
=
W
W
W W W W
W W
W
e f
payload crew
W0(guess) We/W0 W0(calculated)
100,000 0.37387 108,730
108,700
..

Ans: 107840N

June 11(2):
Payload= 58600N
Weight of crew = 3335N
Empty weight fraction =
The fuel fraction in terms of range (R) is

Obtain the gross weight of the airplane for two
options of range viz. 1500km and 2000km.
Comment on the results-how does fuel fraction
change? How does gross weight change?
05 . 0
0
031 . 1

W
R W W
f
5
0
10 451 . 4 0657 . 0

+ =
December 2011(4a):
A UAV is to be designed with a payload capacity of 50kg. It is powered
by a single piston engine having sfc of 0.07 mg/W-s during cruise and
0.09mg/W-s during loiter. After launch by catapult, the aircraft is
required to fly a distance of 200 n mile from launch site, loiter for 45
minutes, and then cruise back , where it is recovered by a parachute.
Assume that its entire flight is conducted at M=0.3 at sea level under ISA
conditions, and the propulsive efficiency is 0.8. If the empty weight
fraction is 0.4, and max. L/D of the aircraft is 10; estimate its design
gross weight.
Given:
Weight of payload=50kg
Sfc during cruise

Sfc during loiter
Cruise to destination,
Return cruise,
Loiter time,
Max(L/D)=10
Propulsive efficiency=0.8
Mach no. , M=0.3
s W N
s W N s W mg
=
= =

/ 10 867 . 6
/ 81 . 9 10 07 . 0 / 07 . 0
7
6
s W N s W mg = =

/ 10 829 . 8 / 09 . 0
7
m nm R 370400 200
01
= =
m nm R 370400 200
23
= =
s s E 2700 min 45 = =
We know,
(1)

Fuel fraction = 0 1

3 2
As the UAV is launched by a catapult, no fuel will be used during takeoff
and climb and hence fuel fraction during these segments are neglected.
Also, the UAV is recovered by a parachute, fuel fraction during landing
is also neglected. So the fuel will be used only for three segments
namely, cruise out to destination, loiter and return cruise i.e.



( ) ( )
0 0
0
1 W W W W
W
W
e f
payload

=
0
3
1
W
W

2
3
1
2
0
1
0
3
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
=
Cruise to destination(0-1):
We know, for a piston engine, range is given as


For a piston engine, efficient cruise occurs at a
velocity where (L/D) is max.


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=
1
0
01
ln
W
W
D
L
c
R
cruise
pr
q
9687 . 0
0
1
=
W
W
Loiter(1-2):
We know,


Since efficient loiter occurs at a velocity where, (L/D)
is equal to 0.866(L/D)max and entire flight is
conducted at sea level under ISA condition,


T=288K


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2
1
12
ln
1
W
W
V D
L
c
E
loiter
pr
q
s m RT M V
D
L
/ 05 . 102
66 . 8
= =
=
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Since cruise range is same as the cruise to destination
range and every other parameters being same, we get


So,
9723 . 0
1
2
=
W
W
9687 . 0
2
3
=
W
W
9124 . 0
9687 . 0 9723 . 0 9687 . 0
0
3
2
3
1
2
0
1
0
3
=
= =
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W

Fuel fraction

Allowing 6% allowance for reserved and trapped fuel,
Total fuel fraction,

Substituting in equation (1),

0876 . 0 1
0
3
= =
W
W
092856 . 0
0
=
W
W
f
N W 970
0
=
June 12(4a):
A twin piston engine aircraft is required to have a
payload capacity of 1000kg. The aircraft is required to
fly a distance of 500km and back at an altitude of
3km above mean sea level under ISA conditions at a
cruise Mach no. of 0.3. The empty weight fraction is
0.4 and max. L/D of the aircraft is 8. If sfc of the
engine is 0.07 mg/W-s and propulsive efficiency in
cruise is 0.8, estimate its design gross weight.