Aircraft performance refers to the ability of an aircraft to accomplish certain useful things.
[Federal Aviation Administration: "Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge", Chapter 11]
/ref> It is an important consideration when designing and testing aircraft, to ensure the aircraft can be operated in an efficient and economic manner.Adaptive compliant wing
An adaptive compliant wing is a wing which is flexible enough for aspects of its shape to be changed in flight. Flexible wings have a number of benefits. Conventional flight control mechanisms operate using hinges, resulting in disruptions to the a ...
s and variable-sweep wing
A variable-sweep wing, colloquially known as a "swing wing", is an airplane wing, or set of wings, that may be swept back and then returned to its original straight position during flight. It allows the aircraft's shape to be modified in fli ...
s are technologies aimed at improving performance during the different stages of flight.
The subject of aircraft performance includes aircraft speed, ceiling, range and fuel efficiency, take-off distance required, and climb rate. It also includes aircraft controllability speeds.[
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See also
* Aircraft engine performance
Aircraft engine performance refers to factors including thrust or shaft power for fuel consumed, weight, cost, outside dimensions and life. It includes meeting regulated environmental limits which apply to emissions of noise and chemical pollutan ...
* Jet engine performance
The behavior of a jet engine and its effect both on the aircraft and the environment is categorized into different engineering areas or disciplines. The understanding of how a particular fuel flow produces a definite amount of thrust at a partic ...
* Takeoff
Takeoff is the phase of flight in which an aerospace vehicle leaves the ground and becomes airborne. For aircraft traveling vertically, this is known as liftoff.
For aircraft that take off horizontally, this usually involves starting with a t ...
* Landing
Landing is the last part of a flight, where a flying animal, aircraft, or spacecraft returns to the ground. When the flying object returns to water, the process is called alighting, although it is commonly called "landing", "touchdown" or ...
* Landing performance
The performance data for landing an aircraft can be obtained from the aircraft's flight manual or pilot's operating handbook. It will state the distance required to bring the aircraft to a stop under ideal conditions, assuming the aircraft crosses ...
* Ceiling (aeronautics)
With respect to aircraft performance, a ceiling is the maximum density altitude an aircraft can reach under a set of conditions, as determined by its flight envelope.
Service ceiling
Service ceiling is where the rate of climb drops below a pres ...
* Flight envelope
In aerodynamics, the flight envelope, service envelope, or performance envelope of an aircraft or spacecraft refers to the capabilities of a design in terms of airspeed and load factor or atmospheric density, often simplified to altitude. The t ...
* Hot and high
In aviation, hot and high is a condition of low air density due to high ambient temperature and high airport elevation. Air density decreases with increasing temperature and altitude. The lower air density reduces the power output from the airc ...
* Drag curve
The drag curve or drag polar is the relationship between the drag on an aircraft and other variables, such as lift, the coefficient of lift, angle-of-attack or speed. It may be described by an equation or displayed as a graph (sometimes called a " ...
* Wing loading
In aerodynamics, wing loading is the total mass of an aircraft or flying animal divided by the area of its wing. The stalling speed of an aircraft in straight, level flight is partly determined by its wing loading. An aircraft or animal with a ...
* V speeds
In aviation, V-speeds are standard terms used to define airspeeds important or useful to the operation of all aircraft. These speeds are derived from data obtained by aircraft designers and manufacturers during flight testing for aircraft type- ...
References
External links
Eurocontrol performance database
MIT lecture on aircraft performance
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