PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - How affects weight in fuel consumption. Any graphics?
Old 9th Apr 2013, 05:04
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Tinstaafl
 
Join Date: Dec 1998
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Are you trying to quantify the effect of weight on fuel consumption for those types you listed? Or are you just trying to understand why it happens?

Can't help with graphs or charts to quantify the amount, but as for why (apologies if this isn't what you're after):

The aircraft has Weight (structure, fuel, payload). In straight & level flight this Weight must be supported by Lift ie Lift acts to oppose weight. The force produced by the wings that is defined as Lift is really a component of a total force being produced by the wings. The other compent of that force is Drag, which acts opposite to the direction of flight. An equal & opposite force must be applied to counter Drag for the aircraft to maintain its speed. That force is Thrust, produced by an engine consuming fuel.

More weight ==> more Lift required ie more total force from the wings. More total force also means more Drag. More Drag ==> more Thrust required. More Thrust ==> more fuel consumed by the engine to produce that extra thrust.

This applies to all aircraft, however it can be relatively insignificant in small types to being critical in flight planning for large types.

Last edited by Tinstaafl; 12th Apr 2013 at 15:59.
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