PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Glide Distance
Thread: Glide Distance
View Single Post
Old 19th July 2001 | 00:26
  #8 (permalink)  
BEagle
25 Anniversary
 
Joined: May 1999
: ATP+Mil
Posts: 27,399
Likes: 857
From: Quite near 'An aerodrome somewhere in England'
Post

This is a classic - and the answer depends upon the constant used. At the optimum AoA - that is at the AoA which corresponds to (Cl/Cd)max - weight has no effect if you discount the 'glider' factors of atmospheric motion or the effects of compressibility at high IAS.

Whereas the situation is totally different if the aircraft uses a 'standard descent schedule' - then, only one weight (or rather 'mass') value corresponds to the optimum AoA - any deviation from this would reduce glide range.

If you want to design an efficient people mover, arrange for it to have an optimum (Cl/Cd)max AoA when descending on its optimum descent schedule at max ZFW and min certificated landing fuel mass.
BEagle is offline