AOE 3104 - Problem Sheet 2

Due: February 3, 2003

Read: Marchman: Chapter 1 (again), Chapter 2 (Just read it for the big picture, don’t worry about
the derivations)

6. The atmosphere of Jupiter is essentially made up of hydrogen, H2. For Hydrogen, the specific
gas constant is 4157 Joules/(kg)(K). The acceleration of gravity of Jupiter is 24.9 m/s2. Assuming
an isothermal (constant temperature) atmosphere with a temperature of 150 K, and assuming that
Jupiter has a definable surface, calculate the altitude above that surface where the pressure is one-
half the surface pressure.

7. Consider an airplane flying with a velocity of 60 m/s at a standard altitude of 3km. At a point
on the wing, the airflow velocity is 70 m/s. Calculate the pressure at this point. Assume
incompressible flow.

8. In early low-speed airplanes, the venturi tube was used to measure airspeed. This simple
device is a convergent-divergent duct. (The front section’s cross-sectional area decreases in the
flow direction, and the back section’s cross-sectional area increases in the flow direction.
Somewhere in between the inlet and exit of the duct, there is a minimum area, called the throat).
Let A1 and A2 denote the inlet and throat areas, respectively. Let p1 and p2 be the pressures at the
inlet and throat, respectively. The venturi tube is mounted at a specific point on the plane where
the inlet velocity V1 is essentially the same as the free stream velocity, i.e. the velocity of the
airplane through the air. With a knowledge of the area ratio, A1/A2 (a fixed design feature) and a
measurement of the pressure difference p1 - p2 , the airplane’s velocity can be determined. Find
an expression for the velocity in terms of the pressure difference, the area ratio, and the constant
density. If the airplane is flying at standard sea level conditions, A1/A2 = 4, and p1 - p2 = 80 lb/ft2,
evaluate your expression and determine the speed of the airplane.

9. A supersonic transport is flying at a velocity of 1500 mi/hr at a standard altitude of 50,000 ft.
Calculate the Mach number of the transport.

10. The altimeter of a low-speed Piper Aztec reads 8000ft. A Pitot tube mounted on the wingtip
measures a pressure of 1650 lb/ft2. If the outside air temperature is 500 deg R, What is the true
velocity of the airplane?, What is the equivalent airspeed?

11. The altimeter on a low-speed airplane reads 2 km. The airspeed indicator reads 50 m/s. If the
outside air temperature is 280 k, what is the true velocity of the airplane?

12. A high-speed subsonic Boeing 707 airliner is flying at a pressure altitude of 12 km. A Pitot
tube on the vertical tail measures a pressure of 2.96x104 N/m2. At what Mach number is the
airplane flying?

13. A high-speed aircraft is flying at Mach 0.95 in a standard atmosphere at 30,000ft.

Determine: a) True airspeed
b) indicated airspeed on a incompressibly calibrated airspeed indicator
c) indicated airspeed on a compressibly calibrated airspeed indicator
d) equivalent airspeed
 AOE 3104 Problem Sheet 3
Due 10 February, 2003

Read Chapter 3,Marchman

14. We wish to design a wind tunnel experiment to accurately measure the lift and drag
coefficients that pertain to a Boeing 777 in actual flight at Mach 0.84 at an altitude of 35,000 ft.
The wingspan of a 777 is 199.9 ft. However, in order to fit in a wind tunnel test section, the
wingspan of the model is 6 ft. The pressure in the airstream of the wind tunnel is 1 atmosphere.
Calculate the necessary values of the airstream velocity, temperature, and density in the test
section. Assume that the viscosity varies as the square root of the temperature. Hint: for dynamic
similarity we need to match Reynolds number and Mach number. Note: The answer to this
problem leads to an absurdity. Discuss the nature of this absurdity in relation to the real word of
wind tunnel testing.

15. Consider an NACA 2412 airfoil (data in figure attached) with a chord of 1.5 m at an angle of
attack of 4 deg. For a free-stream velocity of 30 m/s at standard sea-level conditions, calculate
the lift and drag per unit span. Note the viscosity coefficient at standard sea-level conditions is
1.7894x10-5 kg/(m-s).

16. For the NACA 2412 airfoil, (see figure attached), show that, an  = 6 deg, Cl = 0.85 and Cm1/4
= -0.037. The aerodynamic center of this airfoil is located at hac = 0.2553. Calculate the value of
the moment coefficient about the aerodynamic center.

17. A model is being tested in the wind tunnel at a speed of 100 miles/hour. The flow in the test
section is at standard sea-level conditions.
a) What is the pressure at the model’s stagnation point, (lbs/ft2)
b) If the tunnel speed is measured by a pitot-static tube connected to a U tube manometer,
what is the reading of the manometer in inches of water?
c) At one point on the model, the pressure is measured at 2058 lbs/ft2. What is the local 0
airspeed at that point?

18. A jet engine has an inlet area of 4 ft2, inlet velocity of 300 ft/sec, and an inlet density of
standard sea-level air. At the exit, the conditions are Ve = 1800 ft/sec, and the exit area is 2 ft2.
The inlet an exit pressures are local atmospheric pressures.
a) Determine the thrust for this engine.
b) How would the answer in part (a) change if we included the fact that we added 0.15
slugs of fuel per sec to the airflow through the engine?
 AOE 3104 Vehicle Performance Problem Sheet 4
Due 14 February, 2003

19. Consider an aircraft that has a wing span of 15 m, a wing area of 37.5 m2, and a gross weight
of 88000 N. In level flight, the lift equals the weight. The aircraft is flying at 200 knots. Also the
Oswald efficiency factor is 0.9, and the zero-lift drag coefficient is 0.0220. Determine the
following:
a) lift coefficient
b) induced drag coefficent
c) total drag coefficient
d) induced drag (N)
e) zero-lift drag (N)
f) total drag (N)
g) lift to drag ratio, (L/D)

20. Repeat problem (19) for the case where altitude is 10,000 m. From your results, discuss (for
the case where true airspeed is a constant (200 knots) the effects of altitude on CL, CD0L, CDi, CD,
and the L/D.

21. The aircraft in problem (19) has a wing with an airfoil that has a 2-D lift-curve slope of
5.9 /rad. Use the DATCOM formula to estimate the 3-D lift-curve slope. The wing has a leading
edge sweep angle of 30 degrees, and a taper ratio of 0.5. Make the calculations for 200 knots at
a) sea-level
b) 10,000m

22. Consider a rectangular wing. Assume that it has an airfoil with a lift-curve slope of 2*. Also
assume that we are at low speed so that M = 0 (neglect compressibility effects). Calculate the lift-
curve slope for the wing if the aspect ratio is 6 using: A rectangular wing has a span efficiency
factor of 0.83
a) Prandtl’s relation
b) DATCOM formula
 AOE 3104 Vehicle Performance Problem Sheet 7
Due 28 March, 2003

Read Marchman, Chapters 4, 5

36. An aircraft weighs 56,000 lbs and has a 900 ft2 wing area. Its drag polar is given by:
CD = 0.016 + 0.04 CL2.
a) Find the minimum thrust required for straight and level flight and the corresponding
airspeeds at sea-level and at 30,000 ft
b) Find the minimum power required and the corresponding true airspeeds for straight
and level flight at sea-level and at 30,000 ft.

37. An aircraft has the following specifications: W = 24,000 lbs, S = 600 ft2, , and
K = 0.056

This aircraft has run out of fuel at an altitude of 30,000 ft.

a) Find the initial and final values of its airspeed for best range glide
b) Find the glide angle for best range
c) Find the rate of descent at 30,000, 15,000 ft, and sea-level
d) Estimate (find) the time to descend to sea-level

38. The above aircraft (prob 37) has a sea-level thrust of 6000 lbs, that is independent of
airspeed. Also, the thrust varies proportional with air density. Estimate the ceiling for this
aircraft.

39. Find the maximum angle of climb at sea-level and at 30,000 ft.

40. Find the maximum rate of climb at sea-level and at 30,000 ft.
 AOE 3104 Aircraft Performance Problem Sheet 2 (ans)

6. The atmosphere of Jupiter is essentially made up of hydrogen, H2. For Hydrogen, the specific
gas constant is 4157 Joules/(kg)(K). The acceleration of gravity of Jupiter is 24.9 m/s2. Assuming
an isothermal (constant temperature) atmosphere with a temperature of 150 K, and assuming that
Jupiter has a definable surface, calculate the altitude above that surface where the pressure is one-
half the surface pressure.

Find the Pressure ratio in a constant temperature atmosphere:

Then

7. Consider an airplane flying with a velocity of 60 m/s at a standard altitude of 3km. At a point
on the wing, the airflow velocity is 70 m/s. Calculate the pressure at this point. Assume
incompressible flow.

@ 3 km P = 7.010x104 N/m2 , = 0.9090 kg/m3

Use Bernoulli’s equation for incompressible flow:

To get:

8. In early low-speed airplanes, the venturi tube was used to measure airspeed. This simple
device is a convergent-divergent duct. (The front section’s cross-sectional area decreases in the
flow direction, and the back section’s cross-sectional area increases in the flow direction.
Somewhere in between the inlet and exit of the duct, there is a minimum area, called the throat).
Let A1 and A2 denote the inlet and throat areas, respectively. Let p1 and p2 be the pressures at the
inlet and throat, respectively. The venturi tube is mounted at a specific point on the plane where
the inlet velocity V1 is essentially the same as the free stream velocity, i.e. the velocity of the
airplane through the air. With a knowledge of the area ratio, A1/A2 (a fixed design feature) and a
measurement of the pressure difference p1 - p2 , the airplane’s velocity can be determined. Find
an expression for the velocity in terms of the pressure difference, the area ratio, and the constant
density. If the airplane is flying at standard sea level conditions, A1/A2 = 4, and p1 - p2 = 80 lb/ft2,
evaluate your expression and determine the speed of the airplane.

Let V1 = the entrance airspeed (the airspeed of the aircraft), and let V2 be the airspeed in
the smallest area or throat. We need to be able to determine V1. Use the incompressible
Bernoulli’s and 1-D continuity equation:

Replace V2 to get:

9. A supersonic transport is flying at a velocity of 1500 mi/hr at a standard altitude of 50,000 ft.
Calculate the Mach number of the transport.

@ 50,000 ft T = 392.088 deg R 1500 mi/hr x 88 (ft/sec)/(mi/hr) = 2200 ft/sec

10. The altimeter of a low-speed Piper Aztec reads 8000ft. A Pitot tube mounted on the wingtip
measures a pressure of 1650 lb/ft2. If the outside air temperature is 500 deg R, What is the true
velocity of the airplane?, What is the equivalent airspeed?

@ 8000 ft (Pressure is standard) P = 1571.9 lb/ft2, T given as 500 deg R

Pitot tube total pressure P0 = 1650 lb/ft2

From Perfect Gas Law:

(Note we are looking for the density of the atmosphere where the free stream airspeed is V and
hence we us static pressure - Recall we consider the aircraft to be sitting still and the atmosphere
to be moving past it).

a) Using Bernoulli’s incompressible equation:

b) Equivalent airspeed is defined by:

Hence:

11. The altimeter on a low-speed airplane reads 2 km. The airspeed indicator reads 50 m/s. If the
outside air temperature is 280 k, what is the true velocity of the airplane?

@ h = 2 km P = 79480 Pa T (given) = 280 deg K

From the perfect gas law:

It’s a low speed aircraft so assume airspeed indicator is incompressibly calibrated or that the
Mach number effects are negligible. Then:

Where
12. A high-speed subsonic Boeing 707 airliner is flying at a pressure altitude of 12 km. A Pitot
tube on the vertical tail measures a pressure of 2.96x104 N/m2. At what Mach number is the
airplane flying?

@ 12 km the pressure in a standard atmosphere is 19320 N/m2

The pitot tube read stagnation pressure that is P0 = 29600 N/m2

We can use the compressible form of Bernoulli’s equation:

or

M = 0.805

13. A high-speed aircraft is flying at Mach 0.95 in a standard atmosphere at 30,000ft.

Determine: a) True airspeed
b) indicated airspeed on a incompressibly calibrated airspeed indicator
c) indicated airspeed on a compressibly calibrated airspeed indicator
d) equivalent airspeed

@ 30,000 ft, P = 628.50 lbs/ft2, T = 411.77 deg R, , = 0.000890 sllugs/ft3

a) The true airspeed can be obtained by finding the speed of sound, since the Mach number is
given.

The true airspeed is then

b) The first thing we need to do is to calculate the total pressure since all airspeed indicators only
use P0 - P. Since at high subsonic speed we need to use the compressible form of Bernoulli’s
equation.
Now, for an incompressibly calibrated airspeed indicator we have:

c) For a compressibly calibrated airspeed indicator we have:

We need aSL:

d) Equivalent airspeed is defined as

or
 AOE 3104 Vehicle Performance Problem Sheet 3 (ans)

14. We wish to design a wind tunnel experiment to accurately measure the lift and drag
coefficients that pertain to a Boeing 777 in actual flight at Mach 0.84 at an altitude of 35,000 ft.
The wingspan of a 777 is 199.9 ft. However, in order to fit in a wind tunnel test section, the
wingspan of the model is 6 ft. The pressure in the airstream of the wind tunnel is 1 atmosphere.
Calculate the necessary values of the airstream velocity, temperature, and density in the test
section. Assume that the viscosity varies as the square root of the temperature. Hint: for dynamic
similarity we need to match Reynolds number and Mach number. Note: The answer to this
problem leads to an absurdity. Discuss the nature of this absurdity in relation to the real word of
wind tunnel testing.

@ 35,000 ft M = 0.84 P1 = 498.0 lbs/ft2 T1 = 393.95 deg R , = 0.000737 slugs/ft3

(Condition 1) b = 199.9 ft

Test Conditions: P2 = 2116.2 lbs/ft2 b = 6 ft

(condition 2)

,2, V2, T2 = ? Do ensure complete dynamic symmetry we want to match Re and M. Therefore
we require,

In addition we know that (given)

Substituting these into the Re and M equations, we have:

Cancelling out all the K1, K2, M, and some of , , we end up with the following
requirements:

We can calculate ,2 from the first equation, and T2 from P = ,RT, and finally V2 from the second
equation above.
Hence to match both Re and M for this scale model, we need a very high density, and a very low
temperature. If we could run at 10 atmospheres, then the temperature would come up to reality.
But we still have to deal with the high density problem, 10 times that of sea-level air.

15. Consider an NACA 2412 airfoil (data in figure attached) with a chord of 1.5 m at an angle of
attack of 4 deg. For a free-stream velocity of 30 m/s at standard sea-level conditions, calculate
the lift and drag per unit span. Note the viscosity coefficient at standard sea-level conditions is
1.7894x10-5 kg/(m-s).

@h = sea-level P = 101325 N/m2, , = 1.2250 kg/m3, T = 288.16 deg K

c = 1.5 m  = 4.0 deg V = 30 m/s

calculate the Reynolds number:

Use the curves with the circles (Re = 3.1 x 106)

@  = 4 deg Cl = 0.63 Cd = 0.0068

Calculate dynamic pressure

16. For the NACA 2412 airfoil, (see figure attached), show that, an  = 6 deg, Cl = 0.85 and Cm1/4
= -0.037. The aerodynamic center of this airfoil is located at hac = 0.2553. Calculate the value of
the moment coefficient about the aerodynamic center.

From figure, (Reynolds Number not a big influence on these values), at  = 6 deg,
and . We can calculate the moment about the aerodynamic center
from:
17. A model is being tested in the wind tunnel at a speed of 100 miles/hour. The flow in the test
section is at standard sea-level conditions.
a) What is the pressure at the model’s stagnation point, (lbs/ft2)
b) If the tunnel speed is measured by a pitot-static tube connected to a U tube manometer,
what is the reading of the manometer in inches of water?
c) At one point on the model, the pressure is measured at 2058 lbs/ft2. What is the local 0
airspeed at that point?

@ sea-level P = 2116,2 lbs/ft2 , = 0.002377 slugs/ft3 V = 100 mi/hr x 88

ft/sec/mph = 146.67 ft/sec

a) From the incompressible Bernoulli’s equation:

b) The pressure difference is the dynamic pressure:

c) From the incompressible Bernoulli’s equation, and noting the pressure difference is the
dynamic pressure, we have:
18. The momentum theory tells us that the force on the fluid is the net momentum flux out of the
control volume. Here we have:

The momentum flux is given by: .

a) We can write the equation in the x direction, noting that the mass flow in equals the mass
flow out (assuming the x direction is in the direction of air flow through the engine)

The force of the fluid on the engine is the thrust and acts in the negative x direction, of forward.

T = 4278 lbs

b) To include the fuel flow we will assume that the fuel starts at rest in the vehicle and leaves in
the exhaust at the same speed as the exhaust. Hence we can consider the additional thrust due to
the fuel:

Hence the total thrust is:

T = 4278 + 270 = 4548 lbs

 AOE 3104 Vehicle Performance Problem Sheet 4 (ans)

19. Consider an aircraft that has a wing span of 15 m, a wing area of 37.5 m2, and a gross weight
of 88000 N. In level flight, the lift equals the weight. The aircraft is flying at 200 knots. Also the
Oswald efficiency factor is 0.9, and the zero-lift drag coefficient is 0.0220. Determine the
following:
a) lift coefficient
b) induced drag coefficient
c) total drag coefficient
d) induced drag (N)
e) zero-lift drag (N)
f) total drag (N)
g) lift to drag ratio, (L/D)

Convert to basic units: 200kts (0.5144 m/kt)~=~102.88 m/s

Calculate basics: Dynamic pressure:

and:

a) Lift coefficient:

b)

c)

d)

e)

f)

g)
20. Repeat problem (19) for the case where altitude is 10,000 m. From your results, discuss (for
the case where true airspeed is a constant (200 knots) the effects of altitude on CL, CD0L, CDi, CD,
and the L/D.

@ 10,000 m , = 0.413 kg/m3 Designate sea-level conditions as 1 and altitude

conditions as 2.

a)

b)

c)

d)

e)

f)

g)

An increase in altitude at constant true airspeed causes the following changes:

1. Increase in CL 4. Increase in
2. Does not change 5. Decrease in L/D
3. Increase in
Item 5 may not always be true, but the rest are always true.
21. The aircraft in problem (19) has a wing with an airfoil that has a 2-D lift-curve slope of
5.9 /rad. Use the DATCOM formula to estimate the 3-D lift-curve slope. The wing has a leading
edge sweep angle of 30 degrees, and a taper ratio of 0.5. Make the calculations for 200 knots at
a) sea-level
b) 10,000m
@ sea-level: 200 kts = 102.88 m/s , aSL = 340 m/s,
 Here, n = ½, and m = 0 (leading edge)

(24.997 deg)

Substitute into DATCOM formula

@ 10,000 m a = 299.47 All other items stay the

same:

Note, at low speeds small changes in Mach number do not affect the lift-curve slope very much.
22. Consider a rectangular wing. Assume that it has an airfoil with a lift-curve slope of 2*. Also
assume that we are at low speed so that M = 0 (neglect compressibility effects). Calculate the lift-
curve slope for the wing if the aspect ratio is 6 using: A rectangular wing has a span efficiency
factor of 0.83

a) Prandtl’s relation
b) DATCOM formula
 a0 = 2*, M = 0, AR = 6

Prandtl’s formula:

In a rectangular wing, all sweep angles are the same = 0.0. Hence the general DATCOM equation
becomes: (for sweep and Mach =0, also since a0 = 2*, k = a0/(2*) = 1

or
 AOE 3104 Problem Sheet 7 (ans)

36. An aircraft weighs 56,000 lbs and has a 900 ft2 wing area. Its drag polar is given by:
CD = 0.016 + 0.04 CL2.
a) Find the minimum thrust required for straight and level flight and the corresponding
airspeeds at sea-level and at 30,000 ft
b) Find the minimum power required and the corresponding true airspeeds for straight
and level flight at sea-level and at 30,000 ft.

Minimum thrust required is equal to minimum drag. So calculate the minimum drag flight
conditions:

a) The minimum drag can be calculated from (it the same at all altitudes):

Sea-level airspeed for minimum drag:

At altitude:

b) Min power conditions

compute L/D min power:

We can calculate the min-power drag (same at all altitudes) from:

To get the power required, we need to calculate DV = Preq

Then, at sea-level,

At altitude we can note that the drag at minimum power is the same at all altitudes, the difference
in power required is the true airspeed times the drag. But the true airspeed is just the sea-level
speed divided by the square root of the density ratio, .. Hence:

is constant with altitude, so at altitude:

37. An aircraft has the following specifications: W = 24,000 lbs, S = 600 ft2, , and
K = 0.056

This aircraft has run out of fuel at an altitude of 30,000 ft.

a) Find the initial and final values of its airspeed for best range glide
b) Find the glide angle for best range
c) Find the rate of descent at 30,000, 15,000 ft, and sea-level
d) Estimate (find) the time to descend to sea-level

We need to set up the maximum range glide condition which corresponds to the minimum drag
flight condition. The minimum drag flight condition is determined from:

and

a) Airspeed

b) Glide angle:

c) Rate of descent

d) Time to descend
38. The above aircraft (prob 37) has a sea-level thrust of 6000 lbs, that is independent of
airspeed. Also, the thrust varies proportional with air density. Estimate the ceiling for this
aircraft.

We need to determine when the thrust available is equal to the minimum drag. From
previous work, L/D )max = 17.2516. Then:

=>

Then at the ceiling,

We can now interpolate between the altitudes where this value falls.

hL = 40,000 ft
hu = 45,000 ft

then the ceiling is approximately:

39. Find the maximum angle of climb at sea-level and at 30,000 ft.

The angle of climb is given by:

{small angle assumption L = W)

Since T/W is constant, the angle will be a maximum when is a minimum, or L/D is a
maximum (minimum drag condition). From problem (37) the maximum L/D = 17.2516. Hence
we have:

at sea-level:
at 30000 ft

40. Find the maximum rate of climb at sea-level and at 30,000 ft.

This is a tougher problem since the best rate of climb conditions, change with altitude.
For the case where the thrust available is independent of airspeed, we can determine the
conditions for maximum rate of climb from:

at sea-level

The corresponding drag coefficient is

Then:

and

I don’t know of any way to get the max rate of climb at altitude from that at sea-level in a clever
way, so we just have to redo the calculations that we did above.

At 30000 ft,
The lift coefficient for maximum rate of climb is then given by:

The corresponding drag coefficient is:

The angle of climb:

The airspeed is: