2.3 The Operating Environment and Aircraft Performance

 


There are so many environmental factors which have great impact on aviation systems. Temperature density, and altitude. All three factors have a huge impact on the aviation performance of the aircraft. In this blog, I will be addressing the factor of altitude specifically. The aerodynamic performance is always correlated with the aircraft altitude. Depending on where the aircraft cruise will result in a different performance outcome. The air density increases at lower altitude. And decreases at higher altitudes. Air density has a direct proportional relationship with the aircraft performance. As the air density increases so the aircraft performance. Normally air density will be higher at lower altitudes since the pressure is higher at lower altitudes.

Have you ever wondered why most of the airliner’s cruise at very high altitudes? Well, simply because altitude play a huge factor in fuel efficiency. Most jet engine airplane normally burn less fuel at higher altitudes because of two reasons. First, as altitude increases the air become more and more thin resulting in less drag. Second The specific fuel consumption of jet engines decreases as the outside air temperature decreases for constant engine rpm and true airspeed (TAS). Thus, by flying at a high altitude, the pilot can operate at flight levels where fuel economy is best and with the most advantageous cruise speed.

References 

    H. (2020, August 25). Why Are Jet Engines More Efficient at Higher Altitudes? HighSkyFlying. https://www.highskyflying.com/why-are-jet-engines-more-efficient-at-higher-altitudes/

         I. (2019b, July 30). How Does Density Altitude Affect Flight? Hartzell Propeller. https://hartzellprop.com/how-does-density-altitude-affect-flight/



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