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Define the Mission
Read more: Define the MissionWhere do we start? You might think that a sketch is a good place to begin. But it turns out…
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Wing Loading
Read more: Wing LoadingWing loading, measured in lb/ft2, is basically a measure of how hard the wing has to work to keep the…
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Power Loading
Read more: Power LoadingPower loading is the figure that tells us how many pounds of weight each horsepower the engine produces has to…
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Lift-to-Drag Ratio
Read more: Lift-to-Drag RatioBefore we can estimate the airplane’s weight, we need to know a little more about its performance. The lift-to-drag ratio,…
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Weight Fractions
Read more: Weight FractionsWeight is a big deal. We start the design of an airplane by estimating the gross weight (takeoff weight, ,…
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Fuel Fraction
Read more: Fuel FractionFill ‘er up! Now we estimate fuel fraction using a modified form of the Breuget equation. We’ll go through the…
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Empty Weight Fraction
Read more: Empty Weight FractionThe last thing we need to do before estimating gross weight is to figure out the empty weight fraction. So…
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Gross Weight
Read more: Gross WeightWhen we left off, we had almost determined the empty weight fraction, and we’re finally ready to put all of…
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Elliptical Planform
Read more: Elliptical PlanformBefore we take the next step of determining the size of the wing, we should discuss its geometry. We’ve selected…
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Wing Sizing: Part 1
Read more: Wing Sizing: Part 1How much wing do I need? I’ve read a lot of textbooks and other sources and the thing I’ve learned…