FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1920
1920 - 0694.PDF
I, 1920 i t • '• «# r The matter of weight estimation for various types of aero- planes is not really such an inaccurate procedure even in the case of an apparently radical departure from previous types of construction. I have assembled published weight data for several hundred different aeroplanes and seaplanes— British, French, Italian, German and American—from the smallest to the largest, and while the returns in any individual case may be unreliable, the general trend is usually quite definite. It appears that no designer, whether using solid wood, hollow wood or metal, is getting something for nothing, or otherwise classed as failures. There may, however, remain some types which ought to be eliminated or for which the data is in error. However, the plots give little weight to an individual case and are used to establish the general trend of the averages. Mi *• I have burdened the Paper with the entire mass of data as designers may have use for it in some other form, or may wish to examine more closely the credibility of the evidence. Also, this collection of the weights of present-day machines, in a way, marks the state of the art. JL ,M • '•••••_' .. ,1 »,,•« »t ••» t * -*H * ••«• CHART Y. • 6 <>• 0 <> and, in general, the percentage weights for machines of similar type are remarkably alike. If this conclusion be established, a designer may estimate the weights of a new design with some degree of confidence provided he has data for a somewhat similar type to work from. In the tables of Appendix I, I have given weight data for machines which are supposed to represent successful designs of adequate strength and power, eliminating all that I know to be weak structurally or grossly underpowered, The data is summarised on charts to furnish a guide for use in preliminary design. The following general conclusions appear to be established :— (1) The weight of wings, struts, wires and tail surfaces amounts to about 20 per cent, of the gross weight for all types. (2) The weight of body, fuselage, landing gear, boat hull, etc., trends downward from 22 per cent, of gross for one-ton machines to 15 per cent, of gross for 20-ton machines. 694
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
