In level flight in undisturbed air, the wings are supporting not only the weight of the aircraft, but centrifugal force as well. As the bank steepens, the horizontal lift component increases, centrifugal force increases, and the load factor increases.
What affects load factor?
In a constant altitude, coordinated turn in any airplane, the load factor is the result of two forces: centrifugal force and gravity. Figure 1: Two forces cause load factor during turns. For any given bank angle, the rate of turn varies with the airspeed, the higher the speed, the slower the rate of turn.
Which situation would increase the load factor on an aircraft?
Consider an aircraft in a level turn. In addition to the lift and weight, the aircraft experiences centrifugal force, which is counteracted b the horizontal component of the lift. So, as the bank becomes ‘tighter’, the load factor increases.
How do airlines increase load factor?
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Does load factor change with weight?
Load factors, as a ratio of lift to weight, can vary with weight, so an aircraft 200 pounds under gross can expect an added safety margin over the designed load factor limits, and many pilot operator handbooks list values for load factor limits at some standard gross weight and a higher set of limits at a “utility” …
What is aircraft load factor?
The load factor is a metric used in the airline industry that measures the percentage of available seating capacity that has been filled with passengers. A high load factor indicates that an airline has sold most of its available seats and is preferred over a low load factor.
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Does stall speed increase with load factor?
The increase in load factor in a turn also increases stall speed, in a level, 60-degree-bank turn, for instance, the effective weight on the wings doubles and stall speed increases by about 40 percent.
Why does load factor change?
This occurs when the airplane turns or the angle of attack suddenly increases (as it does in turbulence). This increase in apparent weight is called an increase in “G-force” or “load factor.” Let’s suppose our airplane is cruising in straight and level flight at a constant airspeed.
Do climbs increase load factor?
It makes sense to me that the load factor would be decreased in a descent, but not in a climb. There is no difference between a climb or descent in this respect. The load factor is the ratio of lift to weight, with the informal units of “g”.
Why does load factor increase in a turn?
Putting It All Together. When you turn, you need to increase your total lift to maintain altitude. You increase your total lift by increasing your angle of attack, which means you’re closer to stall than you were in wings-level flight. And, your stall speed increases in proportion to the square root of your load factor …
What is a good airline load factor?
An analysis from Forbes in March showed that the big US airlines, United, Delta, American, and Southwest, need a load factor between 72.5% (Southwest) and 78.9% (American) in order to not make a loss on their flights.
How is airline load factor calculated?
Load factor represents the proportion of airline output that is actually consumed. To calculate this figure, divide RPMs by ASMs. Load factor for a single flight can also be calculated by dividing the number of passengers by the number of seats.
How is aircraft load factor calculated?
The load factor n is produced by the aircraft accelerating upwards at (n − 1)g, where g is the acceleration due to gravity. In straight and level flight, n = 1 and thrust T = drag D. In a particular maneuver, it is possible to calculate the value of the load factor from which the total lift can be found.
How does load factor affect the stall speed of an airplane?
A load factor greater than 1 will cause the stall speed to increase by a factor equal to the square root of the load factor. For example, if the load factor is 2, the stall speed will increase by about 40%.
What is the limit load factor?
In aeronautics, limit load (LL) is the maximum load factor authorized during flight, Mathematically, limit load is LL = LLF x W, where LL = limit load, LLF = limit load factor, and W = weight of the aircraft. … The limit load factor is reduced if gross weight is increased.
How do you explain load factor?
Load factor is an expression of how much energy was used in a time period, versus how much energy would have been used, if the power had been left on during a period of peak demand. It is a useful indicator for describing the consumption characteristics of electricity over a period of time.
Why the load factor is important?
Why is Load Factor Important? … As the load factor represents the actual energy usage versus the peak demand, consumers can use the same amount of electricity from one month to the next and still reduce the average cost per unit (kWh) by reducing the peak demand.
Why do planes stall when flying straight up?
As the angle of attack increases, wing lift goes up and up and up, then suddenly drops sharply as the smooth air flow detaches from the back of the wing. That’s the stall.
Why forward cg increase stall speed?
The only way to continue level flight is to increase angle of attack in order to increase lift – that means that for the same aircraft weight, a forward C.G. will cause you to fly at a higher angle of attack and thus closer to the critical angle of attack, and therefore you increase the stall speed.
Does airspeed affect load factor?
At a constant altitude, during a coordinated turn in any aircraft, the load factor is the result of two forces: centrifugal force and weight. [Figure 5-52] For any given bank angle, the ROT varies with the airspeed—the higher the speed, the slower the ROT. … Angle of bank changes load factor in level flight.
What causes induced drag?
Induced drag is created as a result of lift. As your wing passes through the air, an area of lower air pressure is formed on the top of the wing. Higher-pressure air below the wing seeks equilibrium with the lower pressure area above, resulting in a vortex flow from the bottom of the wing to the top.
What is ground effect in aviation?
Ground Effect is the name given to the positive influence on the lifting characteristics of the horizontal surfaces of an aircraft wing when it is close to the ground. This effect is a consequence of the distortion of the airflow below such surfaces attributable to the proximity of the ground.
What is low wing loading?
An aircraft or animal with a low wing loading has a larger wing area relative to its mass, as compared to one with a high wing loading. The faster an aircraft flies, the more lift can be produced by each unit of wing area, so a smaller wing can carry the same mass in level flight.
Why does load factor increase in steep turn?
A steep turn increases the load factor of an aircraft. Simply put the aircraft feels heavier due to the effect of centrifugal force. At a 45 degree bank angle the load factor of an aircraft is 1.4 i.e. the aircraft effectively becomes 40% heavier.
What is the break even load factor?
Breakeven Load Factor (BLF) is the average percent of seats that must be filled on an average flight at current average fares for the airline’s passenger revenue to break even with the airline’s operating expenses. Since 2000, most large passenger airlines suffered a sharp increase in their Breakeven Load Factor.
What is a good break even load factor for an airline?
Based on a sample of 122 airlines, on average, airlines break even at a load factor of 77%. Only 4 airlines in the sample could break even at load factors below 62%. The remaining 118 airlines would, with their current pricing policies, become loss-making at load factors below 62%.
What does not affect stall speed?
Your indicated (IAS) stall speed stays the same because it is not directly affected by density altitude changes. However, your true airspeed stall speed does increase with altitude.
How does configuration affect stall speed?
Lowest maximum lift coefficient is obtained when flaps are retracted, i.e. airplane in clean configuration, thus highest stall speed occurs in clean configuration. When flaps are deflected, maximum lift coefficient increases and stall speed decreases.
Why the load factor is always less than 1?
The load factor is always less than 1 because the average load is smaller than the maximum demand. … The higher the load factor of the power station, the lesser will be the cost per unit generated, is because a higher load factor means lesser maximum demand.
What is limit load and ultimate load?
The Ultimate Load is the Limit Load multiplied by a prescribed Safety Factor of 1.5. Any part of the structure of an aircraft must be able to support the Ultimate Load and, with certain exceptions, be able to do so without failure for at least 3 seconds (Strength and deformation – CS 25.305 and Section 25.305).