CEE 5614 Quick Overview of Aircraft Classifications Dr. Antonio A. Trani Professor Civil and Environmental Engineering January 2018 1
Material Presented The aircraft and its impact operations in the NAS Aircraft classifications Explain the impact of aircraft classifications and their effect in aviation operations 2
Relevance of Aircraft Characteristics Aircraft classifications are necessary in airport and airspace operations Most of the airport design standards are related to aircraft size (i.e., wingspan, aircraft length, aircraft wheelbase, aircraft seating capacity, etc.) Many of the same standards apply to the modeling and simulation of aviation operations The Next Generation (NextGen) air transportation system will cater to a more diverse pool of aircraft 3
Aircraft Performance in Aviation Operations Important to know the performance aspects of the aircraft on the ground and in the air to model aviation operations source: A. A. Trani source: Eurocontrol Aircraft Performance database source: https://contentzone.eurocontrol.int/aircraftperformance/details.aspx? ICAO=B738&NameFilter=737 4
Aircraft Performance in Aviation Operations The turbo-prop aircraft shown to the right shows significant performance differences with the Boeing 737-800 presented in the previous slide source: A. A. Trani source: Eurocontrol Aircraft Performance database source:https://contentzone.eurocontrol.int/aircraftperformance/details.aspx? ICAO=DH8C&GroupFilter=9 5
Geometric Design Classification (ICAO) 6
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Design Criteria Planning airport operations requires information of various aircraft features The FAA considers three important features of every aircraft: Aircraft Approach Category (AAC) Airplane Design Group (ADG) Taxiway Design Group (TDG) The following slides provide some guidance in how to find these three attributes for each aircraft 7
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Aircraft Design Group (ADG) Classification Design Group Tail Height (Feet) Wingspan (feet) I <20 <49 II 20 to <30 49 to < 79 III 30 to <45 79 to < 118 IV 45 to < 60 118 to < 171 V 60 to < 66 171 to < 214 Representative Aircraft Types Cessna 172, Beech 36, Cessna 421, Learjet 35 Beech B300, Cessna 550 Falcon 50, Challenger 605 Boeing 737, Airbus A320 CRJ-900, EMB-190 Boeing 767, Boeing 757, Airbus A300, Douglas DC-10 Boeing 747, Airbus A340, Boeing 777 VI 66 to <80 214 to < 262 Airbus A380, Antonov 124* * The Antonov 225 has a wingspan of 290 feet (in a class by itself). Only one aircraft produced. 8
FAA Aircraft Approach Speed Classification (AAC) Note: Approach speed varies with aircraft mass 9
Example of Aircraft Approach Speed Variations Consider the Airbus A340-500 - a long-range aircraft Approach Speed (knots) Max. Allowable Landing Weight 300,000 kg Approach speed at 180,000 kg landing mass ~ 125 knots Approach speed at 300,000 kg landing mass (maximum allowable landing mass) ~ 160 knots source: Airbus A340-500 Airplane Characteristics for Airport Planning 10
Source to Find Aircraft Approach Speed and Aircraft Mass (weight) Data FAA Advisory Circular AC/150 5300-13 Airport Design (Appendix 1) 11
Presentation of Aircraft Characteristics in Appendix 1 of AC 150/5300-13 Aircraft Approach Class Aircraft Design Group Taxiway Design Group 12
Taxiway Design Group (TDG) Previous FAA guidance considered tail height and wingspan as design factors for geometric design New guidance (Sep. 2012) Dimensions of the aircraft undercarriage are also important in geometric design New guidance for taxiway design considers Main gear Width (MGW) and Cockpit to Main gear Dimensions (CMG) 13
FAA AC 150/5300-13 Appendix 1 source: FAA AC 150/5300-13 14
Consideration About CMG Distance vs Wheelbase Distance FAA specifies: Cockpit to Main Gear (CMG) dimension will be used instead of the aircraft wheelbase for aircraft where the cockpit is located forward of the nose gear (typically applies to commercial aircraft) For aircraft with the cockpit located aft of the nose gear, use the wheelbase instead of CMG to determine the Taxiway Design Group (TDG) See figures in previous slides 15
Examples - Commercial Aircraft Most commercial aircraft have the cockpit located ahead of the nose gear (use CMG distance) Boeing 737-300. Twin-engine turbofan powered, commercial aircraft Cockpit to Main Gear Distance (CMG) 16
Taxiway Design Group Definitions source: FAA AC 150/5300-13 17
Runway Design Code (RDC) Three parameters are combined to derive a socalled Runway Design Code (RDC) AAC, ADG and Approach Visibility Minimums RDC provides three parameters needed to determine certain design standards that apply at the airport Note: for some airport design projects the TDG parameters is also critical to determine taxiwayto-runway distances 18
Approach Visibility Minimums Defined by a parameter called Runway Visual Range (RVR) RVR is the range over which the Pilot of an aircraft on the centre line of a runway can see the runway surface markings or the lights delineating the runway or identifying its centre line. (ICAO) RVR is normally expressed in feet or in meters 19
Approach Visibility Minimums Instrument Landing System Categories Category Decision Height (ft) RVR (ft) I 200 2,400 II 100 1,600 IIIa 50-100 1,200 IIIb 0-50 600 IIIc 0-50 0 source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjicabr4r3e 20
Aircraft Characteristic Databases FAA site http://www.faa.gov/airports/engineering/ aircraft_char_database/ Excel file with aircraft data (http://128.173.204.63/courses/ cee4674/cee4674_pub/aircraft_char_122009.xls) or at http://www.faa.gov/airports/engineering/ aircraft_char_database/) Eurocontrol site http://elearning.ians.lu/aircraftperformance/ 21
Sample Excel Database of Aircraft Characteristics Available at: Excel file with aircraft data (http://128.173.204.63/courses/cee4674/ cee4674_pub/aircraft_char_122009.xls) or at http://www.faa.gov/airports/engineering/aircraft_char_database/) ARC = Airport Reference Code combines AAC and ADG 22
Example Problem # 1 An airport is to be designed to accommodate the Boeing 757-300 aircraft. Determine the airport reference code and the taxiway design group to be used. Solution: Look at the FAA aircraft database: Approach speed is 142 knots (AAC = D) and Wingspan is 124.8 feet and tail height 44.5 feet (thus group IV) 23
Picture the Aircraft in Question (Sanity Check) Boeing 757-300 taking off at Punta Cana international Airport (A. Trani) Aircraft pictures are available at: http://www.airliners.net 24
Example Problem # 1 Boeing 757-300 : Approach speed is 142 knots (AAC = D) and Wingspan is 124.8 feet and tail height 44.5 feet (belongs to group IV) Boeing 757-300 Belongs to Group IV Reason: tail height falls into III group, wingspan belongs to group IV Use the most critical 25
Wake Vortex Every aircraft generates wakes behind the wing due to the strong circulation required to generate lift Circulation Strength Boundary Wake vortices depend on aircraft mass, wingspan and atmospheric conditions 26
Legacy FAA Wake Vortex Classification Superheavy 27
Wake Vortex Recategorization Classification FAA Introduced a new re-categorization procedure at Memphis International Airport in 2012 Consult FAA Order N JO 7110.608 28
New Wake Vortex Classification The new Re-Categorization (Phase 1) standards have been developed by FAA and ICAO Aircraft groups have changed! A = Superheavy aircraft, F = small aircraft Blank cells are either 3 nm or 2.5 nm depending on the airport 29
New Wake Vortex Classification (RECAT Phase 1) 30
New Wake Vortex Classification (RECAT Phase 1) RECAT Class Representative Aircraft Picture of Representative Aircraft A Airbus A380-800 B C Boeing 747-400, Boeing 777-300ER, Airbus A330-300, Airbus A350-900, Airbus A300-600, Boeing 787-8/9 McDonnell Douglas DC-10, Boeing MD-10, Boeing Douglas MD-11, Boeing 767-300 D Boeing 757-200 and -300, Boeing 737-800, Airbus A320, Airbus A321, McDonnell Douglas MD-80, Embraer 190, Bombardier CS-300, Gulfstream 550 and 650 E Bombardier CRJ-900, Embraer 170/175, Bombardier CRJ-700, Embraer 145, Bombardier CRJ-200, Dassault Falcon 7X F Cessna CitationJet 4, Gulfstream G280, Bombardier Challenger 350, Cessna 182, Cessna 172 31
Implications of Aircraft Wake Classes In-trail separations are driven by wake class groups Runway capacity today is usually driven by in-trail separations 32
Example # 2 Estimate the approximate arrival capacity to a single runway at La Guardia airport if 100% of the arrivals belong to the large wake class (now Category D under RECAT Phase 1) Assume the typical approach speed of arrivals is 140 knots from the final approach fix to the runway 2.5 nm + 20 second buffer Runway 04-22 at LGA 33
Example # 2 (cont.) A 2.5 nautical miles + 20 second buffer translates into a headway (i.e., time between successive arrivals) of : headway = 2.5nm 3600s / hr + 20s = 84.3s 140nm / hr The arrival capacity is the inverse of headway C arrivals = 3600s / hr 84.3s = 42 arrivals/hr 140 knots 140 knots 2.5 nm + 20 second buffer 34
International Air Transport Association (IATA) Classification Used in the forecast of aircraft movements at an airport based on the IATA forecast methodology 35
Other Classifications often mentioned in Aviation Trade Magazines Aircraft classification based on the aircraft use General aviation aircraft (GA) Corporate aircraft (CA) Commuter aircraft (COM) Transport aircraft (TA) Short-range Medium-range Long-range 36
General Aviation Aircraft 37
Corporate Aircraft 38
Commuter Aircraft 39
Short-Range Transport Aircraft 40
Medium-Range Transport Aircraft 41
Long-Range Transport Aircraft 42
Web Sites to Learn to Recognize Various Aircraft Pictures taken by the author at various airport (https://photos.app.goo.gl/ 8bdSvdwPQU7lHIDi2) Airliners site airliners.net Jetphotos (https://www.jetphotos.com) Eurontrol Aircraft Database (https://contentzone.eurocontrol.int/ aircraftperformance/default.aspx?) Aerospatiale ATR-42-500 Airbus A380-800 43
Aircraft Trends Very large capacity aircraft (introduced in the third quarter of 2007) Airbus A380 and Boeing 747-8 New generation ultra-efficient, long-range transport Boeing 787 and Airbus A350 New generation short range aircraft Bombardier C-Series, Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ), Comac 919 and Irkut MC-21 44
Aircraft Wing Aspect Ratio (AR) S AR = b 2 / S AR b 2 wing aspect ratio (dimensionless) wingspan (ft 2 or m 2 ) b S wing area (ft 2 or m 2 ) 45
Evolution of Aircraft Wing Aspect Ratios Long range aircraft require very long and thin wings to be aerodynamically efficient Future aircraft designs 46
Evolution of Aircraft Mass and Wingspan 47