Appendix A - Useful aircraft design data

Summary

Introduction

The aircraft industry is littered with a plethora of aerospace terms and units, which leads to considerable confusion. The early part of this appendix aims to translate terms used by the English-speaking nations on either side of the Atlantic ocean.

Conversion tables are also provided to allow comparison between commonly-used English or US units and their equivalent International System of units (SI).

Relevant, accurate, empirical aircraft design data are food and drink to an aircraft designer. It is important to learn from the past and use information about it as a guide for the future. Data comes from many sources, some more easy to acquire than others. Chapter 9 lists many data sources, but these still leave significant gaps of information. The author has accumulated much data over the years, and has extracted others from regular sources to present what is hoped will be useful information in a simple form for use in the early design processes. These data, by their nature, become obsolete after a few years, but it will be possible to up-date them as more information becomes available.

This appendix gives information in tabular or pictorial form in such areas as aircraft geometric, mass and performance data. It also gives information on powerplants, aerodynamics, structures, landing gear, interiors and weapons.