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weight and performance calculations for the Ford 4-AT-E Trimotor
Ford 4-AT-E Trimotor
role : multi-engined passenger aircraft
importance : *****
first flight : 11 June 1926 operational : 2 August 1926
country : United States of America
design : William Bushnell Stout
nickname : “Tin Goose”
production : 199 aircraft
general information :
Combined the Fokker F.VII/3m configuration, the all-metal structure of the Junkers airliners with the mass production principals of the Ford car building industry.
users :
crew : 3 (pilot, co-pilot and stewardess) passengers : 10
engine : 3 Wright R-975 J-6-9 Whirlwind air-cooled 9 -cylinder radial engine 300 [hp]
(223.7 KW)
compressor height 1000
dimensions :
wingspan : 22.56 [m], length : 15.16 [m], height : 3.58[m]
wing area : 72.93 [m^2]
weights :
max.take-off weight : 4595 [kg]
empty weight operational : 2948 [kg] useful load : 1100 [kg]
performance :
maximum speed :212 [km/hr] at sea-level
cruise speed :191 [km/u] op 100 [m]
service ceiling : 5000 [m]
range : 713 [km]
description :
parasol wing with fixed landing gear and tail strut
two spar tapered wing
2 engines attached to the wings 1 in the nose, landing gear attached to the wings, useful load in the fuselage
fuel tanks in the wing centre section
airscrew :
three fixed pitch 2 -bladed tractor airscrews with max. efficiency :0.67 [ ]
estimated diameter airscrew 2.82 [m]
angle of attack prop : 14.89 [ ]
fine pitch
reduction : 1.00 [ ]
airscrew revs : 2000 [r.p.m.]
pitch at Max speed 1.77 [m]
blade-tip speed at Vmax and max revs. : 301 [m/s]
calculation : *1* (dimensions)
measured wing chord : 3.48 [m]
mean wing chord : 3.23 [m]
calculated average wing chord tapered wing with rounded tips: 3.23 [m]
wing aspect ratio : 6.98 []
seize (span*length*height) : 1224 [m^3]
calculation : *2* (fuel consumption)
oil consumption : 12.1 [kg/hr]
fuel consumption(cruise speed) : 151.1 [kg/hr] (206.1 [litre/hr]) at 73 [%] power
distance flown for 1 kg fuel : 1.26 [km/kg] at 2500 [m] height, sfc : 308.0 [kg/kwh]
estimated total fuel capacity : 874 [litre] (641 [kg])
calculation : *3* (weight)
weight engine(s) dry : 918.0 [kg] = 1.37 [kg/KW]
weight 77.1 litre oil tank : 6.56 [kg]
oil tank filled with 5.0 litre oil : 4.5 [kg]
oil in engine 3.7 litre oil : 3.4 [kg]
fuel in engine 4.6 litre fuel : 3.36 [kg]
weight 87.6 litre gravity patrol tank(s) : 13.1 [kg]
weight inertia starter : 5.5 [kg]
weight cowling 8.9 [kg]
weight airscrew(s) (wood) incl. boss & bolts : 75.9 [kg]
total weight propulsion system : 1033 [kg](22.5 [%])
***************************************************************
fuselage aluminium frame : 384 [kg]
cabin layout : pitch : 87 [cm] (1+1) seating in 5.5 rows
weight toilet : 5 [kg]
weight 11.0 windows : 9.90 [kg]
passenger cabin width : 1.46 [m] cabin length : 4.79 [m] cabin height : 1.90 [m]
weight cabin furbishing : 28.55 [kg]
weight cabin floor : 44.73 [kg]
bracing : 68.4 [kg]
fuselage covering ( 43.4 [m2] duraluminium 0.75 mm) : 84.2 [kg]
weight radio navigation equipment : 7.0 [kg]
weight instruments. : 4.0 [kg]
weight lighting : 2.8 [kg]
weight dual controls + indicators: 28.3 [kg]
weight seats : 65.0 [kg]
weight three 262 [litre] main fuel tanks empty : 62.9 [kg]
weight air conditioning : 16 [kg]
weight fuel lines : 5 [kg]
weight engine mount and firewall : 11 [kg]
total weight fuselage : 828 [kg](18.0 [%])
***************************************************************
weight wing covering (painted aluminium 0.75 mm) : 295 [kg]
total weight ribs (73 ribs) : 164 [kg]
weight engine mounts : 22 [kg]
load on front upper spar (clmax) per running metre : 1411.8 [N]
load on rear upper spar (vmax) per running metre : 573.8 [N]
total weight 4 spars : 206 [kg]
weight wings : 665 [kg]
weight wing/square meter : 9.12 [kg]
cantilever wing without bracing cables
weight fin & rudder (5.9 [m2]) : 54.7 [kg]
weight stabilizer & elevator (8.2 [m2]): 75.3 [kg]
total weight wing surfaces & bracing : 817 [kg] (17.8 [%])
*******************************************************************
wheel pressure : 2297.5 [kg]
weight 2 wheels (990 [mm] by 152 [mm]) : 123.1 [kg]
weight tailskid : 9.7 [kg]
weight undercarriage with axle 116.7 [kg]
total weight landing gear : 249.6 [kg] (5.4 [%]
*******************************************************************
********************************************************************
calculated empty weight : 2927 [kg](63.7 [%])
weight oil for 4.5 hours flying : 54.2 [kg]
calculated operational weight empty : 2982 [kg] (64.9 [%])
published operational weight empty : 2948 [kg] (64.2 [%])
***o***
"
weight crew : 162 [kg]
weight fuel for 2.0 hours flying : 302 [kg]
********************************************************************
operational weight empty: 3446 [kg](75.0 [%])
weight 11 passengers : 847 [kg]
weight luggage & freight : 253 [kg]
operational weight loaded: 4546 [kg](75.0 [%])
fuel reserve : 49.3 [kg] enough for 0.33 [hours] flying
operational weight fully loaded : 4595 [kg] with fuel tank filled for 55 [%]
published maximum take-off weight : 4595 [kg] (100.0 [%])
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calculation : * 4 * (engine power)
power loading (Take-off) : 6.85 [kg/kW]
power loading (operational without useful load) : 5.13 [kg/kW]
power loading (Take-off) 1 PUF: 10.27 [kg/kW]
total power : 671.1 [kW] at 2000 [r.p.m]
calculation : *5* (loads)
manoeuvre load : 3.0 [g] at 1000 [m]
limit load : 2.5 [g] ultimate load : 3.8 [g] load factor : 1.8 [g]
design flight time : 2.99 [hours]
design cycles : 4828 sorties, design hours : 14433 [hours]
operational wing loading : 463 [N/m^2]
wing stress (3 g) during operation : 152 [N/kg] at 3g emergency manoeuvre
calculation : *6* (angles of attack)
angle of attack zero lift : -1.21 ["]
max. angle of attack (stalling angle) : 12.65 ["]
angle of attack at max. speed : 1.45 ["]
calculation : *7* (lift & drag ratios
lift coefficient at angle of attack 0° :0.10 [ ]
lift coefficient at max. angle of attack : 1.15 [ ]
lift coefficient at max. speed : 0.22 [ ]
induced drag coefficient at max. speed : 0.0029 [ ]
drag coefficient at max. speed : 0.0497 [ ]
drag coefficient (zero lift) : 0.0467 [ ]
calculation : *8* (speeds
stalling speed at sea-level (OW loaded : 4444 [kg]): 105 [km/u]
landing speed at sea-level: 123 [km/hr]
min. drag speed (max endurance) : 136 [km/hr] at 2500 [m](power :39 [%])
min. power speed (max range) : 136 [km/hr] at 2500 [m] (power:39 [%])
max. rate of climb speed : 124.4 [km/hr] at sea-level
cruising speed : 191 [km/hr] op 2500 [m] (power:69 [%])
design speed prop : 201 [km/hr]
maximum speed : 212 [km/hr] op 100 [m] (power:104 [%])
climbing speed at sea-level : 450 [m/min]
calculation : *9* (regarding various performances)
take-off speed : 128.2 [km/u]
static prop wash : 161 [km/u]
take-off distance at sea-level : 140 [m]
lift/drag ratio : 9.38 [ ]
climb to 1000m with max payload : 3.41 [min]
climb to 2000m with max payload : 7.53 [min]
climb to 3000m with max payload : 12.64 [min]
practical ceiling (operational weight 3446 [kg] ) : 7148 [m]
practical ceiling fully loaded (mtow- 30 min.fuel:4519 [kg] ) : 5713 [m]
max. dive speed : 523.4 [km/hr] at 4713 [m] height
turning speed at CLmax : 152.0 [km/u] at 50 [m] height
turn radius at 50m: 73 [m]
time needed for 360* turn 10.8 [seconds] at 50m
load factor at max. angle turn 2.69 ["g"]
calculation *10* (action radius & endurance)
published range : 713 [km] with 3 crew and 835.2 [kg] useful load and 88.1 [%] fuel
range : 379 [km] with 3 crew and 1100.0 [kg] useful load and 46.8 [%] fuel
range : 669 [km] with 10.0 passengers with each 10 [kg] luggage and 82.7 [%] fuel
Available Seat Kilometers (ASK) : 6690 [paskm]
max range theoretically with additional fuel tanks total 2130.6 [litre] fuel : 1972.5 [km]
useful load with range 500km : 1166 [kg]
useful load with range 500km : 10 passengers
production (useful load): 222.44 [tonkm/hour]
production (passengers): 1908.00 [paskm/hour]
oil and fuel consumption per tonkm : 0.73 [kg]
oil and fuel consumption per paskm : 0.09 [kg]
fuel cost per paskm : 0.09 [eur]
crew cost per paskm : 0.08 [eur]
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economic hours : 12775 [hours] is less then design hours
time between engine failure : 245 [hr]
low risk for emergency landing, can continue flying with 1 engine out
writing off per paskm : 0.10 [eur]
insurance per paskm : 0.0241 [eur]
maintenance cost per paskm : 0.2872 [eur]
direct operating cost per paskm : 0.57 [eur]
fatal accidents :
18 fatal accidents, total 70 people died flying in a 4-AT
Literature :
Praktisch handbook vliegtuigen deel 2 page
Piston-engined airliners page 17
Geillustreerde encyclopedie van de luchtvaart 1848-1939 page 182
world directory of airliner crashes
DISCLAIMER Above calculations are based on published data, they must be
regarded as indication not as facts.
Calculated performance and weight may not correspond with actual weights
and performances and are assumptions for which no responsibility can be taken.
Calculations are as accurate as possible, they can be fine-tuned when more data
is available, you are welcome to give suggestions and additional information
so we can improve our program. For copyright on drawings/photographs/
content please mail to below mail address
(c) B van der Zalm 10 May 2021 contact : info.aircraftinvestigation@gmail.com python 3.7.4