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Envelopes
Posted: 04 Dec 2009, 21:57
by DanKH
How to you calculate an aircraft's flight envelope?
Or is and ATC matter, and if so has it changed from the sixties-seventies until now?
Re: Envelopes
Posted: 04 Dec 2009, 22:31
by emfrat
Cheers Dan -
The separation rules are set by the ICAO and ATC monitors flights using them.
They were revised quite recently.
http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/hea ... oute/rvsm/
The term "flight envelope" usually means "performance envelope", i.e the stress limits within which the aircraft must be kept, or it breaks up, or falls out of the sky and then breaks up.
I believe the designers graph all the factors, and the clear patch enclosed by the lines is called the envelope.
ATB
MikeW
Re: Envelopes
Posted: 04 Dec 2009, 22:38
by SkippyBing
Or is and ATC matter
Never trust ATC, they're not in the aircraft....
Re: Envelopes
Posted: 04 Dec 2009, 22:59
by DanKH
OK, thanks
So it is actually the performance envelope (minALT, maxALT) I'm after for various aircrafts such as:
DC910
DC940
DC862
DC10
B742
Just to pick 5 totally random
minRwyLen would also be nice to know ....

.. I know that depends on weather, AirportLvl and several other parameters, but I guess there is a de facto "standard" dry conditions etc. etc.
Re: Envelopes
Posted: 04 Dec 2009, 23:59
by emfrat
Hi Dan -
I don't know if FAA certifications are in the public domain and available online, but that would be one place to look.
A search here would produce heaps of info too, I expect
http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/ ... 01842.html
but take care, it is one of those fascinating websites where you start reading one thing, and suddenly it's days later, nothing has been done around the house, and you have forgotten what it was you first came in for
Cheers
MikeW
Re: Envelopes
Posted: 05 Dec 2009, 01:57
by BAe146
Re: Envelopes
Posted: 05 Dec 2009, 06:02
by Chris Trott
Much of the information you're looking for is available here -
Type Certificate Data Sheets
Search by aircraft model (be specific too) and you'll get the information. If you need more, lemme know, I know a couple of other FAA databases that can help for post-production freighter modifications and the similar.
Also, as for how you calculate it, it's simple - that's what the test flights are for.

The engineers who design the plane calculate what they think it is, but then the test flights prove it.