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weight and performance calculations for the Curtiss Model D-4 "Curtiss Pusher"
Eugene Ely takes off from the USS Birmingham , Hampton Roads, Virginia, November 14, 1910.
Curtiss Model D-4 "Curtiss Pusher"
role : experimental/research/flying trials
importance : ****
first flight : operational : November 1910
country : United States of America
design : Glenn Curtiss
production : 100 aircraft
general information :
The model D was derived from the Golden Flyer. It was one of the world’s first aircraft to be built in quantity. With a Model D Eugene Ely made the first take-off from a ship (USS Birmingham) November 1910 and the first landing on a ship (USS Pennsylvania) January 1911. The foreplane was later dispensed with when it was discovered it was unnecessary. Without the foreplane it was called “headless pusher”.
users : private use, US Army, US Navy
crew : 1
passengers : 1
engine : 1 Curtiss E-4 liquid-cooled 4 -cylinder inline engine 40 [hp](29.8 KW)
dimensions :
wingspan : 11.66 [m], length : 8.92 [m], height : 2.39[m]
wing area : 23.79 [m^2]
weights :
max.take-off weight : 500 [kg]
empty weight operational : 318 [kg] useful load : 85 [kg]
performance :
maximum speed :80 [km/hr] at sea-level
cruise speed :72 [km/u] op 100 [m]
service ceiling : 1500 [m]
range : 200 [km]
estimated endurance : 2.78 [hours]
First fixed-wing aircraft landing on a warship: Eugene Ely landing his plane on board USS Pennsylvania (ACR-4) in San Francisco Bay on 18 January 1911
description :
3-bay biplane with fixed landing gear with nosewheel
two spar upper and lower wing
tail supported by two open tail booms
engine, landing gear and useful-load in or attached to fuselage, fuel in gravity tank
airscrew :
fixed pitch 2 -bladed pusher airscrew with max. efficiency :0.61 [ ]
estimated diameter airscrew 2.25 [m]
angle of attack prop : 9.52 [ ]
fine pitch
reduction : 1.00 [ ]
airscrew revs : 1500 [r.p.m.]
pitch at Max speed 0.89 [m]
blade-tip speed at Vmax and max revs. : 178 [m/s]
calculation : *1* (dimensions)
measured wing chord : 1.05 [m]
mean wing chord : 1.02 [m]
calculated wing chord (rounded leading edge tips): 1.05 [m]
wing aspect ratio : 11.43 []
estimated gap : 1.75 [m]
gap/chord : 1.72 [ ]
seize (span*length*height) : 249 [m^3]
Curtiss Headless pusher
calculation : *2* (fuel consumption)
oil consumption : 0.8 [kg/hr]
fuel consumption(cruise speed) : 10.7 [kg/hr] (14.6 [litre/hr]) at 80 [%] power
distance flown for 1 kg fuel : 6.74 [km/kg] at 750 [m] cruise height, sfc : 450.0 [kg/kwh]
estimated total fuel capacity : 45.96 [litre] (33.69 [kg])
calculation : *3* (weight)
weight engine(s) dry : 89.5 [kg] = 3.00 [kg/KW]
weight 3.6 litre oil tank : 0.31 [kg]
oil tank filled with 0.2 litre oil : 0.2 [kg]
oil in engine 1.7 litre oil : 1.5 [kg]
fuel in engine 0.2 litre fuel : 0.15 [kg]
weight 46.0 litre gravity patrol tank(s) : 6.9 [kg]
weight radiator : 4.3 [kg]
weight exhaust pipes & fuel lines 3.6 [kg]
weight cowling 1.2 [kg]
weight airscrew(s) (wood) incl. boss & bolts : 7.0 [kg]
total weight propulsion system : 114 [kg](22.9 [%])
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weight tail boom : 11 [kg]
fuselage skeleton (wood gauge : 3.79 [cm]): 33 [kg]
bracing : 2.2 [kg]
weight instruments. : 1.1 [kg]
weight controls : 4.9 [kg]
weight seats : 3.0 [kg]
weight engine mount : 1.5 [kg]
total weight fuselage : 46 [kg](9.1 [%])
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weight wing covering (doped linen fabric) : 24 [kg]
total weight ribs (40 ribs) : 30 [kg]
load on front upper spar (clmax) per running metre : 344.8 [N]
load on rear upper spar (vmax) per running metre : 122.7 [N]
total weight 8 spars : 26 [kg]
weight wings : 80 [kg]
weight wing/square meter : 3.35 [kg]
weight 12 interplane struts & cabane : 19.9 [kg]
weight cables (86 [m]) : 3.5 [kg] (= 41 [gram] per metre)
diameter cable : 2.6 [mm]
area of canard wing : 1.1 [m2
weight canard wing :3.9 [kg]
weight fin & rudder (1.6 [m2]) : 5.5 [kg]
weight stabilizer & elevator (2.3 [m2]): 7.8 [kg]
total weight wing surfaces & bracing : 120 [kg] (24.1 [%])
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wheel pressure : 220.0 [kg]
weight 3 wheels (580 [mm] by 68 [mm]) : 13.9 [kg]
weight tailskid : 0.0 [kg]
weight undercarriage with axle 19.1 [kg]
total weight landing gear : 33.0 [kg] (6.6 [%]
*******************************************************************
Eugene Ely posing for his aircraft aboard USS Pennsylvania. Note the floating devices attached to the lower wing. Ely’s aircraft had a 60 hp Curtiss V-8 engine. After landing his airplane was turned around and after a lunch with the captain, Ely took off successfully from the warship and returned to Selfridge field at the Tanforan racetrack
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calculated empty weight : 313 [kg](62.6 [%])
weight oil for 3.3 hours flying : 2.6 [kg]
weight cooling fluids : 6.4 [kg]
calculated operational weight empty : 322 [kg] (64.4 [%])
published operational weight empty : 318 [kg] (63.6 [%])
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weight crew : 81 [kg]
weight fuel for 1.0 hours flying : 11 [kg]
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operational weight : 414 [kg](82.8 [%])
fuel reserve : 23.0 [kg] enough for 2.15 [hours] flying
possible additional useful load : 63 [kg]
operational weight fully loaded : 500 [kg] with fuel tank filled for 100 [%]
published maximum take-off weight : 500 [kg] (100.0 [%])
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calculation : * 4 * (engine power)
power loading (Take-off) : 16.76 [kg/kW]
power loading (operational without useful load) : 13.87 [kg/kW]
total power : 29.8 [kW] at 1500 [r.p.m]
calculation : *5* (loads)
manoeuvre load : 1.1 [g] at 1000 [m]
limit load : 3.0 [g] ultimate load : 4.5 [g] load factor : 2.1 [g]
design flight time : 2.22 [hours]
design cycles : 188 sorties, design hours : 125 [hours]
operational wing loading : 171 [N/m^2]
wing stress (3 g) during operation : 153 [N/kg] at 3g emergency manoeuvre
calculation : *6* (angles of attack)
angle of attack zero lift : -1.09 ["]
max. angle of attack (stalling angle) : 10.77 ["]
angle of attack at max. speed : 5.09 ["]
calculation : *7* (lift & drag ratios
lift coefficient at angle of attack 0° :0.10 [ ]
lift coefficient at max. angle of attack : 1.09 [ ]
lift coefficient at max. speed : 0.57 [ ]
induced drag coefficient at max. speed : 0.0161 [ ]
drag coefficient at max. speed : 0.1127 [ ]
drag coefficient (zero lift) : 0.0967 [ ]
calculation : *8* (speeds
stalling speed at sea-level (OW): 57 [km/u]
stalling speed at sea-level (MTOW): 63 [km/u]
landing speed at sea-level: 68 [km/hr]
min. drag speed (max endurance) : 66 [km/hr] at 750 [m] (power:63 [%])
min. power speed (max range) : 66 [km/hr] at 750 [m] (power:63 [%])
cruising speed : 72 [km/hr] op 750 [m] (power:74 [%])
design speed prop : 76 [km/hr]
maximum speed : 80 [km/hr] op 100 [m] (power:98 [%])
climbing speed at sea-level : 116 [m/min]
calculation : *9* (regarding various performances)
take-off speed : 69.5 [km/u]
static prop wash : 81 [km/u]
take-off distance at sea-level : 99 [m]
lift/drag ratio : 7.23 [ ]
time to 1000m : 11.55 [min]
time to 2000m : 35.53 [min]
practical ceiling (operational weight) : 2738 [m] with flying weight :414 [kg] line 3385
practical ceiling fully loaded (mtow- 30 min.fuel) : 1698 [m] with flying weight :495 [kg]
max. dive speed : 172.2 [km/hr] at 698 [m] height
turning speed at CLmax : 71.9 [km/u] at 50 [m] height
turn radius at 50m: 34 [m]
time needed for 360* turn 10.7 [seconds] at 50m
load factor at max. angle turn 1.56 ["g"]
calculation *10* (action radius & endurance)
estimated endurance : 2.78 [hours] with 1 crew and possible useful load : 67.2 [kg] and 88.1 [%] fuel
published range : 200 [km] with 1 crew and 67.2 [kg] useful load and 88.1 [%] fuel
range : 80 [km] with 1 crew and 85.0 [kg] useful load and 35.2 [%] fuel
max range theoretically with additional fuel tanks for total 132.1 [litre] fuel : 652.7 [km]
useful load with range 500km : 23 [kg]
production : 1.63 [tonkm/hour]
oil and fuel consumption per tonkm : 7.02 [kg]
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Model D-8 met 8-cil V-motor, Eugene Ely with his wife Mabel Hall .
Literature :
San Francisco Call 20 October 1911 — California Digital Newspaper Collection (ucr.edu)
Curtiss Model D Pusher, Single-engine Single-seat Pioneer Biplane, U.S.A. (skytamer.com)
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
On October 19, 1911, while flying at an exhibition in Macon, Georgia , the plane of Eugene Ely was late pulling out of a dive and crashed. Ely jumped clear of the wrecked aircraft, but his neck was broken, and he died a few minutes later. Spectators picked the wreckage clean looking for souvenirs, including Ely's gloves, tie, and cap. On what would have been his twenty-fifth birthday, his body was returned to his birthplace Williamsburg, Ioha, for burial.
(c) B van der Zalm 07 October 2020 contact : info.aircraftinvestigation@gmail.com python 3.7.4