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weight and performance calculations for the Ford 5-AT-C Tri-motor

Ford 5-AT-C Tri-motor

role : multi-engined passenger aircraft

importance : ****

first flight : operational : August 1928

country : United States of America

design :

production : 117 aircraft

general information :

The Ford 5-AT was a further development of the Ford 4-AT. It had Pratt & Whitney Wasp engines. It had a bigger wingspan and could carry a bigger payload and now could take up to 14 passengers

users : US airliners, South-America

crew : 3 passengers : 14

engine : 3 Pratt & Whitney R-1340-C1 Wasp air-cooled 9 -cylinder radial engine 420 [hp](313.2 KW)

compressor height 500

dimensions :

wingspan : 23.72 [m], length : 15.31 [m], height : 3.86[m]

wing area : 77.6 [m^2]

weights :

max.take-off weight : 5738 [kg]

empty weight operational : 3470 [kg] useful load : 1400 [kg]

performance :

maximum speed :241 [km/hr] at sea-level

cruise speed :217 [km/u] op 100 [m]

service ceiling : 5500 [m]

range : 885 [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

IPMS Nederland - Walk around - Ford AT-5 tri-motor

airscrew :

three fixed pitch 2 -bladed tractor airscrews with max. efficiency :0.67 [ ]

estimated diameter airscrew 2.88 [m]

angle of attack prop : 16.49 [ ]

reduction : 1.00 [ ]

airscrew revs : 2000 [r.p.m.]

pitch at Max speed 2.01 [m]

blade-tip speed at Vmax and max revs. : 309 [m/s]

calculation : *1* (dimensions)

measured wing chord : 3.45 [m]

mean wing chord : 3.27 [m]

calculated average wing chord tapered wing with rounded tips: 3.27 [m]

wing aspect ratio : 7.25 []

seize (span*length*height) : 1402 [m^3]

calculation : *2* (fuel consumption)

oil consumption : 15.0 [kg/hr]

fuel consumption(cruise speed) : 200.0 [kg/hr] (272.8 [litre/hr]) at 66 [%] power

distance flown for 1 kg fuel : 1.08 [km/kg] at 2750 [m] cruise height, sfc : 324.5 [kg/kwh]

estimated total fuel capacity : 1263 [litre] (926 [kg])

calculation : *3* (weight)

weight engine(s) dry : 1020.0 [kg] = 1.09 [kg/KW]

weight 105.5 litre oil tank : 8.97 [kg]

oil tank filled with 7.0 litre oil : 6.3 [kg]

oil in engine 5.2 litre oil : 4.7 [kg]

fuel in engine 6.4 litre fuel : 4.70 [kg]

weight 116.0 litre gravity patrol tank(s) : 17.4 [kg]

weight inertia starter : 7.7 [kg]

weight cowling 12.5 [kg]

weight airscrew(s) (wood) incl. boss & bolts : 95.6 [kg]

total weight propulsion system : 1169 [kg](20.4 [%])

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fuselage aluminium frame : 466 [kg]

cabin layout : pitch : 87 [cm] (1+1) seating in 7.0 rows

weight toilet : 5 [kg]

weight 14.0 windows : 12.60 [kg]

passenger cabin width : 1.45 [m] cabin length : 6.09 [m] cabin height : 1.90 [m]

weight cabin furbishing : 35.99 [kg]

weight cabin floor : 56.55 [kg]

bracing : 83.9 [kg]

fuselage covering ( 44.3 [m2] duraluminium 0.75 mm) : 85.0 [kg]

weight radio navigation equipment : 7.0 [kg]

weight instruments. : 4.0 [kg]

weight lighting : 3.5 [kg]

weight controls : 8.2 [kg]

weight seats : 85.0 [kg]

weight three 382 [litre] main fuel tanks empty : 91.8 [kg]

weight air conditioning : 21 [kg]

weight fuel lines : 5 [kg]

weight engine mount and firewall : 16 [kg]

total weight fuselage : 987 [kg](17.2 [%])

***************************************************************

weight wing covering (painted aluminium 0.75 mm) : 314 [kg]

total weight ribs (90 ribs) : 205 [kg]

weight engine mounts : 31 [kg]

load on front upper spar (clmax) per running metre : 1641.3 [N]

load on rear upper spar (vmax) per running metre : 692.8 [N]

total weight 4 spars : 269 [kg]

weight wings : 788 [kg]

weight wing/square meter : 10.16 [kg]

cantilever wing without bracing cables

weight fin & rudder (6.5 [m2]) : 67.3 [kg]

weight stabilizer & elevator (8.7 [m2]): 89.2 [kg]

total weight wing surfaces & bracing : 976 [kg] (17.0 [%])

*******************************************************************

wheel pressure : 2869.0 [kg]

weight 2 wheels (990 [mm] by 198 [mm]) : 130.1 [kg]

weight tailskid : 11.7 [kg]

weight undercarriage with axle 160.8 [kg]

total weight landing gear : 302.5 [kg] (5.3 [%]

*******************************************************************

********************************************************************

calculated empty weight : 3434 [kg](59.9 [%])

weight oil for 4.9 hours flying : 73.6 [kg]

calculated operational weight empty : 3508 [kg] (61.1 [%])

published operational weight empty : 3470 [kg] (60.5 [%])

***o***

"

weight crew : 243 [kg]

weight fuel for 2.0 hours flying : 400 [kg]

********************************************************************

operational weight empty: 4151 [kg](72.3 [%])

weight 14 passengers : 1078 [kg]

weight luggage & freight : 322 [kg]

operational weight loaded: 5551 [kg](72.3 [%])

fuel reserve : 187.1 [kg] enough for 0.94 [hours] flying

operational weight fully loaded : 5738 [kg] with fuel tank filled for 63 [%]

published maximum take-off weight : 5738 [kg] (100.0 [%])

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calculation : * 4 * (engine power)

power loading (Take-off) : 6.11 [kg/kW]

power loading (operational without useful load) : 4.42 [kg/kW]

power loading (Take-off) 1 PUF: 9.16 [kg/kW]

total power : 939.6 [kW] at 2000 [r.p.m]

5-AT-C on floats used by the Colombian air force

calculation : *5* (loads)

manoeuvre load : 3.5 [g] at 1000 [m]

limit load : 2.5 [g] ultimate load : 3.8 [g] load factor : 1.8 [g]

design flight time : 3.26 [hours]

design cycles : 4602 sorties, design hours : 15022 [hours]

operational wing loading : 525 [N/m^2]

wing stress (3 g) during operation : 155 [N/kg] at 3g emergency manoeuvre

calculation : *6* (angles of attack)

angle of attack zero lift : -1.20 ["]

max. angle of attack (stalling angle) : 12.54 ["]

angle of attack at max. speed : 1.11 ["]

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 : 0.19 [ ]

induced drag coefficient at max. speed : 0.0022 [ ]

drag coefficient at max. speed : 0.0447 [ ]

drag coefficient (zero lift) : 0.0426 [ ]

calculation : *8* (speeds

stalling speed at sea-level (OW loaded : 5538 [kg]): 114 [km/u]

landing speed at sea-level: 133 [km/hr]

min. drag speed (max endurance) : 151 [km/hr] at 2750 [m](power :36 [%])

min. power speed (max range) : 151 [km/hr] at 2750 [m] (power:36 [%])

max. rate of climb speed : 139.7 [km/hr] at sea-level

cruising speed : 217 [km/hr] op 2750 [m] (power:67 [%])

Many 5-AT’s were used in South-America, depicted here is C-31 operated by Colombian SCADTA, c/n 5-AT-112. 24 June 1935 a SACO 5-AT collided with it at take-off and it was destroyed by fire.

design speed prop : 229 [km/hr]

maximum speed : 241 [km/hr] op 100 [m] (power:104 [%])

climbing speed at sea-level : 540 [m/min]

calculation : *9* (regarding various performances)

take-off speed : 138.8 [km/u]

static prop wash : 163 [km/u]

take-off distance at sea-level : 183 [m]

climb to 1000m with max payload : 3.10 [min]

climb to 2000m with max payload : 7.06 [min]

climb to 3000m with max payload : 11.99 [min]

practical ceiling (operational weight 4151 [kg] ) : 7223 [m]

practical ceiling fully loaded (mtow- 30 min.fuel:5638 [kg] ) : 5668 [m]

max. dive speed : 583.9 [km/hr] at 4668 [m] height

turning speed at CLmax : 169.6 [km/u] at 50 [m] height

turn radius at 50m: 81 [m]

time needed for 360* turn 10.8 [seconds] at 50m

load factor at max. angle turn 2.96 ["g"]

calculation *10* (action radius & endurance)

published range : 885 [km] with 3 crew and 1171.1 [kg] useful load and 88.1 [%] fuel

range : 637 [km] with 3 crew and 1400.0 [kg] useful load and 63.4 [%] fuel

range : 834 [km] with 14.0 passengers with each 10 [kg] luggage and 83.0 [%] fuel

Available Seat Kilometers (ASK) : 11678 [paskm]

max range theoretically with additional fuel tanks,total 2931.8 [litre] fuel : 2330.9 [km]

useful load with range 500km : 1688 [kg]

useful load with range 500km : 14 passengers

production (useful load): 366.14 [tonkm/hour]

production (passengers): 3036.60 [paskm/hour]

oil and fuel consumption per tonkm : 0.59 [kg]

oil and fuel consumption per paskm : 0.07 [kg]

fuel cost per paskm : 0.07 [eur]

crew cost per paskm : 0.10 [eur]

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economic hours : 12775 [hours] is less then design hours

time between engine failure : 195 [hr]

low risk for emergency landing, can continue flying with 1 engine out

writing off per paskm : 0.07 [eur]

insurance per paskm : 0.0207 [eur]

maintenance cost per paskm : 0.2172 [eur]

direct operating cost per paskm : 0.48 [eur]

fatal accidents :

171 fatalities in 32 accidents in 30 years of operation. 12 took place in the USA, 18 in South-America

Literature :

Praktisch handbook vliegtuigen deel 2

Piston-engined airliners

World directory of airliner crashes

Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

Aviation Safety Network > (aviation-safety.net)

Ford Trimotor - Wikipedia

Ford 5-AT Tri-Motor | National Air and Space Museum (si.edu)

Ford 4-AT / 5-AT TriMotor - Specifications - Technical Data / Description (flugzeuginfo.net)

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

notes :

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