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weight and performance calculations for the Airbus A340-600 WV001
Virgin Atlantic A340-642 G-VNAP c/n 622
Airbus A340-600 WV001
role : wide-body long-range airliner
importance : ***
first flight : 23 April 2001 operational : August 2002 (Virgin Atlantic)
country : EU-consortium
ICAO aircraft type designator : A346
production : 97 aircraft
general information :
Longest A340 stretch variant, intended as replacement for Boeing 747, it can carry 379
passengers over 13900 km. Its main competitor is the Boeing 777-300ER. It is 12m longer
than the A340-300 and 4m longer than a 747-400. It was the longest commercial airliner till
the arrival of the 747-8 in February 2010. The A340-600HGW version first flew 18
November 2005. It has a MTOW of 380t, 275 KN RR Trent 560 engines and a range of
14630 km. Not many were built, four of this version were delivered to Qatar Airways. On
March 2024 still 33 A340-600 remain in service with 9 airlines.
primary users : Virgin Atlantic, Lufthansa, Iberia, China Eastern Airlines, Etihad Airways,
Thai Airways, South African Airways
Accommodation:
flight crew : 2 cabin crew : 12
passengers : seating for 380 in two class : 66 business class and 314 economy deluxe class
seats ( 33 -in pitch) high density seating for 475 passengers
engine : 4 Rolls Royce Trent 556 turbofan engines of 250.0 [KN] (56201 [lbf])
dimensions :
wingspan : 63.45 [m], length overall: 75.36 [m], length of fuselage : 73.46 [m]
height : 17.93 [m] wing area : 437.3 [m^2] fuselage exterior width : 5.64 [m]
weights :
operating empty weight : 179000 [kg] max. structural payload : 66000 [kg]
Zero Fuel weight (ZFW) : 245000 [kg] max. landing weight (MLW) : 259000 [kg]
max. take-off weight : 368000 [kg] weight usable fuel : 153083 [kg] (195010 [litres])
performance :
Max. operating Mach number (Mmo) : 0.86 [Mach] (930 [km/hr]) at 9450 [m]
critical Mach speed : 0.84 [Mach]
max. cruising speed : 895 [km/hr] (Mach 0.85 ) at 11200 [m] (34 [%] power)
economic cruising speed : 865 [km/hr] (Mach 0.82 ) at 11200 [m]
service ceiling : 12634 [m]
range with max fuel and MTOW : 14445 [km] (ATA domestic fuel reserves - 370.0 [km]
alternate)
description :
cantilever mid-wing monoplane with retractable landing gear with nose wheel
engines attached with pylons to the wing, main landing gear attached to the wings, fuel
tanks in the wings and fuselage
Wings : tapered multi-cellular fail safe wing with aluminium alloy stressed skin
with Fowler-type double slotted trailing edge flaps with full-span slotted LE flaps (slats),
with spoilers and with winglets made from Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic (CFRP)
airfoil : Airbus, average thickness/chord ratio : 12.3 [%], sweep angle 3/4 chord: 31.1 [°]
calculation : *1* (dimensions)
wing chord at root : 12.18 [m]
wing chord at tip : 2.67 [m]
taper ratio : 0.219 [ ]
mean wing chord : 6.89 [m]
wing aspect ratio : 9.21 []
Oswald factor (e): 0.703 []
seize (span*length*height) : 85734 [m^3]
calculation : *2* (fuel consumption)
oil consumption : 9.0 [kg/hr]
fuel consumption (econ. cruise speed) : 8938.0 [kg/hr] (11386.0 [litre/hr]) at 16 [%] power
distance flown for 1 kg fuel : 0.10 [km/kg] at 11200 [m] height, sfc : 55.3 [kg/KN/h]
total fuel capacity : 195010 [litre] (153083 [kg])
calculation : *3* (weight)
weight engine(s) dry : 19960.0 [kg] = 19.96 [kg/KN]
weight 227.0 litre oil tank : 19.30 [kg]
oil tank filled with 6.3 litre oil : 5.7 [kg]
oil in engine 12.3 litre oil : 11.0 [kg]
unusable fuel in engine and tanks 1192.5 litre fuel : 936.10 [kg]
weight all fuel lines and pumps containing 133 litres fuel : 305.2 [kg]
weight engine cowling : 2600.0 [kg]
weight thrust reversers : 1500.0 [kg]
total weight propulsion system : 25337 [kg](6.9 [%])
***************************************************************
Accommodation cabin facilities:
typical 2-class cabin layout for 380 passengers : economy : pitch : 83.8 [cm] 33.0 [-in]
( 2+4+2 ) seating in 48.7 rows
weight passenger seats : 2301.1 [kg]
weight cabin crew seats : 60.0 [kg]
weight flight crew seats : 42.0 [kg]
weight 2 jump seats in the cockpit :14.0 [kg]
high density seating passengers : 475 [pax] at mainly 9 -abreast seating in 60.2 rows,
pitch 83.8 [cm] 33.0 [-in]
pax density, normal seating : 0.84 [m2/pax], high density seating : 0.67 [m2/pax]
weight 11 lavatories : 322.9 [kg]
weight overhead pilot flight crew rest and optional lower deck mobile crew rest compartment
: 264.0 [kg]
weight 10 galleys : 1559.5 [kg]
weight overhead stowage for hand luggage : 133.0 [kg]
weight 4 wardrobe closets : 38.0 [kg]
weight 380 entertainment LCD screens in back of seats : 190.0 [kg]
weight 99 windows (41 x 28 cm) made of acrylic glass : 271.5 [kg]
weight 8 (1.93 x 1.07 [m]) Type A main entry doors : 771.9 [kg]
weight 3 (main door size : 1.70 x 2.70 [m]) freight doors (belly) : 848.5 [kg]*
total belly baggage/cargo hold volume : 252.3 [m3]
underfloor belly hold can accommodate : 42 LD3 containers, netto volume : 188.8 [m3]
and : 19.7 [m3] bulk cargo
cabin volume (usable), excluding flight deck : 816 [m3]
passenger compartment volume : 556 [m3]
passenger cabin max width : 5.26 [m] cabin length : 60.99 [m] max cabin height : 2.54 [m]
floor area : 317.5 [m2]
weight cabin facilities : 6816.3 [kg]
safety facilities:
weight 2 type I emergency exits (0.61 x 1.60 [m]): 91.2 [kg]
evacuation time with 475 passengers : 51 [sec]
weight 18 hand fire extinguisher : 53 [kg]
weight cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and flight data recorder (FDR): 20.0 [kg]
weight oxygen masks & oxygen generators (deploy cabin alt.>4267m): 247.0 [kg]
weight emergency flare installation : 10 [kg]
weight 10 emergency evacuation slides : 608.9 [kg]
weight safety equipment & facilities : 1030 [kg]
fuselage construction:
fuselage aluminium frame : 42598 [kg]
floor loading (payload/m2): 208 [kg/m2]
weight rear pressure bulkhead : 484.8 [kg]
fuselage covering ( 1048.5 [m2] duraluminium 3.75 [mm]) : 10504.8 [kg]
weight floor beams : 4346.7 [kg]
weight cabin furbishing : 4603.9 [kg]
weight cabin floor : 4556.7 [kg]
weight (sound proof) isolation : 676.8 [kg] TO-noise level : 91.0 [EPNdB]
weight 55133 [litre] main central fuel tanks empty : 1102.7 [kg]
weight empty 2245 [litre] potable water tanks : 198.7 [kg]
weight empty waste tank : 65.7 [kg]
weight fuselage structure : 69138.2 [kg]
Avionics:
weight VHF radio and Selcal : 9.0 [kg]
weight flight and service attendants intercom : 5.0 [kg]
weight dual cloud-collision radar : 25.0 [kg]
weight monochromatic weather X-band (3.2cm wavelength) radar system : 25.0 [kg]
Lufthansa D-AIHN A340-642 flight deck
weight VOR/ILS,RMI,DME,radio altimeter, ASI, time clock : 20.0 [kg]
weight Avionic Flight Control System : 33.0 [kg]
weight CAT IIIA auto-landing system : 10.0 [kg]
weight EFIS (4 Rockwell Collins CRT screens ADI/PFD+HSI/ND displays) : 20 [kg]
weight ground proximity warning system (GPWS) : 6 [kg]
weight engine monitoring system ECAM : 30 [kg]
weight reserve ADI, ASI, alti-meter, compass, engine temp. and rpm indicators : 15 [kg]
weight avionics : 160.0 [kg]
Systems:
Air-conditioning and pressurization system maintains sea level conditions up to 6525 [m]
and gives equivalent of 2250 [m] at 11885 [m]. pressure differential : 0.59 [bar] (kg/cm2)
pressurized fuselage volume : 1305 [m3] cabin air refreshment time : 3.6 [min]
weight air-conditioning and pressurization system : 610 [kg]
weight APU / engine starter: 125.0 [kg]
weight lighting : 125.4 [kg]
weight triple redundant 207 bar hydraulic system : 285.8 [kg]
weight engine-driven 40kVA electricity generators : 95.0 [kg]
weight ram air turbine for emergency electric power : 5.0 [kg]
weight three 24V 25Ah nickel-cadmium batteries : 31.8 [kg]
weight controls (sidestick FBW): 19.2 [kg]
weight systems : 1291.9 [kg]
total weight fuselage : 78436 [kg](21.3 [%])
***************************************************************
total weight aluminium ribs (2556 ribs) : 12301 [kg]
weight engine mounts : 500 [kg]
Innertank 2: 34805 litre + innertank 1: 24716 litre + outer tank 6310 litre = 65831 x 2 = 131662 liter fuel in the wings. Center tank 55133 litre, tail trim tank : 7986 litre, total : 194781 litre
weight 6 wing fuel tanks empty for total 131662 [litre] fuel : 1975 [kg]
weight 780 [litre] vent surge tanks : 94 [kg]
weight wing covering (painted aluminium 4.23 [mm]) : 9980 [kg]
total weight aluminium spars (multi-cellular wing structure) : 14410 [kg]
weight wings : 36691 [kg]
weight wing/square meter : 83.90 [kg]
weight thermal leading-edge anti-icing : 69.8 [kg]
weight ailerons made of carbon fiber reinforced plastic CFRP (16.05 [m2]) : 539.7 [kg]
weight fin (68.30 [m2]) : 2870.3 [kg]
weight rudder (35.95 [m2]) : 1450.3 [kg]
weight 7986 [litre] tail fuel trim tank empty : 199.7 [kg]
weight tailplane (stabilizer) (93.90 [m2]): 4340.9 [kg]
weight elevators (22.54 [m2]): 511.44 [kg]
weight flight control hydraulic servo actuators: 142.9 [kg]
weight trailing-edge double slotted flaps (109.32 [m2]) : 3903.5 [kg]
weight track-mounted light alloy construction leading edge slats (41.48 [m2]) : 931.5 [kg]
weight fly-by-wire operated spoilers of graphite composite construction (15.3 [m2]) : 281.4 [kg]
weight winglets : 200 [kg]
total weight wing construction : 54701 [kg] (30.6 [%])
*******************************************************************
tire pressure main wheels : 16.10 [Bar] (nitrogen), ply rating : 40 PR
tire speed limit : 392 [km/hr]
total tyre footprint : 1.62 [m2]
Runway LCN at MTOW (0.76m radius of rigidity) : 59 [ ]
Aircraft Classification Number (ACN), MTOW on rigid runway and medium subgrade strength (B) : 46 [ ]
Can only operate from unpaved runways with reduced weight and reduced tyre pressure
wheel pressure : 26986.7 [kg]
Etihad Airways A340-642 A6-EHJ in its Formula 1 livery, taking off at Sydney, February 2009. The colour scheme was specially for the UAE first ever F1 Grand Prix.
weight 12 Dunlop 55 x 21 main wheels (1400 [mm] by 530 [mm]) : 3765.6 [kg]
weight 2 nose wheels : 313.8 [kg]
weight hydraulic disc wheel-brakes : 245.0 [kg]
weight Duplex anti-skid units : 12.6 [kg]
weight oleo-pneumatic shock absorbers : 326.7 [kg]
weight wheel hydraulic operated retraction system : 3077.1 [kg]
weight undercarriage struts (six-wheel bogies) with axle 7490.9 [kg]
total weight landing gear : 15231.7 [kg] (4.1 [%]
*******************************************************************
********************************************************************
calculated empty weight : 173706 [kg](47.2 [%])
weight oil for 19.4 hours flying : 185.0 [kg]
weight lifejackets : 171.0 [kg]
weight 7 life rafts : 237.5 [kg]
weight catering : 1444.0 [kg]
weight water : 1986.9 [kg]
weight crew : 1134 [kg]
weight crew luggage, nav. chards, flight doc., miscell. items : 135 [kg]
operational weight empty : 179000 [kg] (48.6 [%])
********************************************************************
weight 380 passengers : 29260 [kg]
weight luggage : 6080 [kg]
weight cargo : 30660 [kg] (cargo + luggage/m3 belly : 140 [kg/m3])
zero fuel weight (ZFW): 245000 [kg](66.6 [%])
weight fuel for landing (1.6 hours flying) : 14000 [kg]
max. landing weight (MLW): 259000 [kg](70.4 [%])
max. fuel weight : 332083 [kg] (90.2 [%])
payload with max fuel : 386 passengers + luggage 35917 [kg]
published maximum take-off weight : 368000 [kg] (100.0 [%])
calculation : * 4 * (engine power)
power loading (Take-off) : 368 [kg/KN]
power loading (Take-off) 1 PUF: 491 [kg/KN]
max. total take-off power : 1000.0 [KN]
calculation : *5* (loads)
manoeuvre load : 0.8 [g] at 9000 [m]
limit load : 2.5 [g] ultimate load : 3.8 [g] load factor : 1.0 [g]
design flight time : 7.60 [hours]
design cycles : 10530 sorties, design hours : 80028 [hours]
max. wing loading (MTOW & flaps retracted) : 842 [kg/m2]
wing stress (2 g) during operation : 167 [N/kg] at 2g emergency manoeuvre
calculation : *6* (angles of attack)
angle of attack zero lift : -1.70 ["]
max. angle of attack (stalling angle, clean) : 12.55 ["]
max. angle of attack (full flaps) : 16.50 ["]
angle of attack at max. speed : 3.70 ["]
calculation : *7* (lift & drag ratios
lift coefficient at angle of attack 0° : 0.15 [ ]
lift coefficient at max. speed : 0.48 [ ]
lift coefficient at max. angle of attack (clean): 1.26 [ ]
max. lift coefficient full flaps : 2.11 [ ]
drag coefficient at max. speed : 0.0290 [ ]
drag coefficient at econ. cruise speed : 0.0361 [ ]
induced drag coefficient at econ. cruise speed : 0.0200 [ ]
drag coefficient (zero lift) : 0.0161 [ ]
lift/drag ratio at econ. speed : 16.43 [ ]
calculation : *8* (speeds
take-off decision speed (V1) : 263 [km/u] (142 [kt])
take-off rotation speed (VR) : 307 [km/u] (166 [kt])
Airbus A340-600 Vmu testing, F-WWCA, c/n 360 at Toulouse, July 2001. The tail strike is intended as part of the test. With the long tail, max geometry angle of attack at rotation is 8.5° with the tail touching the ground, so under normal condition max. angle of attack at rotation VR - VLOF is ca. 6.7° to keep the tail clear from the ground. With the low angle of attack the A340-600 at VLOF needs some ground effect to lift off. Also, the long fuselage will generate additional lift.
minimum unstick speed (Vmu) at TO angle 8.5 ° : 312 [km/u] (169 [kt])
lift-off speed (VLOF) : 337 [km/u] (182 [kt]) at pitch angle : 6.7 [°]
take-off safety speed (V2) : 340 [km/u] (184 [kt])
flap retraction speed (V3) at 500m (OW loaded : 359062 [kg]): 390 [km/u] (211 [kt])
steady initial climb speed (V4) : 366 [km/u] (198 [kt])
climb speed (to FL150 with 56 [%] power) : 772 [km/hr] (417 [kt])
max. endurance speed (Vbe): 722 [km/u] min. fuel/hr : 8883 [kg/hr] at height : 7315 [m]
max. range speed (Vbr): 893 [km/u] (0.83 [mach]) min. fuel consumption : 9.99 [kg/km] at
cruise height : 10058 [m]
max. cruising speed : 895 [km/hr] (483 [kt]) at 11200 [m] (power:17 [%])
max. operational speed (Mmo) : 930 [km/hr] (Mach 0.86 ) at 9450 [m] (power:18 [%])
airflow at cruise speed per engine : 422.6 [kg/s]
speed of thrust jet : 1251 [km/hr]
initial descent speed 10000 - 7315 [m]: Mach 0.82
descent speed 7315 - 3048 [m]: 537 [km/u] (290 [kt])
approach speed 3048 - 500 [m] (clean): 463 [km/u] (250 [kt])
minimum control speed (MCS) Vmca (clean): 352 [km/u] (190 [kt])
stalling speed clean at 500 [m] height at Max.Landing Weight : 259000 [kg]): 320 [km/u]
(173 [kt])
final approach speed (landing speed) at sea-level with full flaps VREF (max. landing weight):
285 [km/u] (154 [kt])
ICAO Aircraft Approach Category (APC) : D
stalling speed at sea-level with full flaps VSO (max. landing weight): 219 [km/u] (118 [kt]
rate of climb at sea-level ROC (loaded, 56 % power) : 1341 [m/min]
rate of climb at sea-level ROC (loaded, 75 % power) : 2214 [m/min]
rate of climb at 1000 [m] with 1 engine out (PUF/MTOW, 100 % power on remaining
engines) : 1870 [m/min]
rate of descent from FL240 to FL100 (7315m > 3048m): 914 [m/min] (2999 [ft/min])
rate of descent during approach with landing gear extended, with use of spoilers: 457
[m/min] (8 [m/s])
calculation : *9* (regarding various performances)
high wheel pressure, can only take off from paved runways
ICAO Aerodrome Reference Code : 4E
Brake kinetic energy capacity : 4011 [KW]
Take-off runway length at MTOW 368000 kg at sea level : 3135 [m]
FAR TO balanced runway length (TOFL) requirement at TOW 368000 [kg] standard day
at SL (distance to 10.7m height x 1.15): 3140 [m]
Landing field length at MLW 259000 kg at sea level : 2200 [m]
+++ FAA certification landing distance : +++
landing weight : 259000 [kg], TE flap setting : 30.7 [°]
runway condition : dry , landing over 50ft (15m) at threshold at sea-level
without use of thrust reversers
FAA approved landing field length : 2225 [m] (7300 [ft])
landing distance (C.A.R.) from 15 [m] at SL, wet runway: 2568 [m] (8424 [ft])
max. lift/drag ratio : 17.79 [ ]
climb to 5000 [m] with max payload : 3.45 [min]
climb to 10000 [m] with max payload : 10.61 [min]
descent time from 10000 [m] to 250 [m] : 24.33 [min]
ceiling limited by max. pressure differential 14475 [m]
theoretical ceiling fully loaded (mtow- 60 min.fuel: 359062 [kg] ) : 13500 [m]
calculation *10* (action radius & endurance)
range with max. payload: 11243 [km] with 66000.0 [kg] max. useful load (80.3 [%] fuel)*
range with high density pax: 13797 [km] with 475 passengers (94.6 [%] fuel)*
range with typical two-class pax: 14848 [km] with 380 passengers (100.0 [%] fuel)*
Range with max. payload 5750 nm > 10650 km, range with max fuel : 7800 nm > 14445 km, ferry range : 8800 nm > 16300 km
range with max.fuel : 14815 [km] with 14 crew and 386 passengers and 100.0 [%] fuel*
ferry range (calculated): 17287 [km] with 2 crew and zero payload (100.0 [%] fuel)*
max range theoretically with additional fuel tanks total 246373 [litre] fuel : 20216 [km]*
* calculated ranges without fuel reserves
Available Seat Kilometres (ASK) : 6525827 [paskm]
useful load with range 1000km : 66000 [kg]
useful load with range 1000km : 475 passengers
production (theor.max load): 59070 [tonkm/hour]
production (useful load): 59070 [tonkm/hour]
production (passengers): 411888 [paskm/hour]
oil and fuel consumption per tonkm : 0.151 [kg]
calculation *11* (operating cost)
fuel cost per hour (11386 [litre]):6831 [eur] (36 [pax-km/litre fuel])
fuel cost per seat 1000km flight (460 [pax] 2-class seating): 16.58 [eur/1000PK]
oil cost per hour: 37 [eur]
Air Azman A340-642 5N-AAM c/n 765 with its crew.
crew cost per hour : 1950 [eur]
list price 2024 : 200 [mln USD]
average flying hours in 1 year : 4500 [hours] technical life : 18 [year]
real average service life : 20 [years]
depreciation - 24 [years] to 10% residual value
economic hours (expected total flying hours) : 108000 [hours]
Iberia A340-642 EC-IOB c/n 440
financing interest per flying hour : 999 [EUR]
write off per flying hour : 1844 [EUR]
time between engine failure : 6296 [hr]
can continue fly on 3 engines, low risk for emergency landing for PUF
workhours per day : 13.55 [hr]
no fatalities during service life > 100%% safe
average flight hours till crash : 8.73 [mln hr] (1940 service years)
safe flight hours till fatality : 8730000 [hr] (1940.0 service years)
reservation pax liability/flying hour : 0.01 [SDR*] (0.02 [eur])
insurance cost per hour : 105 [eur] insurance rate : 0.6 [%]
engine maintenance cost per hour : 2311.8 [eur]
wing maintenance cost per hour : 126.6 [eur]
fuselage maintenance cost per hour : 36.31 [eur]
tire life (time till worn out) : 117 [cycles]
maintenance cost per hour (excluding engines): 4598 [eur]
direct operating cost per hour: 18676 [eur], DOC per km : 21.59 [eur]
DOC per seat 1000km flight (460 [pax] 2-class seating): 45.34 [eur/1000PK]
DOC per seat 1000km flight (high density seating): 43.93 [eur/1000PK]
DOC per kg cargo for a 1000km flight : 0.32 [eur/kg] (= DOC/tonkm)
passenger service charge (depart at Schiphol): 11.34 [eur]
security service charge (depart at Schiphol): 10.08 [eur]
airport take-off fee / passenger : 4.96 [eur/pax]
airport landing fee / passenger : 4.96 [eur/pax]
retour ticket price 1000km trip : 168.70 [eur/pax]
price retour ticket Schiphol-Barcelona : 193.64 [eur/pax]
accidents with fatalities > there have been no fatal accidents with an A340-600.
Literature :
ac_a340-500_600_jul2023.pdf (airbus.com)
https://contentzone.eurocontrol.int/aircraftperformance/default.aspx?
https://www.airbus.com/en/airport-operations-and-technical-data/aircraft-characteristics
Air International feb’99 page 118 MINIMUM UNSTICK SPEED CALCULATION FOR HIGH-SPEED JET TRANSPORT AIRCRAFT (icas.org)
confidence rating regarding source data : medium - all information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources
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 25 February 2024 contact : info.aircraftinvestigation@gmail.com ac jetpax 2020.py python 3.7.4
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