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weight and performance calculations for the Curtiss Model E Hydro Aeroplane A.1
Curtiss Model E Hydro Aeroplane A.1
role : light maritime scout floatplane
importance : ****
first flight : 17 February 1911 operational : June 1911
design : Glenn Hammond Curtiss (1878-1930)
production : 14 aircraft
general information :
Out of the Golden Flyer Glenn Curtiss made a float plane, with one central float. With this he made the first take-off from the water in the USA op 26 January 1911 at San Diego. After the first trials the float plane was redesigned and designated Model E. On 17 February 1911 Glenn Curtiss flew from a naval base to the armored cruiser USS Pennsylvania (ACR-4) . On 08 May 1911 the US Navy ordered the floatplane, and gave it the designation A.1. On 30 June 1911 Theodore G.Ellyson took off from Keuka Lake , near Hammondsport, NY and became the first US Navy pilot. The US Navy purchased 14 aircraft. On 13 June 1913 it set a seaplane height record of 1890m. Ellyson flew with a passenger from Annapolis, Maryland to Milford Haven, Virginia in 2 hr 2 minutes covering a distance of 180 km. Some A.1’s also had wheels and were the first amphibian aircraft, referred to as “triad”. The additional drag and weight of the landing gear reduced the speed with 8-9 km/hr.
users : US Navy (14)
crew : 1
passengers : 1
engine : 1 Curtiss O 75hp liquid-cooled 8 -cylinder V-engine 75 [hp](55.9 KW)
dimensions :
wingspan : 11.28 [m], length : 8.43 [m], height : 2.84[m]
wing area : 30.75 [m^2]
weights :
max.take-off weight : 714 [kg]
empty weight operational : 460 [kg] useful load : 85 [kg]
performance :
maximum speed :105 [km/hr] at sea-level
cruise speed :94 [km/u] op 100 [m]
service ceiling : 2500 [m]
estimated action radius : 90 [km]
estimated endurance : 1.90 [hours]
description :
3-bay single central float biplane 2 (aid) tip floats
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 [ ]
diameter airscrew 2.40 [m]
angle of attack prop : 12.05 [ ]
fine pitch
reduction : 1.00 [ ]
airscrew revs : 1450 [r.p.m.]
pitch at Max speed 1.21 [m]
blade-tip speed at Vmax and max revs. : 185 [m/s]
calculation : *1* (dimensions)
measured wing chord : 1.52 [m]
mean wing chord : 1.36 [m]
calculated wing chord (square tips): 1.39 [m]
wing aspect ratio : 8.28 []
estimated gap : 1.56 [m]
gap/chord : 1.14 [ ]
seize (span*length*height) : 270 [m^3]
calculation : *2* (fuel consumption)
oil consumption : 1.5 [kg/hr]
fuel consumption(cruise speed) : 15.6 [kg/hr] (21.2 [litre/hr]) at 72 [%] power
distance flown for 1 kg fuel : 6.08 [km/kg] at 1250 [m] cruise height, sfc : 383.8 [kg/kwh]
estimated total fuel capacity : 45.87 [litre] (33.62 [kg])
calculation : *3* (weight)
weight engine(s) dry : 117.4 [kg] = 2.10 [kg/KW]
weight 5.1 litre oil tank : 0.43 [kg]
oil tank filled with 0.4 litre oil : 0.4 [kg]
oil in engine 3.1 litre oil : 2.8 [kg]
fuel in engine 0.4 litre fuel : 0.28 [kg]
weight 45.9 litre gravity patrol tank(s) : 6.9 [kg]
weight radiator : 8.0 [kg]
weight exhaust pipes & fuel lines 6.6 [kg]
weight cowling 2.2 [kg]
weight airscrew(s) (wood) incl. boss & bolts : 11.5 [kg]
total weight propulsion system : 156 [kg](21.9 [%])
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weight tail boom : 15 [kg]
fuselage skeleton (wood gauge : 5.02 [cm]): 44 [kg]
bracing : 2.2 [kg]
weight instruments. : 1.1 [kg]
weight controls : 4.3 [kg]
weight seats : 3.0 [kg]
weight engine mount : 2.8 [kg]
total weight fuselage : 57 [kg](8.0 [%])
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weight wing covering (doped linen fabric) : 28 [kg]
total weight ribs (43 ribs) : 42 [kg]
load on front upper spar (clmax) per running metre : 488.9 [N]
load on rear upper spar (vmax) per running metre : 177.0 [N]
total weight 8 spars : 34 [kg]
weight wings : 105 [kg]
weight wing/square meter : 3.41 [kg]
weight 12 interplane struts & cabane : 16.5 [kg]
weight cables (81 [m]) : 4.4 [kg] (= 54 [gram] per metre)
diameter cable : 3.0 [mm]
area of canard wing : 1.5 [m2
weight canard wing :5.1 [kg]
weight fin & rudder (1.8 [m2]) : 6.6 [kg]
weight stabilizer & elevator (2.9 [m2]): 10.2 [kg]
total weight wing surfaces & bracing : 148 [kg] (20.7 [%])
*******************************************************************
weight floats : 90 [kg] (12.6 [%])
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calculated empty weight : 450 [kg](63.1 [%])
weight oil for 2.3 hours flying : 3.3 [kg]
weight cooling fluids : 12.1 [kg]
calculated operational weight empty : 466 [kg] (65.2 [%])
published operational weight empty : 460 [kg] (64.4 [%])
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weight crew : 81 [kg]
weight fuel for 1.0 hours flying : 16 [kg]
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operational weight : 562 [kg](78.7 [%])
fuel reserve : 18.1 [kg] enough for 1.16 [hours] flying
possible additional useful load : 134 [kg]
operational weight fully loaded : 714 [kg] with fuel tank filled for 100 [%]
published maximum take-off weight : 714 [kg] (100.0 [%])
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calculation : * 4 * (engine power)
power loading (Take-off) : 12.77 [kg/kW]
power loading (operational without useful load) : 10.05 [kg/kW]
total power : 55.9 [kW] at 1450 [r.p.m]
calculation : *5* (loads)
manoeuvre load : 1.9 [g] at 1000 [m]
limit load : 3.0 [g] ultimate load : 4.5 [g] load factor : 2.1 [g]
design flight time : 1.52 [hours]
design cycles : 219 sorties, design hours : 100 [hours]
operational wing loading : 179 [N/m^2]
wing stress (3 g) during operation : 158 [N/kg] at 3g emergency manoeuvre
calculation : *6* (angles of attack)
angle of attack zero lift : -1.16 ["]
max. angle of attack (stalling angle) : 12.12 ["]
angle of attack at max. speed : 2.87 ["]
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 : 0.35 [ ]
induced drag coefficient at max. speed : 0.0083 [ ]
drag coefficient at max. speed : 0.0727 [ ]
drag coefficient (zero lift) : 0.0645 [ ]
calculation : *8* (speeds
stalling speed at sea-level (OW): 58 [km/u]
stalling speed at sea-level (MTOW): 65 [km/u]
landing speed at sea-level: 68 [km/hr]
min. drag speed (max endurance) = minimum speed*1.1 at cruise height : 67 [km/hr] at 1250 [m] (power:45 [%])
min. power speed (max range) : 77 [km/hr] at 1250 [m] (power:51 [%])
max. rate of climb speed : 65.2 [km/hr] at sea-level
cruising speed : 94 [km/hr] op 1250 [m] (power:71 [%])
design speed prop : 100 [km/hr]
maximum speed : 105 [km/hr] op 100 [m] (power:98 [%])
climbing speed at sea-level : 184 [m/min]
calculation : *9* (regarding various performances)
take-off speed : 71.3 [km/u]
static prop wash : 92 [km/u]
**berekening floatplane/vliegboot
take-off distance at sea-level : 101 [m]
lift/drag ratio : 7.53 [ ]
time to 1000m : 6.76 [min]
time to 2000m : 17.37 [min]
practical ceiling (operational weight) : 3713 [m] with flying weight :562 [kg] line 3385
practical ceiling fully loaded (mtow- 30 min.fuel) : 2628 [m] with flying weight :706 [kg]
max. dive speed : 225.1 [km/hr] at 1628 [m] height
turning speed at CLmax : 80.9 [km/u] at 50 [m] height
turn radius at 50m: 30 [m]
time needed for 360* turn 8.5 [seconds] at 50m
load factor at max. angle turn 1.97 ["g"]
calculation *10* (action radius & endurance)
estimated endurance : 1.90 [hours] with 1 crew and possible useful load : 137.7 [kg] and 88.1 [%] fuel
maximum action radius : 508 [km] with 1 crew and 0 [kg] useful load ( 228.2 [litre] additional fuel needed)
max range theoretically with additional fuel tanks for total 228.2 [litre] fuel : 1016.4 [km]
useful load with range 500km : 85 [kg]
production : 8.03 [tonkm/hour]
oil and fuel consumption per tonkm : 2.12 [kg]
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Literature :
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
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(c) B van der Zalm 07 October 2020 contact : info.aircraftinvestigation@gmail.com python 3.7.4