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weight and performance calculations for the Douglas DC-8-43
Alitalia DC-8-43 I-DIWG touching down
Douglas DC-8-43
role : intercontinental jet airliner
importance : ***
first flight : 23 July 1959 operational : November 1960
country : United States of America
design :
production : DC-8-43 : 32 aircraft, total DC-8 : 550 aircraft
general information :
Designed for cruising speed 872 km/h at 10668m
Intercontinental version equipped with Rolls Royce Conway 509 turbofans of 7945 kg thrust. Douglas made aerodynamic improvements on a DC-8-40 and on August 21, 1961, a speed was reached in a flat dive of 1073 km/h which corresponds to mach 1,012 at 12300m altitude. It was the first civil airliner that flew faster than the speed of sound. To achieve this, it had risen to an altitude of 15877m! The changes consisted of a modified wing leading edge and streamlined wingtips.
primary users : Trans Canadian Airlines, Alitalia (10)
Accommodation:
flight crew : 4 cabin crew : 6
flight crew consist of pilot, co-pilot, navigator and flight engineer
passengers : seating for 132 in two class : 16 business class and 116 coach class seats
( 34 -in pitch) high density seating for 179 passengers
engine : 4 Rolls Royce Rco.12 Conway 508 turbofan engines of 77.91 [KN] (17514.6 [lbf])
chord at root : 9.67 [m] at tip : 2.22 [m]
dimensions :
wingspan : 43.41 [m], length : 45.87 [m], height : 12.91 [m]
wing area : 266.5 [m^2] fuselage exterior width : 3.73 [m]
weights :
empty weight : 60068 [kg]
operating empty weight : 61920 [kg] max. structural payload : 18912 [kg]
Zero Fuel weight (ZFW) : 80832 [kg] max. landing weight (MLW) : 93895 [kg]
max.take-off weight : 142884 [kg] weight fuel : 70842 [kg] (88552 [litres])
performance :
Max. operating Mach number (Mmo) : 0.88 [Mach] (960 [km/hr]) at 9150 [m]
max. cruising speed : 943 [km/hr] (Mach 0.89 ) at 10668 [m] (40 [%] power)
economic cruising speed : 880 [km/hr] (Mach 0.83 ) at 10668 [m]
service ceiling : 12000 [m]
range with max fuel and Max.TOW : 8982 [km] (ATA domestic fuel
reserves - 370.0 [km] alternate)
description :
cantilever low-wing monoplane with retractable landing gear with nose wheel
Wings : two main spar fail-safe wing structure with double slotted trailing edge flaps
with leading edge slots ,with spoilers airfoil : NACA sweep angle 3/4 chord: 30.9 [°]
engines attached with pylons to the wing, main landing gear attached to the wings, fuel
tanks in the wings and fuselage
Fuselage : Pressurized conventional all-metal fail safe structure with double-bubble cross
section
calculation : *1* (dimensions)
wing chord at root : 9.67 [m]
wing chord at tip : 2.22 [m]
taper ratio : 0.230 [ ]
mean wing chord : 6.14 [m]
calculated average wing chord tapered wing with rounded tips: 6.11 [m]
wing aspect ratio : 7.07 []
Oswald factor (e): 0.685 []
seize (span*length*height) : 25707 [m^3]
calculation : *2* (fuel consumption)
oil consumption : 12.6 [kg/hr]
fuel consumption (econ. cruise speed) : 6666.0 [kg/hr] (8332.5 [litre/hr]) at 35 [%] power
distance flown for 1 kg fuel : 0.13 [km/kg] at 10668 [m] height, sfc : 61.3 [kg/KN/h]
total fuel capacity : 88552 [litre] (70842 [kg])
calculation : *3* (weight)
weight engine(s) dry : 8200.0 [kg] = 26.31 [kg/KN]
weight 186 litre oil tank : 15.80 [kg]
oil tank filled with 2.0 litre oil : 1.8 [kg]
oil in engine 3.8 litre oil : 3.4 [kg]
fuel in engine 17.0 litre fuel : 12.47 [kg]
weight fuel lines : 150.0 [kg]
weight engine cowling : 810.3 [kg]
weight ejector rings : 155.8 [kg]
total weight propulsion system : 9350 [kg](6.5 [%])
***************************************************************
Accommodation cabin facilities:
typical 2-class cabin layout for 132 passengers : economy : pitch : 86.4 [cm] 34.0 [-in]
( 3+3 ) seating in 22.5 rows
weight seats : 710.0 [kg]
high density seating passengers : 179 [pax] at 6 -abreast seating in 29.8 rows,
pitch 86.4 [cm] 34.0 [-in]
pax density, normal seating : 0.73 [m2/pax], high density seating : 0.53 [m2/pax]
weight 4 lavatories : 64.9 [kg]
weight lounge : 35 [kg]
weight 4 buffets : 135.3 [kg]
weight overhead stowage for hand luggage : 46.2 [kg]
weight 3 wardrobe closets : 26.4 [kg]
weight 3 movie screens : 21.1 [kg]
weight 47 windows (47x38cm) : 42.4 [kg]
weight 2 (1.83 x 0.88 [m]) main entry doors : 128.2 [kg]
weight 2 (1.63 x 0.85 [m]) service doors : 110.7 [kg]
weight 2 (1.12 x 0.91 [m]) freight doors (belly) : 70.9 [kg]
total belly baggage/cargo hold volume : 39.13 [m3]
cabin volume (usable), excluding flight deck : 216 [m3]
passenger compartment volume : 146 [m3]
passenger cabin max.width : 3.51 [m] cabin length : 31.08 [m] cabin height : 2.21 [m]
floor area : 95.7 [m2]
weight cabin facilities : 1391.1 [kg]
Alitalia DC-8-43 I-DIWF, the airplane crashed August 1968 near Milan (see accident file )
safety facilities:
weight 4 type III over wing emergency exits (51x91 cm): 78.5 [kg]
evacuation time with 179 passengers : 45 [sec]
weight 7 hand fire extinguisher : 20 [kg]
weight oxygen masks & oxygen generators : 85.8 [kg]
weight emergency flare installation : 10 [kg]
weight 4 emergency evacuation slides : 111.9 [kg]
weight safety equipment & facilities : 306 [kg]
fuselage construction:
fuselage aluminium frame : 12751 [kg]
floor loading (payload/m2): 198 [kg/m2]
weight rear pressure bulkhead : 212.4 [kg]
fuselage covering ( 366.4 [m2] duraluminium 3.69 [mm]) : 3567.3 [kg]
weight floor beams : 617.0 [kg]
weight cabin furbishing : 844.3 [kg]
weight cabin floor : 1455.6 [kg]
weight (sound proof) isolation : 265.8 [kg]
weight 34844 [litre] main central fuel tanks empty : 1951.3 [kg]
weight empty 128 [litre] potable water tank : 11.4 [kg]
weight empty waste tank : 14.4 [kg]
weight fuselage structure : 21690.3 [kg]
Avionics:
weight radio transceiver equipment : 7.0 [kg]
weight dual cloud-collision radar : 25.0 [kg]
weight Doppler & radio direction finding (RDF) equipment : 5.0 [kg]
weight Sperry automatic flight control system, with SP-30 auto-pilot : 25.0 [kg]
weight artificial horizons, compass, alti-meters : 7 [kg]
weight engine monitoring gauges & control switches : 12 [kg]
weight avionics : 87.0 [kg]
Systems:
Air-conditioning and pressurization system maintains sea level conditions up to 7100 [m]
and gives equivalent of 2000 [m] at 12200 [m]. pressure differential : 0.62 [bars] (kg/cm2)
pressurized fuselage volume : 394 [m3]
weight air-conditioning and pressurization system : 202 [kg]
weight APU / engine starter: 39.0 [kg]
weight lighting : 43.6 [kg]
weight 210 bar hydraulic system : 85.7 [kg]
weight engine-driven 40kVA electricity generators : 33.0 [kg]
weight 22Ah battery : 12.0 [kg]
weight controls : 19.8 [kg]
weight systems : 435.3 [kg]
total weight fuselage : 23910 [kg](16.7 [%])
***************************************************************
average Take-off weight : 101830 [kg](71.3 [%])
total weight aluminium ribs (1018 ribs) : 4363 [kg]
weight engine mounts : 156 [kg]
DC-8-43 CF-CPJ c/n 45661 at Schiphol airport, July 1964
weight 6 wing fuel tanks empty for total 53708 [litre] fuel : 3008 [kg]
weight wing covering (painted aluminium 3.27 [mm]) : 4702 [kg]
total weight aluminium spars (multi-cellular wing structure) : 4557 [kg]
weight wings : 13622 [kg]
weight wing/square meter : 51.12 [kg]
weight thermal leading-edge anti-icing : 47.8 [kg]
weight ailerons (11.24 [m2]) : 288.2 [kg]
weight fin (30.49 [m2]) : 781.5 [kg]
weight rudder (9.49 [m2]) : 233.5 [kg]
weight tailplane (stabilizer) (57.15 [m2]): 1611.5 [kg]
weight elevators (13.72 [m2]): 189.87 [kg]
weight flight control hydraulic servo actuators: 42.8 [kg]
CP Air DC-8-43 C-FCPF “Empress of Rome”, May 1979 coming in to land at Vancouver int’l apt. c/n 45620
weight trailing-edge double slotted flaps (45.13 [m2]) : 985.5 [kg]
weight leading edge slots (1.89 [m2]) : 29.8 [kg]
weight spoilers (12.6 [m2]) : 162.1 [kg]
total weight wing construction : 21159 [kg] (34.2 [%])
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DC-8-43 main wheel tire pressure 12.5 kg/cm2
tire pressure main wheels : 12.50 [Bar] (nitrogen), ply rating : 23 PR
tire speed limit : 364 [km/hr]
total tyre footprint : 0.54 [m2]
Aircraft Classification Number, MTOW on rigid runway and medium subgrade
strength (B) : 40 [ ] Can also operate from unpaved runways subgrade B
wheel pressure : 15717.2 [kg]
weight 8 Dunlop main wheels (1130 [mm] by 420 [mm]) : 992.9 [kg]
weight 2 nose wheels : 124.1 [kg]
weight multi-disc wheel-brakes : 80.8 [kg]
weight Hydro-air flywheel detector type anti-skid units : 9.0 [kg]
weight oleo-pneumatic shock absorbers : 107.8 [kg]
weight wheel hydraulic operated retraction system : 1211.7 [kg]
weight undercarriage struts (four-wheel bogies) with axle 3471.5 [kg]
total weight landing gear : 5997.8 [kg] (4.2 [%]
*******************************************************************
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calculated empty weight : 60416 [kg](42.3 [%])
weight oil for 11.4 hours flying : 161.0 [kg]
weight lifejackets : 59.4 [kg]
weight 2 life rafts : 82.5 [kg]
weight catering : 141.9 [kg]
weight water : 113.5 [kg]
weight crew : 810 [kg]
weight crew lugage,nav.chards,flight doc.,miscell.items : 136 [kg]
operational weight empty : 61920 [kg] (43.3 [%])
********************************************************************
weight 132 passengers : 10164 [kg]
weight luggage : 2112 [kg]
weight cargo : 6636 [kg] (cargo+luggage/m3 belly : 210 [kg/m3])
zero fuel weight (ZFW): 80832 [kg](56.6 [%])
weight fuel for landing (2.0 hours flying) : 13063 [kg]
max. landing weight (MLW): 93895 [kg](65.7 [%])
max. fuel weight : 132762 [kg] (92.9 [%])
payload with max fuel : 109 passengers+luggage 10122 [kg]
published maximum take-off weight : 142884 [kg] (100.0 [%])
calculation : * 4 * (engine power)
power loading (Take-off) : 458 [kg/KN]
power loading (Take-off) 1 PUF: 611 [kg/KN]
max. total take-off power : 311.6 [KN]
calculation : *5* (loads)
manoeuvre load : 8.1 [g] at 1000 [m]
limit load : 2.5 [g] ultimate load : 3.8 [g] load factor : 1.1 [g]
design flight time : 2.15 [hours]
design cycles : 15400 sorties, design hours : 33110 [hours]
max. wing loading (MTOW & flaps retracted) : 536 [kg/m2]
wing stress (2 g) during operation : 170 [N/kg] at 2g emergency manoeuvre
calculation : *6* (angles of attack)
angle of attack zero lift : -1.81 ["]
max. angle of attack (stalling angle, clean) : 13.49 ["]
max. angle of attack (full flaps) : 12.95 ["]
angle of attack at max. speed : 1.42 ["]
calculation : *7* (lift & drag ratios
lift coefficient at angle of attack 0° : 0.15 [ ]
lift coefficient at max. speed : 0.27 [ ]
lift coefficient at max. angle of attack : 1.27 [ ]
max. lift coefficient full flaps : 1.73 [ ]
drag coefficient at max. speed : 0.0327 [ ]
drag coefficient at econ. cruise speed : 0.0360 [ ]
induced drag coefficient at econ. cruise speed : 0.0080 [ ]
drag coefficient (zero lift) : 0.0280 [ ]
lift/drag ratio at max. speed : 8.19 [ ]
calculation : *8* (speeds
take-off safety speed (V2) : 269 [km/u]
take-off (initial climb) speed (Vto) : 320 [km/u]
stalling speed clean at sea-level (OW loaded : 136218 [kg]): 289 [km/u]
max. rate of climb speed : 505 [km/hr] at sea-level
max. endurance speed (Vbe): 631 [km/u] min. fuel/hr : 5541 [kg/hr] at height : 10363 [m]
max. range speed (Vbr): 881 [km/u] min. fuel consumption : 7.270 [kg/km] at
cruise height : 11278 [m]
cruising speed : 943 [km/hr] at 10668 [m] (power:38 [%])
On 21 August 1961 DC-8-43 , no. N9604Z, the 130th built DC-8. Canadian Pacific “Empress of Montreal” brakes the speed of sound in a shallow dive. It reached Mach 1.012 (1063 km/hr) at 12523 [m] altitude. It was the first civil airliner exceeding the speed of sound.
The aircraft was flown by flight test engineer Richard H. Edwards , Pilot William Magruder , co-pilot Paul Patten and flight engineer Joseph Tomich. For the record attempt the aircraft climbed to a record height for an airliner of 15267 [m] over Rogers Dry Lake . It was accompanied by a North American F-100F Super Sabre camera plane and a Lockheed F-104 Starfighter chase plane. The “Empress of Montreal” was taken into service by Canadian Pacific. It served for almost 20 years, logging 24,268 flights for a total of 70,567 hours in the air. In may 1981 she was taken out of service
max. operational speed (Mmo) : 960 [km/hr] (Mach 0.88 ) at 9150 [m] (power:44.4 [%])
airflow at cruise speed per engine : 94.5 [kg/s]
speed of thrust jet : 2068 [km/hr]
initial descent speed 10000 - 7315 [m]: Mach 0.75
descent speed 7315 - 3048 [m]: 537 [km/u]
approach speed 3048 - 500 [m] (clean): 463 [km/u]
stalling speed clean at 500 [m] height at Max.Landing Weight : 93895 [kg]): 246 [km/u]
DC-8-43 approach speed 133 knots = 246 km/h at mlw 93995 kg, in Jane’s all the world aircraft 1970-71 this is indicated as landing-speed. 246 km/h = 1.3 x Vstall > Vstall = 189 km/h
final approach speed (landing speed) at sea-level with full flaps (max. landing weight)
(Vapp): 246 [km/u]
ICAO Aircraft Approach Category (APC) : C
stalling speed at sea-level with full flaps (max. landing weight): 189 [km/u]
rate of climb at sea-level ROC (loaded, 78 % power) : 906 [m/min]
rate of climb at sea-level ROC (loaded, 75% power) : 843 [m/min]
rate of climb at 1000 [m] with 1 engine out (PUF/MTOW, 100 % power on remaining engines) : 613 [m/min]
rate of climb at 1000 [m] with 2 engines out (2xPUF / MTOW) : 125 [m/min]
max.rate of descent with landing gear extended, with use of spoilers: 457 [m/min]
calculation : *9* (regarding various performances)
Take-off runway length requirement at MTOW 142884 kg, standard day, 9645 ft > 2940 [m]
low wheel pressure, can also take off from unpaved runways
take-off distance at sea-level concrete runway : 2821 [m]
ICAO Aerodrome Reference Code : 4D
take-off distance (C.A.R) at sea-level over 10.7 [m] height : 2921 [m]
FAR TO runway length requirement at MTOW, standard day at SL (ASDA): 2927 [m]
landing distance (MLW) : 860 [m]
Runway length requirements at sea level, max. landing weight : 6800 ft > 2073 [m]
landing distance (C.A.R.) from 15 [m] at SL, dry runway : 2055 [m]
landing distance (C.A.R.) from 15 [m] at SL, wet runway : 2355 [m]
FAR landing runway length requirements at SL : 2078 [m]
lift/drag ratio : 11.66 [ ]
climb to 5000 [m] with max payload : 5.11 [min]
climb to 10000 [m] with max payload : 15.71 [min]
descent time from 10000 [m] to 250 [m] : 24.33 [min]
ceiling limited by max. pressure differential 16225 [m]
theoretical ceiling fully loaded (mtow- 60 min.fuel: 136218 [kg] ) : 16500 [m]
calculation *10* (action radius & endurance)
range with max. payload: 8043 [km] with 18912.0 [kg] max. useful load (87.6 [%] fuel)*
range with high density pax: 8376 [km] with 179 passengers (90.8 [%] fuel)*
range with typical two-class pax: 9027 [km] with 132 passengers (97.0 [%] fuel)*
Range with max fuel : 4650 NM = 8612 [km] + 370 km reserve with fuel 23393 US gallon = 88543 [litre], gives fuel consumption of 6650 [kg/hour] compared to a Boeing 737 MAX 8 burning 2500 kg/hr with the same amount of passengers. Max. ferry range 5300 nm > 9817 km (see also Jane’s all the world aircraft 1970-71 page 397)
range with max.fuel : 9352 [km] with 10 crew and 109 passengers and 100.0 [%] fuel*
ferry range : 9768 [km] with 4 crew and zero payload (100.0 [%] fuel)*
max range theoretically with additional fuel tanks total 102132 [litre] fuel : 11027 [km]*
* calculated ranges without fuel reserves
Available Seat Kilometres (ASK) : 1404814 [paskm]
useful load with range 1000km : 18912 [kg]
useful load with range 1000km : 179 passengers
production (theor.max load): 17834 [tonkm/hour]
production (useful load): 17834 [tonkm/hour]
production (passengers): 153019 [paskm/hour]
oil and fuel consumption per tonkm : 0.374 [kg]
calculation *11* (operating cost)
fuel cost per hour (8333 [litre]):4999 [eur] (18 [pax-km/litre fuel])
fuel cost per seat 1000km flight (162 [pax] 2-class seating): 32.67 [eur/1000PK]
oil cost per hour: 52 [eur]
crew cost per hour : 1350 [eur]
list price 2023 : 160 [mln USD]
average flying hours in 1 year : 2750 [hours] technical life : 12 [year]
real average service life : 12 [years]
economic hours (average real flown hours): 33000 [hours] is 0 [%] less then design hours
financing interest per flying hour : 1358 [EUR]
write off per flying hour : 4179 [EUR]
time between engine failure : 13405 [hr]
can continue fly on 3 engines, low risk for emergency landing for PUF
workhours per day : 10.16 [hr]
average flight hours till crash : 0.21 [mln hr] (77 service years)
safe flight hours till fatality : 2942 [hr] (1.1 service years)
reservation pax liability/flying hour : 43.79 [SDR*] (54.74 [eur])
insurance cost per hour : 837 [eur]
Air Canada DC-8-43, CF-TJE, c/n 45565 at Prestwick, onboarding for a flight to Vancouver, June 1967. It carries a spare engine in a pod under the wing
engine maintenance cost per hour : 137.0 [eur]
wing maintenance cost per hour : 272.7 [eur]
fuselage maintenance cost per hour : 158.54 [eur]
tire life (time till worn out) : 106 [cycles]
maintenance cost per hour (excluding engines): 1630 [eur]
direct operating cost per hour: 14599 [eur]
DOC per seat 1000km flight (162 [pax] 2-class seating): 95.40 [eur/1000PK]
DOC per seat 1000km flight (high density seating): 86.49 [eur/1000PK]
DOC per kg cargo for a 1000km flight : 0.82 [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 : 5.26 [eur/pax]
airport landing fee / passenger : 5.26 [eur/pax]
retour ticket price 1000km trip : 280.14 [eur/pax]
price retour ticket Schiphol-Barcelona : 332.62 [eur/pax]
accidents with fatalities > see the accident file
Notes : dangerous aircraft to fly with, with only 2942 flying hours till a fatality, lowest in its category
Literature :
https://www.boeing.com/search/results.html?q=airplane+characteristics
verkeersvliegtuigen (Moussault) page 157
Jane’s all the world aircraft 1970-71 page
Air International dec’98 page 373 (picture)
www.aviation-safety.net
How Quick Thinking Saved the First Airliner to Break the Sound Barrier | HistoryNet
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 16 September 2023 contact : info.aircraftinvestigation@gmail.com ac jetpax 2020.py python 3.7.4
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