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A small aircraft has a total mass of 1700 kg and a wing area of 43 m². the aircraft is cruising at an altitude of 4000m at a constant speed of 310 km/h and generating 230 kw of power. the density of air at 4000m is 0.819 kg/m³. determine the drag coefficient for the aircraft.

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Final answer:

By using the equation for power related to drag force and the equation for drag force, the drag coefficient for the aircraft is calculated to be approximately 0.0723.

Step-by-step explanation:

To determine the drag coefficient for the aircraft, we need to use the equation for power related to drag force:

P = Fd × v, where P is the power, Fd is the drag force, and v is the velocity. First, we convert the aircraft's speed from km/h to m/s: 310 km/h = 86.11 m/s.

Knowing the power is 230 kW (or 230,000 W), we can solve for the drag force:

Fd = P / v = 230,000 W / 86.11 m/s = 2672.37 N.

The drag force is also given by the equation Fd = (1/2) × ρ × v2 × A × Cd, where ρ is the density of air, v is the velocity, A is the wing area, and Cd is the drag coefficient.

Plugging in values, 2672.37 N = (1/2) × 0.819 kg/m3 × (86.11 m/s)2 × 43 m2 × Cd.

Solving for Cd, we get Cd = 2672.37 N / (0.5 × 0.819 kg/m3 × 86.112 m2/s2 × 43 m2) = 0.0723, which is the drag coefficient for the aircraft.

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