calculating drag

angelwings

i am having trouble calculating various drag co-efficents for a dc -10 in cruise.

i have found this data:
Thrust: 153000 lb
density: 0.00085 slug/ft
V= 852ft/s
W=580000lb
AR= 7.5
e= .8
S= 3958ft^2
Cl= 0.5

I have also found the formulas
Cd= D/ (density x S x V^2 /2)
Cd= Cdo + ((cl^2) / (pi x AR x e))
Cdi= (cl^2)/ (pi x AR x e)

i have tried these but get odd answers. i need help to know whether my mistake is my data, my formulas or my calculation.
help with graphing this data vs airspeed would also be appriciated
cheers

FredGarvin

It appears that you have all the information you need to do the calcs. Perhaps it is a units issue? If you show us what you have we might be able to pinpoint something for you.

brewnog

Is that value for S right?

It looks rather large indeed, but then I'm too snobby to work in imperial units to find out for sure.

angelwings

the answers that i got using these formulas were:
for Cd = 0.125
for Cdi= 0.0137
for CDo = 0.11
as cdi and cdo were so different i thought that there must be a problem.
i was also unsure if the thrust value given was for one engine or for all three. is it an appropriate value for three engines?

-in response to brewnog S= 317 m ^2

FredGarvin

The thrust value you give is consistent with three engines. 50,000 Lbf sounds about right for a single engine.

Did you do a dimensional analysis to make sure your units were all cancelled out?

angelwings

i did a dimensional analysis. but i'm pretty sure that i'm using all the right units. still having problems though. are the formulas correct and is the oswald efficency factor an approptriate value for a DC - 10?