Angle of Attack for F-117A at 30,000ft and 400kts: 0.648

  • Thread starter Thread starter jd3005
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Angle
Click For Summary
To maintain equilibrium in straight and level flight at 30,000 feet and 400 knots, the F-117A, weighing 52,500 pounds, requires an angle of attack of 0.648. The calculation involves the lift equation, where lift must equal the aircraft's weight. The air density at this altitude is 0.000889, and the wing area is 1,140 square feet. The lift coefficient (CL) is derived from the equation, confirming the necessary angle of attack for stable flight. This analysis highlights the relationship between weight, air density, velocity, and wing area in determining the angle of attack.
jd3005
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
You are flying an F-117A fully equipped, which means that your aircraft weighs 52,500 pounds. You want to maintain equilibrium in straight and level flight at an altitude of 30,000 feet, cruising at 400 knots to conserve fuel. The aircraft's wing area is 1,140 square feet. At what angle of attack should the F-117A be set to maintain equilibrium?
The air density at FL300 is .000889


This was an assignment (independent study) assigned in math. I am working on it however I felt I completed the problem properly, however the answer seems to disagree with me.


L = (1/2) d v2 s CL

* L = Lift, which must equal the airplane's weight in pounds
* d = density of the air. This will change due to altitude. These values can be found in a I.C.A.O. Standard Atmosphere Table.
* v = velocity of an aircraft expressed in feet per second
* s = the wing area of an aircraft in square feet
* CL = Coefficient of lift , which is determined by the type of airfoil and angle of attack.




52,500 = (1/2) (.000889) (400^2 ) (1140) CL

52,500 = (81076.8) CL

0.648 = CL


I'm not concerning significant digits.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Therefore the angle of attack must be 0.648 to maintain equilibrium in straight and level flight at an altitude of 30,000 feet, cruising at 400 knots.
 
The book claims the answer is that all the magnitudes are the same because "the gravitational force on the penguin is the same". I'm having trouble understanding this. I thought the buoyant force was equal to the weight of the fluid displaced. Weight depends on mass which depends on density. Therefore, due to the differing densities the buoyant force will be different in each case? Is this incorrect?

Similar threads

  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
1K
Replies
4
Views
5K
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
7K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
7K
Replies
18
Views
7K
  • · Replies 32 ·
2
Replies
32
Views
13K
Replies
1
Views
3K
Replies
2
Views
4K
  • Poll Poll
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
3K
Replies
6
Views
18K