Basic Performance Models | Advanced Performance Models | Aircraft Configuration

Aircraft Configuration

The Aircraft Configuration window is used to define the aircraft's fuel and payload configuration and consists of three tabs - Basic, Stations, and Fuel. This information is necessary for the accurate determination of angle of attack, if you are calculating it dynamically within the currently selected Acceleration performance model.

You can access the Aircraft Configuration window by two methods - which produce different outcomes. If you open this window by clicking Default Configuration in the Aircraft Properties window, the changes you make will be saved to the catalog copy of the aircraft, but will not be updated for the current mission, or any other mission using the same aircraft model. If you open this window by clicking Aircraft Configuration in the Mission window, the changes you make will be saved to the current mission only.

Because the configuration of an aircraft is typically mission-dependent, when an aircraft model is selected for a mission the default configuration is loaded once and embedded into the mission. This means that a change to the aircraft's default configuration will not be updated to missions for which the aircraft is already selected; to utilize the new default configuration, you must select another aircraft and then re-select the updated aircraft. This paradigm protects the integrity of the configurations you have defined in other missions.

Basic

The Basic tab is used to define the empty parameters of the aircraft, and displays the total values, based on the stations and fuel tanks defined for it.

Parameter	Description
Empty Weight	Define the weight of the aircraft without any fuel or payload.
Base Drag Index	Define the drag index of the aircraft without any fuel or payload.
Empty CG	Define the center of gravity of the aircraft at its empty weight; enter the Cartesian values that describe the center of gravity for the specific aircraft you are modeling, or leave these values set to zero if you don't have these specifications available to you. This value as used in Aircraft Mission Modeler is an arbitrary point and does not correspond to a specific point in the aircraft, and therefore does not affect the flight path or attitude of the aircraft; it is simply used to define the relative positions of internal fuel tanks and stations.
Total Weight	Indicates the total initial state weight of the aircraft including the fuel and payload weights.
Total Drag Index	Indicates the total drag index of the aircraft including the fuel and payload drag index contributions. When calculating the aerodynamics of the aircraft, this value is multiplied by the Configuration Drag Index Scale to generate a real aerodynamic value that is added to Cd-0.
Total CG	Indicates the initial state center of gravity, taking into account stations and internal fuel tanks.

Stations

The Stations tab is used to define internal fuel tanks, stations, and external fuel tanks that are attached to the stations. A list of currently defined stations, with the aircraft itself at the top, is displayed on the left. You can use a right-click menu within the list to Add, Delete, or Rename stations.

There are two buttons beneath the list. Click Add... to add an object to the currently selected object in the list; a selection window with valid objects to add will appear. If the currently selected object cannot be a parent to another item, the Add... button will be grayed out. Click Delete to remove the currently selected object.

If you have edited a parameter for one of the objects, you can click Apply to save that change and continue working in the window.

Internal Fuel Tank

An internal fuel tank is a fuel tank that is contained within the aircraft.

Parameter	Description
Tank Name	Enter a specific name for the fuel tank, if desired.
Capacity	Define the fuel capacity, in weight, of the fuel tank; this value cannot be less than the initial state.
Initial State	Define the amount of fuel contained in the tank at the beginning of the mission; this value cannot exceed the Capacity.
Consumption Order	Define the fuel tank's place in the order in which fuel is consumed. The aircraft will empty each tank before beginning to consume from the next.
Parent Relative Position	Enter the Cartesian values that describe the position of the fuel tank relative to the aircraft's empty center of gravity.

Station

A station is a mounting point for an external fuel tank.

Parameter	Description
Station Name	Enter a specific name for the station, if desired.
Parent Relative Position	Enter the Cartesian values that describe the position of the station relative to its parent object, or to the aircraft's empty center of gravity if there is no parent object.

External Fuel Tank

An external fuel tank is a fuel tank that can be attached to a station.

Parameter	Description
Tank Name	Enter a specific name for the fuel tank, if desired.
Empty Weight	Define the empty weight of the fuel tank.
Capacity	Define the fuel capacity, in weight, of the fuel tank; this value cannot be less than the initial state.
Initial State	Define the amount of fuel contained in the tank at the beginning of the mission; this value cannot exceed the Capacity.
Consumption Order	Define the fuel tank's place in the order in which fuel is consumed. The aircraft will empty each tank before beginning to consume from the next.
Drag index	Define the drag index of the fuel tank, which contributes to the overall drag index of the aircraft.

Fuel

The Fuel tab displays a list of all of the fuel tanks defined for the aircraft, in their consumption order. You can edit the Consumption Order, Capacity, and Initial State parameters of any of the fuel tanks by double-clicking in the field. The total fuel capacity and initial state of the aircraft are displayed below the list. You can click Add/Remove Tanks... to flip back to the Stations tab, where you can add and remove fuel tanks, and modify additional parameters that are not displayed on this tab.