The Typical General Aviation Aircraft

September1999NASA/CR-1999-209550TheTypicalGeneralAviationAircraftAndrewTurnbullFDC/NYMA,Inc.,AerospaceSectorLangleyResearchCenter,Hampton,VirginiaTheNASASTIProgramOffice...inProfileSinceitsfounding,NASAhasbeendedicatedtotheadvancementofaeronauticsandspacescience.TheNASAScientificandTechnicalInformation(STI)ProgramOfficeplaysakeypartinhelpingNASAmaintainthisimportantrole.TheNASASTIProgramOfficeisoperatedbyLangleyResearchCenter,theleadcenterforNASA’sscientificandtechnicalinformation.TheNASASTIProgramOfficeprovidesaccesstotheNASASTIDatabase,thelargestcollectionofaeronauticalandspacescienceSTIintheworld.TheProgramOfficeisalsoNASA’sinstitutionalmechanismfordisseminatingtheresultsofitsresearchanddevelopmentactivities.TheseresultsarepublishedbyNASAintheNASASTIReportSeries,whichincludesthefollowingreporttypes:•TECHNICALPUBLICATION.ReportsofcompletedresearchoramajorsignificantphaseofresearchthatpresenttheresultsofNASAprogramsandincludeextensivedataortheoreticalanalysis.Includescompilationsofsignificantscientificandtechnicaldataandinformationdeemedtobeofcontinuingreferencevalue.NASAcounterpartofpeer-reviewedformalprofessionalpapers,buthavinglessstringentlimitationsonmanuscriptlengthandextentofgraphicpresentations.•TECHNICALMEMORANDUM.Scientificandtechnicalfindingsthatarepreliminaryorofspecializedinterest,e.g.,quickreleasereports,workingpapers,andbibliographiesthatcontainminimalannotation.Doesnotcontainextensiveanalysis.•CONTRACTORREPORT.ScientificandtechnicalfindingsbyNASA-sponsoredcontractorsandgrantees.•CONFERENCEPUBLICATION.Collectedpapersfromscientificandtechnicalconferences,symposia,seminars,orothermeetingssponsoredorco-sponsoredbyNASA.•SPECIALPUBLICATION.Scientific,technical,orhistoricalinformationfromNASAprograms,projects,andmissions,oftenconcernedwithsubjectshavingsubstantialpublicinterest.•TECHNICALTRANSLATION.English-languagetranslationsofforeignscientificandtechnicalmaterialpertinenttoNASA’smission.SpecializedservicesthatcomplementtheSTIProgramOffice’sdiverseofferingsincludecreatingcustomthesauri,buildingcustomizeddatabases,organizingandpublishingresearchresults...evenprovidingvideos.FormoreinformationabouttheNASASTIProgramOffice,seethefollowing:•AccesstheNASASTIProgramHomePageat•[e-mail]•FaxyourquestiontotheNASASTIHelpDeskat(301)621-0134•PhonetheNASASTIHelpDeskat(301)621-0390•Writeto:NASASTIHelpDeskNASACenterforAeroSpaceInformation7121StandardDriveHanover,MD21076-1320NationalAeronauticsandSpaceAdministrationLangleyResearchCenterPreparedforLangleyResearchCenterHampton,Virginia23681-2199underContractNAS1-96013,TaskAF05September1999NASA/CR-1999-209550TheTypicalGeneralAviationAircraftAndrewTurnbullFDC/NYMA,Inc.,AerospaceSectorLangleyResearchCenter,HamptonVirginiaAvailablefrom:NASACenterforAeroSpaceInformation(CASI)NationalTechnicalInformationService(NTIS)7121StandardDrive5285PortRoyalRoadHanover,MD21076-1320Springfield,VA22161-2171(301)621-0390(703)605-6000iTableOfContentsEXECUTIVESUMMARY..............................................................................................................................1I.INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................................................3II.WHATISGENERALAVIATION?......................................................................................................4III.GENERALAVIATIONCURRENTMARKET...................................................................................5IV.THETYPICALGENERALAVIATIONAIRCRAFT.........................................................................7A.NUMBEROFSEATS...............................................................................................................................8B.NUMBEROFENGINES...........................................................................................................................9C.TYPEOFENGINE...................................................................................................................................9D.LANDINGGEARTYPEANDCONFIGURATION........................................................................................10E.SOMESIMPLIFYINGASSUMPTIONS......................................................................................................11F.AIRFRAMECONSTRUCTIONANDMATERIAL........................................................................................12G.FLIGHTCONTROLSYSTEMTYPEANDCONFIGURATION........................................................................12H.SUMMARY..........................................................................................................................................13V.SYSTEMLEVELDEFINITIONSOFTHETYPICALAIRCRAFT.................................................14A.TYPICALSYSTEMDEFINITION.............................................................................................................141.Engine..........................................................