UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE OF

ENGINEERING
BE-AEROSPACE ENGINEERING
Course Name: Physics of Flight
Course Code: 22AST-215
Faculty: Er. Sukumar Dhanapalan

INTRODUCTION TO MANAGEMENT DISCOVER . LEARN . EMPOWER

1
 Classification of Aircraft
Classification Based on Purpose

• Civil Aircraft: Used for non-military purposes, such as commercial airlines,

private jets, and general aviation aircraft.
• Military Aircraft: Used by the military for various purposes, including combat,
reconnaissance, and transport.
• Commercial Aircraft: Used for commercial air transportation, including airliners
and cargo planes.
• General Aviation Aircraft: Small aircraft used for personal and recreational
purposes, flight training, and business aviation.
• Experimental Aircraft: Aircraft built for experimental purposes, testing new
designs or technologies.

Mr. Sukumar Dhanapalan/ AP/Aerospace Engg

 Civil Aircraft- Passenger
➢ High level of safety & reliability
➢ High payload carrying capacity
➢ Economy in safety and reliability operation
➢ Comfort
➢ All weather flying capacity
➢ Ability to use aerodromes of respective
classes
➢ Such aircrafts usually cruise in tropopause or
roughly around 40000ft altitude with speed
range of 0.75<M< 0.86.
➢ Boeing 707,720,727,737,747,757, SAAB
2000,Bae RJ, Fokker- 100, DC-8 and Airbus
A320, A-330 and Concord are the typical
airplanes of this type.
Mr. Sukumar Dhanapalan/ AP/Aerospace Engg
 Civil Aircraft-Business jets
➢ These are small/ medium size airplanes that
usually offer less than 12-15 Seats and such
airplanes are either owned by business
establishments or their service is offered as
chartered planes.
➢ Such airplanes are used as regional tour also.
Better level of comfort and luxurious
furnishing are well known features of such
airplanes.
➢ Beachcraft Super King, Raytheon-Hawker
800, Cessna Caravan, Beach Starship are
the typical airplanes that are being used for
this purpose.
➢ In fact any small private airplanes that provide
6-12 cabin seats can be used as
business/executive airplane.
Mr. Sukumar Dhanapalan/ AP/Aerospace Engg
 Civil Aircraft-Cargo Airplane
• These airplanes provide the second most valuable
service of aviation (the first being, passenger service).
Their cargo service, though relatively expensive,
provides the quickest delivery of goods.
• Cargo airplanes are specially designed to carry huge
payload in terms of goods.
• Long range, but speed is not the primary importance,
Low speed performance
• Volume capacity is as significant as weight capacity
• The fuselage of cargo airplane tends to be large and
blunt
• e.g:- Boeing 747F, Airbus 300 cargo, Viscount 810,
Argosy, Beluga and Armstrong.
• Design specification of such airplane leads to large
area wing and refined high lift devices with large and
heavy undercarriages.
Mr. Sukumar Dhanapalan/ AP/Aerospace Engg
Experimental aircraft

Mr. Sukumar Dhanapalan-Asst Prof-Aero Dept.

 Trainers

Mr. Sukumar Dhanapalan-Asst Prof-Aero Dept.

 General Aviation Aircraft

• Agricultural aircraft
• Sports aircraft
❖ Glider
❖ Recreational aircraft
❖ Man-powered aircraft

Mr. Sukumar Dhanapalan-Asst Prof-Aero Dept.

Agricultural aircraft

Mr. Sukumar Dhanapalan-Asst Prof-Aero Dept.

Sports aircraft

Mr. Sukumar Dhanapalan-Asst Prof-Aero Dept.

 Military Aircraft
Military aircraft means an aircraft of the
naval, military, air force or any other armed
forces of any country and includes every
aircraft commanded for the time being by a
person in any such force detailed for the
purpose;
➢ Fighters
➢ Bombers
➢ Medical / Rescue Aircraft
➢ Spy / Reconnaissance Aircraft

Mr. Sukumar Dhanapalan/ AP/Aerospace Engg

 Primary requirements for Military Aircraft

Strategic Tactical
• Long range (over 6000 km) • Long range 3000-5000 km)
• High load carrying capacity - (2000- • High load carrying capacity (above 6000
4000 kg) kg)
• High speed • High speed
• High endurance • High ceiling
• High ceiling • High endurance
• Adequate fire protection • All-weather flying
• Ability to use field aerodromes

Mr. Sukumar Dhanapalan/ AP/Aerospace Engg

 Primary requirements for
Military Aircraft – FIGHTERS
Tactical Interceptor
• High speed (300-400 kmph- more than
• High rate of climb
contemporary bomber speeds)
• High ceiling (2-4 km than bomber more than • High ceiling (3-4 km contemporary
contemporary bomber ceilings) ceilings)
• Maneuverability • High speed (500-600 kmph more than
• Sufficient endurance contemporary bomber speeds
• High rate of climb • High Maneuverability

• Ability to launch repeat- ed attacks • All-weather flying

• All-weather flying • Ability to fire powerful single volley at
• Ability to use field aerodromes target
• Ease of dismantling and assembling • Ease of dismantling and assembling

Mr. Sukumar Dhanapalan/ AP/Aerospace Engg

Fighters-Interceptor

Mr. Sukumar Dhanapalan-Asst Prof-Aero Dept.

Fighters- Tactical

Mr. Sukumar Dhanapalan-Asst Prof-Aero Dept.

 Primary requirements of bomber
• Long range,
• High load carrying capacity,
• High speed ,
• High endurance,
• High ceiling and
• Adequate fire protection.

Mr. Sukumar Dhanapalan/ AP/Aerospace Engg

 Aircraft of the IAF

Jaguar

Mirage 2000

MiGs Mr. Sukumar Dhanapalan-Asst Prof-Aero Dept.

Sukhoi
Medical / Rescue Aircraft

Mr. Sukumar Dhanapalan-Asst Prof-Aero Dept.

Spy / Reconnaissance Aircraft

Mr. Sukumar Dhanapalan-Asst Prof-Aero Dept.

 CLASSIFICATION BASED ON MACH
NUMBER
Aircraft are classified based on their maximum Mach number,
Mach number is a dimensionless quantity in fluid dynamics representing the ratio
of flow velocity past a boundary to the local speed of sound (i.e., The ratio of
the speed of a body to the speed of sound in a particular medium, usually the
Earth's atmosphere). [Ratio of inertia force to elastic force].
• Subsonic (M<1)
• Transonic (M~1)
• Supersonic (M>1)
• Hypersonic (M>>1)

Mr. Sukumar Dhanapalan-Asst Prof-Aero Dept.

Subsonic (M<1)

Mr. Sukumar Dhanapalan-Asst Prof-Aero Dept.

Transonic (M~1)

Mr. Sukumar Dhanapalan-Asst Prof-Aero Dept.

Supersonic (M>1-5)

Mr. Sukumar Dhanapalan-Asst Prof-Aero Dept.

Hypersonic (M>>1) (above 5)

Mr. Sukumar Dhanapalan-Asst Prof-Aero Dept.

 CLASSIFICATION BASED ON
NUMBER OF WINGS
Airplanes are classified based on the number of wings as,
❖ Monoplane: Aircraft with a single pair of wings.
❖ Biplane: Aircraft with two pairs of wings, one above the other.
❖ Triplane: Aircraft with three pairs of wings, stacked vertically.

➢ Present day aircrafts have a Monoplane configuration

Mr. Sukumar Dhanapalan-Asst Prof-Aero Dept.

Monoplanes

Mr. Sukumar Dhanapalan-Asst Prof-Aero Dept.

 Biplanes

Mr. Sukumar Dhanapalan-Asst Prof-Aero Dept.

 Triplanes

Mr. Sukumar Dhanapalan-Asst Prof-Aero Dept.

 Types of Wings

Straight Wing Swept Wing

Forward Swept Wing Oblique Wing

Mr. Sukumar Dhanapalan-Asst Prof-Aero Dept.
 Types of Wings

Variable Sweep Wing Delta Wing

Triplane
Biplane Mr. Sukumar Dhanapalan-Asst Prof-Aero Dept.
 Types of Tails

T Tail Twin Fin

Horizontal Tailless Vertical Tailless

Mr. Sukumar Dhanapalan-Asst Prof-Aero Dept.
 CLASSIFICATION BASED ON TYPE
OF ENGINE
Aircraft with engine are classified based on the type of engine as follows,
• Propeller
• Turboprop
• Turbofan
• Turbojet
• Ramjet

Mr. Sukumar Dhanapalan-Asst Prof-Aero Dept.

 Propeller

Mr. Sukumar Dhanapalan-Asst Prof-Aero Dept.

 Turboprop

Mr. Sukumar Dhanapalan-Asst Prof-Aero Dept.

 Turbofan

Mr. Sukumar Dhanapalan-Asst Prof-Aero Dept.

 Turbojet

Mr. Sukumar Dhanapalan-Asst Prof-Aero Dept.

 Ramjet

Mr. Sukumar Dhanapalan-Asst Prof-Aero Dept.

 CLASSIFICATION BASED ON
NUMBER OF ENGINES
Another way of classification is the number and position of engines.
• This varies depending on the mission requirements of the particular aircraft.
• The classification of aircraft based on the number and type of engines is not an entirely
independent classification since the maximum or cruise Mach number roughly fixes the
type of engine and the number of engines to be used.

Mr. Sukumar Dhanapalan-Asst Prof-Aero Dept.

CLASSIFICATION BASED ON SOURCE
OF POWER
Aircraft are classified based on their source of power as,

• Oil,
• Solar Power,
• Electric Power,
• Nuclear Power ( quite rare)

Mr. Sukumar Dhanapalan-Asst Prof-Aero Dept.

Engine Arrangement

Mr. Sukumar Dhanapalan-Asst Prof-Aero Dept.

CLASSIFICATION BASED ON RANGE
Aircraft are classified based on their range as follows,
The maximal total range is the maximum distance an aircraft can fly between
takeoff and landing with a one full load of fuel.
• Short range (<500 km)
• Medium range (<3000km)
• Long range (>3000 km)

Mr. Sukumar Dhanapalan-Asst Prof-Aero Dept.

 CLASSIFICATION BASED ON MODE
OF TAKEOFF AND LANDING
Aircraft can also be classified based on the mode of takeoff and landing as
follows,
• Normal
• VTOL-(Vertical Take-Off and Landing)
• STOL-(Short Take-Off and Landing)
• STOVL-(Short Take-Off and Vertical Landing Aircraft)

Mr. Sukumar Dhanapalan-Asst Prof-Aero Dept.

 CLASSIFICATION BASED ON SIZE
AND PAYLOAD CAPACITY
Aircraft are classified based on size as follows,

• Micro-airplanes
• Single or double seater airplanes
• Medium size airplanes (~50 passengers)
• Large Airplanes (~ 400 passengers)
• Cargo planes for transporting cars, trucks, military tanks etc.

Mr. Sukumar Dhanapalan-Asst Prof-Aero Dept.

 References
Text Book
Sr No Title of the Book Author Name Volume/Edition Publish Hours Years Link
Charles E Dole, James chrome-
Flight Theory and
1 E Lewis, Joseph R Third edition Wiley 2017 extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://soaneemrana.org/
Aerodynamics
Badick and onewebmedia/THEORY%20OF%20FLIGHT.pdf
2 Introduction to Flight John D Anderson Jr Eighth edition McGraw Hill 2016 https://toaz.info/doc-view-2

3 Basics of Space Flight Dave Doody Fourth edition NASA/JPL-Caltech 2011 https://www.amazon.in/Basics-Space-Flight-Dave-
Doody/dp/0615476015
https://www.google.com/search?q=flight+without+formulae+by+a.c.+ker
mode+pdf+free+download&ei=z5ynZInZL6rfseMP6fSy8AI&start=10&sa
4 Flight without Formulae Kermode, A.C Fifth edition Pearson Education 2004
=N&ved=2ahUKEwjJ_IWE6fv_AhWqb2wGHWm6DC4Q8tMDegQIAxAE
&biw=1366&bih=600&dpr=1

Reference Book
Sr No Title of the Book Author Name Volume/Edition Publish Hours Years Link

Manuel Soler [Ed.]. https://e-

Fundamentals of Printed by Create archivo.uc3m.es/bitstream/handle/10016/21184/fundamentals_aerospac
1 Aerospace Engineering Manuel Soler Arnedo 2nd Edition Space. Madri 2017 e_engineering_soler_2014.pdf
Introduction to
Aerospace Engineering https://www.amazon.in/Introduction-Aerospace-Engineering-Flight-
with a Flight Test Perspective/dp/1118953363
2 Perspective Stephen Corda First edition Wiley 2017

chrome-
Principles of Flight for extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.abul.org.br/bi
3 Pilots P J Swatton First edition Wiley 2011 blioteca/82.pdf
Introduction to Space https://www.amazon.in/Introduction-Space-Flight-Francis-
4 Flight Francis J. Hale First Edition Pearson 1994 Hale/dp/0134819128

Mr. Sukumar Dhanapalan/ AP/Aerospace Engg

 THANK YOU

For queries
Email: [email protected]
Mr. Sukumar Dhanapalan/ AP/Aerospace Engg