How does weight affect takeoff and landing performance?
A heavier aircraft has a higher approach speed (1.3 VS, and stall speed is higher) and therefore needs more runway length to stop. The general rule of thumb here is that a 10% increase in weight means 20% more runway needed for takeoff and landing distance.
What pilot should do if the landing weight of the aircraft is over the maximum landing weight?
In these cases, the airplane may arrive at the landing airport at a weight considerably above the maximum design landing weight. The pilot must then decide whether to reduce the weight prior to landing or land overweight. The weight can be reduced either by holding to burn off fuel or by jettisoning fuel.
What is the definition of an overweight landing?
An overweight landing is defined as a landing made at a gross weight in excess of the maximum design (i.e., structural) landing weight for a particular model. In general, landing overweight (though not desirable) is safe.
How does weight affect the length of a landing?
To shed its kinetic energy, the landing run will take longer by the increase in kinetic energy, i.e. 1.9. Since the average speed is also higher by 17.4%, the landing distance will be higher by a factor of 2.233 or 223% of the landing distance at maximum landing weight.
What are the concerns and consequences of an overweight plane?
If you are trying to land a plane that is over it’s rated landing weight, you will need to be going faster to keep enough airflow over the wings to generate the lift required to keep the plane in the air. This, of course, has the consequence that it will take longer to stop when on the runway.
How much fuel is needed to take off and land?
The MTOW (maximum take-off weight, which is actually a mass) is 351,534 kg, and the maximum landing weight is 251,290 kg, about 100 tons less. Now let’s assume that taking offand returning to the airfield uses 5 tons of fuel, so the mass ratio is 1.379.