Case Study: Performance Estimation for a Fixed-Wing Aircraft

By: OCdt Donald Alexander Amoroso (26435)

AEE261- Aircraft Performance
Submitted to: Dr. B. Allan
04 February 2013





















Part 1

Aircraft: B-1B Lancer
Manufactured By: Boeing, North America (formerly Rockwell International)
Power Plant: 4x GE F101-GE-102 turbofan engine with afterburner

B-1B Lancer Characteristics

Maximum Take-off Weight (MTOW): [lbm] 477000
Empty Weight (We): [lbm] 192000
Maximum Fuel Capacity (Wf-max): [lbm] 265274
Representative Wing Area (S): [ft
2
] 1950
Wingspan (b): [ft] Extended Forward: 137
Fully Swept: 79
Average Chord (c) [ft] 14.2
Ceiling [ft] 60000
Range [mi] 7456
Thrust (T) per engine [lbf] w/o Afterburners: 14600
Afterburners: 30780
Speed mph 830 (Mach 1.25)




















Figure 1: Front, side and top views of a B1-Lancer. The top view shows the B1s
maximum and minimum wing sweep, as its wing sweep is variable. The wing can be
swept at 5 different angles ranging from 15- 67.5 degrees. Minimum sweep is for
take off, high altitude cruise and landing, while fully swept would be for supersonic
and subsonic flights, such as during a bombing run.
Role: Long Range Precision Bomber


Aircraft Mission Profile:

B-1B Lancer
Armament: 10x 500-lb GBU-38 Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM)
80x 500-lb MK-84 General Purpose Bombs
Total: 45000 lbm

Background Story:

It is the year 2045, and the worlds population has been split into four different
groups ever since Korean-Russian invasions of North American and Europe, in the
year 2037. South America and Africa remain untouched, but now all of Eurasia and
the west coast of North America belongs to the new world super power, a Russian-
Korean Alliance, now known as Korussia. Whats left of the North American
population, under the leadership of President Obama, the daughter of the late
Barack Obama, has been at war with Korussia ever since the invasion and has
managed to regain North American soil as far as Alberta.
A forward airbase has been reconstructed at the former CFB Cold Lake in Alberta,
and this is where most the air operations are being run out of.
The president has made it clear that she wants to have the rest of North America
under control by the end of the year, and it will be much easier to do this by
attacking the enemies with force right at their main bases. Intelligence reports that
the Korussians have taken over former CFB Comox, and it is their main base of
operations on NA soil. If it were to be taken out, it would cripple the Korussian
forces and allow us to complete the Presidents objective.

The mission:

North American F-35s have been dispatched to distract any of the Korussian air
assets, in order to open up a small window for our B1-Lancers to fly into enemy
airspace and destroy the enemys base in Comox. From Cold Lake each B1 with fly
with a payload of 20x 2000lb Mk-84 General Purpose bombs, and your specific B1,
will also be equipped with 4x 500lb GBU-38 Joint Direct Attack Munitions as well.
You will take off from Cold Lake (1785 ft MSL) at 05h00, and climb to and altitude of
30000ft MSL. You will cruise at this altitude at Mach 0.7 for 800 nm. At this point
you will begin your descent to 15000ft MSL, which will be your attack height. You
have 140 nm from your descent until your drop point. Once 15000ft has been
reached, reduce your speed to Mach 0.5 to drop your payload over the Korussian
base in Comox. Your target is the NW corner of the base. Once overtop of the base
you will drop the Mk-84 bombs on the western runway, and once the northern
corner of the base has been reached, drop the 4 JDAM on the operational HQ.
The return to Cold Lake will need to be made at a much quicker pace, as once the
attack has begun, the Korussian fighters sent to deal with our F-35s will surely
return to Comox in its defense. Once the bombs are dropped, you are to immediately
return to Cold Lake. Turn around and climb to an altitude of 20000 ft MSL, as you
will not have the time to climb any higher. Fly at a speed of Mach 0.9 back to Cold
lake. Once at cold lake make your decent to 10000ft, and be prepared to wait in the
air until you are cleared to land. Dont worry, enough reserve fuel will be given to
you at take-off to account for this. Once cleared, you may land back at Cold Lake.

Launch-Climb to 30000ft, fly 800 nm at Mach 0.7 (sweep: 15 degrees) > Descend to
15000 ft, drop payload of 42000 lb at Mach 0.7 (sweep: 67.5 degrees) > Turn around
and climb to 20000ft > fly at Mach 0.9 a distance of 800 nm > descend to 10000ft
and await clearance (Mach 0.5) > Land when cleared














References

B1-Lancer. Federation of American Scientists. Date Accessed: 02/02/2013.
http://www.fas.org/programs/ssp/man/uswpns/air/bombers/b1b.html

B-1B Lancer Factsheet. The Official Website of the US Air Force. Page created:
5/21/2012. Date Accessed: 31/01/2013.
http://www.af.mil/information/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=81

Rockwell B1-Lancer. Wikipedia. Date Accessed: 03/02/2013.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rockwell_B-1_Lancer



Launch-Climb to 38000ft, fly 1500 mi at Mach 0.7 (sweep: 15 degrees) > Descend to
15000 ft, drop payload of 45000 lb at Mach 0.7 (sweep: 67.5 degrees) > Return at
15000 ft at a speed of Mach 0.7 (sweep: 15 degrees).