Closed-Form Takeoff Weight Estimation Model for Air Transportation Simulation

Abstract

Takeoff weight is an important parameter for computing accurate aircraft trajectories. Most systems used for simulating air traffic and for providing air traffic management decision support use takeoff weights that depend only on the aircraft type. This paper proposes a closed-form algorithm for estimating takeoff weights based on flight plan and aircraft performance data. The algorithm is derived by combining the constantaltitude-cruise range equation with the weight estimation procedure commonly used in aircraft design. The model first determines whether the payload is limited by payload capacity, maximum takeoff weight, or fuel tank capacity, and then calculates the takeoff weight accordingly. The model is verified against manufacturer provided payload range diagrams for a jet and a turboprop aircraft. Accurate and fast takeoff weight estimation with negligible computational overhead will enhance large scale air traffic simulations by improving the accuracy of trajectories and fuel burn estimates. Improvement in trajectory and fuel burn estimates will benefit the assessment of noise and emissions as well as improve the accuracy of automated conflict detection and resolution algorithms.