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Weight estimations based on modern composite airframes?

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karoliina.t.salminen

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 7, 2008
Messages
407
Location
Finland
Typical weight estimation data is pretty old today, like the one in Raymer's book.
I think it would be useful to have statistics of modern aircraft airframe weight statistics split by at least major component, or in minimum the total empty weight of the airframe minus engine and minus propeller. Sailplanes are good in that sense, at least it is possible to know what is the empty weight without engine because there is none. However, to come up with empty weight of airframe one has to know the weight of the engine installation on the particular aircraft. For DA40, I can probably ask from our mechanic because we changed engine and prop on it and the crate had some weight printed on it. How about other planes on market, like Cirrus, DA42, Cessna Columbia models, Lancair Evolution etc.? Does anyone have exact numbers?

In conceptual early sizing estimations it seems that empty weight - gross weight ratio is often used. But this ratio always includes the engine install. The important question would be instead: how much would the composite airframe that can carry total load (including engine) will weight for given speed envelope. This would be useful for example estimating electric aircraft where battery weight is going to be the heaviest component of the plane and the motor/motors have in comparison insignificant weight. As a reference, the Lithium battery pack found in Tesla cars weights around 540 kg which is more than a typical gasoline engine + fuel would weight, and is going to be the main driver of the design of electric aircraft. Airframe needs to carry 540 kg batteries + motors + propellers + ESC, baytery load management/balancing system etc. in addition to the payload. The payload becomes lesser portion of the gross weight as most of it is consumed by the enormous battery pack.
Has anyone Excel sheet or similar with statistics of composite airframe or better component weights, compared to gross weight of that airframe?
 
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