This paper proposes a new fuel-saving climb procedure by reducing thrust near top of climb. Aircraft usually climb at maximum thrust during the climb phase. However, as revealed in this paper, the maximum thrust during climb is not always optimal considering the fact that the engine fuel efficiency of the maximum thrust is worse than that of the cruise thrust. Potential fuel savings of 40–80 lbs by a large jet airliner can be the result of this different engine thrust, but such savings cannot be fully achieved because of aircraft capability and air traffic control constraints. Therefore, the author proposes a practical fuel-saving climb procedure to satisfy the constraints of current aircraft and air traffic control operation. It is shown that a simple rule ( climb from 6000 ft below the optimal cruise altitude) can save more than half of the potential saving (20–50 lbs) regardless of the initial weight with the same aircraft type. It is also confirmed that the proposed procedure works for other aircraft types.
Fuel-Saving Climb Procedure by Reduced Thrust near Top of Climb
Journal of Aircraft ; 57 , 5 ; 800-806
2020-03-11
7 pages
Article (Journal)
Electronic Resource
English