The Boeing Company
Method and electronic device for providing an optimal quantity of aircraft fuel

Abstract:

A method and electronic device for providing an optimal quantity of aircraft fuel. The method comprises collecting recorded flight data from past flights of an aircraft; determining aircraft specific performance correction parameters per flight phase, using the recorded flight data; collecting a flight plan of the aircraft; determining the total fuel required for the given flight plan, using the aircraft specific performance correction parameters; determining a single synthetic drag factor ( .sub.D.sub.FMS) and a single synthetic fuel factor ( .sub.FF.sub.FMS) that, when used by the aircraft FMS, yield the said total fuel required for the given flight plan; receiving an estimated total fuel required determined by the aircraft FMS based on the flight plan, the single synthetic drag factor ( .sub.D.sub.FMS) and the single synthetic fuel factor ( .sub.FF.sub.FMS). The method allows reducing the fuel weight and total flight cost, and is particularly advantageous for FMS which only admit one single drag factor and one single fuel factor.