Page 71 - Planning and Design of Airports

CHAPTER 2

Aircraft

Characteristics

Related to

Airport Design

ne of the great challenges for airport planning and design is
creating facilities that accommodate a very wide variety of
Oaircraft. Aircraft vary widely in terms of their physical dimen-
sions and performance characteristics, whether they be operated for
commercial air service, cargo, or general aviation activities.
There are a large number of specifications for which aircraft may
be categorized. Depending on the portion of the area of the airport,
certain aircraft specifications become more critical. For example, air-
craft weight is important for determining the thickness and strengths
of the runway, taxiway, and apron pavements, and affects the takeoff
and landing runway length requirements at an airport, which in turn
to a large extent influences planning of the entire airport property.
The wingspan and the fuselage length influence the size of parking
aprons, which in turn influences the configuration of the terminal
buildings. Wingspan and turning radii dictate width of runways and
taxiways, the distances between these traffic ways, and affects the
required turning radius on pavement curves. An aircraft’s passenger
capacity has an important bearing on facilities within and adjacent to
the terminal building.
Since the initial success of the Wright Flyer in 1903, fixed-wing
aircraft have gone through more than 100 years of design enhance-
ments, resulting in vastly improved performance, including the abil-
ity to fly at greater speeds and higher altitudes over larger ranges
with more revenue generating carrying capacity (known as payload)
at greater operating efficiencies. These improvements are primarily
the results of the implementation of new technologies into aircraft

49