light aircraft figure of merit

GeorgeC

GeorgeC

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GeorgeC
GeorgeC said:
I remember reading these and finding them somewhat interesting:

http://www.x-plane.com/hardware/evo/1_merit.html
http://austinmeyer.com/2015/03/04/n844x-performance/

I've been trying to come up with something similar for our GA spam cans, something like

FOM = (speed * useful load) / gph

, with additional penalties for retract/cs prop/6 cyl complexity (how much? 5% each?).

Is there a "standard" metric along these lines?
Click to expand...

Why would you penalize a complex, high performance, or 6 cylinder aircraft?

By the above criteria a 152 might be your huckleberry.
 
GeorgeC said:
I remember reading these and finding them somewhat interesting:

http://www.x-plane.com/hardware/evo/1_merit.html
http://austinmeyer.com/2015/03/04/n844x-performance/

I've been trying to come up with something similar for our GA spam cans, something like

FOM = (speed * useful load) / gph

, with additional penalties for retract/cs prop/6 cyl complexity (how much? 5% each?).

Is there a "standard" metric along these lines?
Click to expand...

It looks as though a few of your “spam cans” are already in that chart from the first link. Can you do simple math? If yes, then make your own chart and boom! Also, “spam cans” typically have duration figures in hours, not miles.
 
It should be based on an apples to apples comparison of deaths per aircraft type. Everything else is just yard-sticking your johnson.
I'm already in the "punch" this New Years Eve, so one of you smart youngsters figure out an algorithm to see which plane kills the fewest pilots.
 
The flaw in the FOM formula is that it doesn’t take the price of fuel into account, only be quantity. Jet fuel is much cheaper than avgas.

I’d be willing to bet a Mooney M20 series (C,E,F, etc) would beat the pants off the TBM.
 
Have you ever looked at the formula for the Americas Cup race boats. They are all "12 meter" boats but how they get there is completely different.
 
SkyHog said:
The flaw in the FOM formula is that it doesn’t take the price of fuel into account, only be quantity. Jet fuel is much cheaper than avgas.

I’d be willing to bet a Mooney M20 series (C,E,F, etc) would beat the pants off the TBM.
Click to expand...
Nope. My C is about 4.2M
 
GeorgeC said:
If two planes were otherwise equal, I'd choose the less complex one.
Click to expand...
So you're wanting to include personal preferences in a mathematical formula?

List your personal preferences, square the ones that are more important than the other, and voila! A figure of merit.

Just like any statistical analysis, the results will be exactly what you want them to be without a FOM..,just like the two links posted.
 
Last edited:
Shepherd said:
It should be based on an apples to apples comparison of deaths per aircraft type. Everything else is just yard-sticking your johnson.
I'm already in the "punch" this New Years Eve, so one of you smart youngsters figure out an algorithm to see which plane kills the fewest pilots.
Click to expand...

The ones that don't crash.


What'd I win? :)
 
CAFE uses:
V^1.3 x MPG x W^0.6, where V=average velocity over the course of the race, MPG=miles per gallon of fuel and W=cabin payload in pounds
Click to expand...
 
Shepherd said:
It should be based on an apples to apples comparison of deaths per aircraft type. Everything else is just yard-sticking your johnson.
I'm already in the "punch" this New Years Eve, so one of you smart youngsters figure out an algorithm to see which plane kills the fewest pilots.
Click to expand...

The doctors, and the legions of PoA Bo fanatics, don't like this idea. :incazzato::fingerwag:
 
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