Jurnal Teknologi Kedirgantaraan (JTK)
Vol 10 No 2 (2025): Jurnal Teknologi Kedirgantaraan

A Comparative Study on Commercial Aircraft Gliding Performance

Efendi, Naufal Wafifauzan (Unknown)
Jayadi, muhamad (Unknown)
Arifin, Mufti (Unknown)



Article Info

Publish Date
31 Aug 2025

Abstract

Aerodynamic principles are crucial for improving both efficiency and safety in commercial aircraft operations. This study compares three gliding strategies: (1) iterative calculation at a fixed 3° glide angle, (2) analysis of actual flight data from FlightRadar24, and (3) aerodynamic optimization using the drag polar method. The iterative approach produced relatively low descent rates 4.6–5.5 m/s and the longest glide times 1,100–1,323 s, offering safety benefits by enabling aircraft to reach more distant landing sites during emergencies. Actual flight data showed wider variations in descent rates 4.8–17.88 m/s and glide times 340–1,270 s due to operational requirements and ATC instructions. In contrast, aerodynamic optimization identified an ideal glide angle of 3.1°–4.1°, with higher descent rates 10.56–16.65 m/s but shorter glide times 366–577 s, representing the most efficient aerodynamic condition at maximum lift-to-drag ratio. Comparative analysis revealed that optimization median 512 s and actual data median 590 s yield greater aerodynamic efficiency, while the 3° fixed-angle approach median 1,186 s enhances safety margins. These results emphasize that glide strategy selection must balance efficiency and safety, integrating aerodynamic analysis with real operational data to support decision-making in commercial aviation

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Journal Info

Abbrev

jtk

Publisher

Subject

Aerospace Engineering Engineering Environmental Science Materials Science & Nanotechnology Transportation

Description

Jurnal Teknologi Kedirgantaraan (JTK) memuat artikel-artikel hasil penelitian dan kajian analitis kritis bidang teknik penerbangan yang belum pernah dipublikasikan pada media lain. Adapun lingkup bahasan meliputi: propulsi, avionik, struktur, material pesawat terbang, pemeliharaan dan operasional ...