This paper investigates the effect of fuel consumption by a lead aircraft on the benefits of flying in formation. As an aircraft flies, it generates wingtip vortices that a trail aircraft, within the wake, can utilize for fuel-saving benefits. The strength of the wingtip vortices generated by the lead depend on the weight of the lead aircraft. Thus, as the weight of the lead decreases due to fuel consumption, the strength of the wake vortices and corresponding fuel savings for the trail aircraft decrease. To analyze this effect, formations of extended duration are simulated, in which fuel consumption leads to significant weight reductions for the lead and the trail aircraft. This paper confirms that as the weight of the lead aircraft decreases, the benefit to the trail aircraft decreases. This decrease is not significant enough to nullify the fuel-saving benefits of extended-duration formations even in turbulent atmospheric conditions.
展开▼
