Do airplanes consume more fuel on liftoff when it is raining?
Do airplanes consume more fuel on liftoff when it is raining?
I think that the additional weight on the water on the surface of the outer airplane body increases friction with the air, and also weight of the aircraft. But does the fuel consumption increase? And by how much?
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Total guess but I imagine the increase in relative humidity impacts the combustion efficiency of the engine as well
Fun fact. In the days before high-bypass turbofan engines, water was deliberately injected into jet engines to cool down the combustion chamber and increase thrust: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_injection_(engine)#Use_in_aircraft
So they were part steam engine. Cool.
Never thought of it that way, but yeah, you could say that.
Water injection is still used in some industrial gas turbines as a control for emissions, along with a modest increase in power. Steam injection is also used in some situations.
Damn what a rabbit hole and TIL
Came here to write the same :)
I guess this effect is much stronger than a few raindrops on the surface.