Question

The maximum fuel capacity of an A380 is 323,546 litres. Jet fuel has a density of 0.81 kg/l. If the aircraft takes off with maximum fuel capacity (for a long flight) at maximum take-off weight, what percentage of the aircraft mass consists of fuel? Input your answer as a percentage (without the % sign)

Answer 1

To find the percentage of the aircraft mass that consists of fuel, we'll follow these steps:

1. **Calculate the mass of the fuel**:
The maximum fuel capacity of an A380 is 323,546 litres and the density of jet fuel is 0.81 kg/l. Therefore, the mass of the fuel can be calculated using the formula:

\[
\text{Mass of fuel} = \text{Volume of fuel} \times \text{Density of fuel}
\]
\[
\text{Mass of fuel} = 323,546 \, \text{litres} \times 0.81 \, \text{kg/l}
\]
\[
\text{Mass of fuel} = 262,675.26 \, \text{kg}
\]

2. **Determine the maximum take-off weight (MTOW) of the A380**:
The maximum take-off weight of an A380 is approximately 560,000 kg.

3. **Calculate the percentage of the mass that consists of fuel**:
We can find the percentage by dividing the mass of the fuel by the maximum take-off weight and then multiplying by 100:

\[
\text{Percentage of mass that is fuel} = \left(\frac{\text{Mass of fuel}}{\text{MTOW}}\right) \times 100
\]
\[
\text{Percentage of mass that is fuel} = \left(\frac{262,675.26 \, \text{kg}}{560,000 \, \text{kg}}\right) \times 100
\]
\[
\text{Percentage of mass that is fuel} \approx 46.3
\]

Thus, the percentage of the aircraft mass that consists of fuel is approximately **46.3**.