Terminology
Here you can look up the values in our aircraft data sheets, the research categories we sort our concepts into, and the designations each aircraft carries.
Aircraft designations
Next to its name, every aircraft carries a scientific designation. It is assembled from the same parts each time:
D250-TFLH2-MHEP-2040
- D250
- Design passenger capacity. This aircraft is designed for 250 passengers; D70 and GA9 follow the same rule with 70 and 9 seats.
- TF
- Propulsion architecture. Here a turbofan; TP marks a turboprop, BWB a blended wing body configuration.
- LH2
- Energy carrier. Here liquid hydrogen. Where no carrier is named, the aircraft is designed for kerosene.
- MHEP
- A technology that characterises the configuration. Here mild hybrid electric propulsion.
- 2040
- The year the aircraft is designed to enter service.
Research categories
- Reference
- The reference aircraft is a DLR interpretation of an existing/real aircraft type, based on publicly available data. This aircraft serves as the basis of comparison to identify the performance improvements (amongst others environmental and economical KPIs) of our concept aircraft to current technology.
- Baseline
- The baseline aircraft is an evolutionary update of the reference aircraft with an identical entry-into-service year as the future concept aircraft. The baseline includes technology updates stemming from DLR’s internal technology roadmaps.
- Future Concept
- The future concept aircraft is a potential configuration that uses revolutionary technologies, designed to enter into service from 2035 onwards.
Key Characteristics
- Entry into Service
- Year in which this aircraft type is expected to enter operational service.
- Passengers
- Design passenger capacity – the maximum number of passengers for which the aircraft is designed.
- Range
- Design range in kilometers. This is the maximum distance the aircraft can fly under typical conditions with a representative payload.
- Wing Span
- The distance from the tip of one wing to the tip of the opposite wing.
- Maximum Take-Off Mass
- Maximum mass of the aircraft during take-off.
- Cruise Mach Number
- Design Mach number during cruise. Mach number is the ratio of cruise speed to the speed of sound.
- Cruise Speed
- The speed at which the aircraft travels during the cruise phase of flight.
- Energy Carrier
- Type of energy source used by the aircraft, e.g. synthetic kerosene, hydrogen, battery, etc.
- Energy Consumption
- Energy consumption per passenger per 100 kilometers, measured in kWh/pax/100km.
- Total Installed Power
- Total installed power of all propulsion units combined, measured in Mega-Watts (MW).
Abbreviations
- BWB
- Blended Wing Body – a configuration in which fuselage and wing merge into one lifting body.
- CAS
- Calibrated Airspeed – the airspeed approach speeds are quoted in.
- CPACS
- Common Parametric Aircraft Configuration Schema – the data format every aircraft here is described in.
- EIS
- Entry into Service – the year an aircraft type is expected to enter operational service.
- LH2
- Liquid Hydrogen.
- LuFo
- Luftfahrtforschungsprogramm – Germany’s federal aviation research programme, in which several of the aircraft here were designed.
- MDO
- Multidisciplinary Design Optimisation – designing an aircraft with all of its disciplines at once.
- MHEP
- Mild Hybrid Electric Propulsion.
- MTOM
- Maximum Take-Off Mass.
- NM
- Nautical Miles – 1 NM equals 1.852 kilometres.
- OEM
- Operating Empty Mass – the mass of the aircraft without payload and fuel. Not to be confused with the manufacturer sense of the abbreviation.
- SAF
- Sustainable Aviation Fuel.
- TF
- Turbofan.
- TLAR
- Top Level Aircraft Requirements – the requirements an aircraft design starts from.
- TP
- Turboprop.
- UHBR
- Ultra-High Bypass Ratio – an engine that moves most of its air around the core rather than through it.