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The distance for the fuel varies because there are several tanks, and the tanks are in different places. As fuel is added to the plane, it automatically flows into the different tanks so that the center of gravity changes as the tanks are filled. There are four formulas for computing the distance from the nose to the center of the fuel tanks, depending on how much fuel is being loaded into the plane. The following table lists these distance formulas. |
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| Gallons of Fuel (G) | Distance (D) Formula | | 059 | D = 314.6 * G | | 60360 | D = 305.8 + (-0.01233 * (G- 60)) | | 361520 | D = 303.0 + ( 0.12500 * (G-361)) | | 521565 | D=323.0 + (-0.04444 * (G-521)) |
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We define one value-returning function for each of the different moments, and we name these functions CrewMoment, PassengerMoment, CargoMoment, and FuelMoment. The center of gravity is then computed with the formula we gave earlier and the following parameters: |
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The empty weight of the Starship is 9887 pounds, and its empty center of gravity is 319 inches from the front of the airplane. Thus, the empty moment is 3, 153,953 inch-pounds. |
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We now have enough information to write the algorithm to solve this problem. In addition to printing the results, we'll also print a warning message that states the assumptions of the program and tells the pilot to doublecheck the results by hand if the weight or center of gravity is near the allowable limits. |
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