The Maximum Range Altitude is the optimal flying altitude for an aircraft to achieve its maximum horizontal distance (range) on a single fuel load. At this altitude, the lift-to-drag ratio is typically maximized, allowing the aircraft to cover the greatest distance with the available fuel. The formula for the Maximum range altitude as follows:
Where:
- is the weight of the aircraft in Newtons (N).
- is the air density in kilograms per cubic meter (kg/m3).
- is the wing reference area in square meters (m2).
- is the zero-lift drag coefficient, which is dimensionless.