Specific endurance in flight mechanics refers to the measure of an aircraft’s ability to remain airborne for a given amount of fuel consumed. It quantifies the efficiency of fuel usage in relation to the aircraft’s endurance in flight. Specifically, it represents the duration an aircraft can fly per unit of fuel consumed. The formula to calculate Specific Endurance as follows:
Where:
- is the specific endurance,
- is the time the aircraft can remain airborne,
- is the fuel consumption rate.