Method for determining the estimated weight of an aircraft and corresponding system

A system for providing a crew of an aircraft with a speed parameter of the aircraft for operating the aircraft during a flight of the aircraft, the system comprising:

• a display in the aircraft configured for displaying the speed parameter of the aircraft to the crew during the flight of the aircraft;
• a computer configured to determine a first mass of the aircraft, from characteristics of the aircraft determined before or after takeoff of the aircraft, the computer being configured to estimate a first initial mass of the aircraft before takeoff, to estimate a second and a third initial masses of the aircraft from flight characteristics of the aircraft determined during takeoff, and to determine the first mass as a function of the first, second and third initial masses, the first mass being determined from a median of the first, second and third initial masses;
• the computer being configured to determine, during the flight of the aircraft, a second mass of the aircraft, from a lift equation of the aircraft expressing the mass of the aircraft as a function of information representative, during the flight of the aircraft, of a load factor of the aircraft determined from measurements of an accelerometer during the flight of the aircraft, of a lift coefficient of the aircraft determined from measurements of an angle-of-attack sensor and a speed sensor during the flight of the aircraft, of speed information of the aircraft determined from measurements of the speed sensor during the flight of the aircraft, and of a static pressure of a mass of air passed through by the aircraft determined from measurements of a static pressure sensor during the flight of the aircraft,
• the computer being configured to evaluate the estimated mass at the determination moment, as a function of the first and second masses;
• the computer being configured to determine the speed parameter based on the estimated mass at the determination moment during the flight of the aircraft, and to display, by the display in the aircraft, the speed parameter based on the estimated mass at the determination moment during the flight of the aircraft to the crew onboard the aircraft during the flight of the aircraft.

A method for providing a crew of an aircraft with a speed parameter of the aircraft for operating the aircraft during a flight of the aircraft, the method comprising:

• determining, by a computer in the aircraft, an estimated mass of an aircraft at a selected determination moment during the flight of the aircraft, the determining of the estimated mass comprising:
• determining, by the computer in the aircraft, a first mass of the aircraft from characteristics of the aircraft determined before or after takeoff of the aircraft;
• determining, by the computer in the aircraft, a load factor of the aircraft based on the values of acceleration;
• determining, by the computer in the aircraft, during the flight of the aircraft, a second mass of the aircraft from a lift equation of the aircraft expressing a mass of the aircraft as a function of information representative, during the flight of the aircraft, of the load factor of the aircraft determined from measurements of an accelerometer during the flight of the aircraft, of a lift coefficient of the aircraft determined from measurements of an angle-of-attack sensor and a speed sensor during the flight of the aircraft, of speed information of the aircraft determined from measurements of the speed sensor during the flight of the aircraft, and of a static pressure of a mass of air passed through by the aircraft determined from measurements of a static pressure sensor during the flight of the aircraft;
• and
• evaluating, by the computer in the aircraft, the estimated mass at the determination moment, as a function of the first and second masses;
• the method further comprising:
• determining, by the computer in the aircraft, the speed parameter based on the estimated mass at the determination moment during the flight of the aircraft;
• displaying, by a display in the aircraft, the speed parameter based on the estimated mass at the determination moment during the flight of the aircraft to the crew onboard the aircraft during the flight of the aircraft.