The influence of the angle of attack on passenger comfort

Master thesis (2021)

Authors

Y. Ping Industrial Design Engineering

Contributors

P. Vink Human-Centered Design (mentor)
Y. Song Sustainable Design Engineering (graduation committee member)
Faculty
Industrial Design Engineering, Industrial Design Engineering
Copyright: © 2021 Yayu Ping
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Published Date

15-07-2021

Language

English

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Faculty

Industrial Design Engineering

Abstract

The angle of attack (AOA) of an airplane changes the direction of the gravitational force on passengers and this thereby might influence passengers’ flying experience. However, the contribution of the AOA regarding comfort/discomfort is not fully explored. In this paper, we aim to fill this knowledge gap by identifying the relationships between the perceived comfort/discomfort of passengers and the AOA of the plane during the take-off and climbing phases of a flight. An experiment is conducted in a Boeing 737 fuselage where 26 participants were recruited. Each participant experiences 3 setups of seats with different AOAs (3, 14 and 18 degrees) for 20 minutes, respectively. Participants were asked to complete questionnaires during each session, and their heart rate and the pressure on the seat and the backrest were recorded as well. Experiment results indicated that participants experienced 14 degrees as the most comfortable angle with the lowest discomfort, which might be useful for airlines in setting up the take-off and climbing procedure. It would be good to check the findings in real flights.