What is fuel weight fraction and how does it impact total fuel consumption when planning flight?
This question serves as one chance for your interviewer to hear your talk about some very technical knowledge of Aerospace Engineering. While this is terminology that you should know like the back of your hand, it is important that you take the time to explain both how fuel weight fraction is defined and what effect it has on the overall fuel consumption of the aircraft. As you answer, be sure to thoroughly explain how the fuel weight fraction effects herformance of an aircraft and your ideas on what an ideal fuel fraction is.
"In the simplest terms, the fuel fraction is a calculation of the weight of the fuel in the aircraft divided by the total take off weight of the aircraft. For most commercial airlines that fly long-haul, a fuel fraction of close to 50% is often needed to ensure that there is enough propellant to make the entire flight path. Other shorter haul planes and military aircraft have much lower fuel fractions and often perform better overall because of the minimized weight."
