Aircraft Takeoff Mass Estimation Method Based on Historical Flight Parameters in the Stable Climb Segments

Aircraft mass is a fundamental input for aircraft performance calculations, and estimation errors may degrade trajectory-prediction accuracy and affect operational safety. To improve the reliability of aircraft mass estimation, this study proposes a takeoff mass estimation method based on flight parameters from stable climb segments. First, the phase characteristics of Quick Access Recorder (QAR) data are analyzed, and a sliding-window-based screening method is developed to identify stable climb segments. A takeoff mass estimation model is then established using the Total Energy Model (TEM), and an improved differential evolution algorithm is designed to solve the resulting nonlinear optimization problem through iterative search. Validation using historical A320 flight data shows that the proposed method produces takeoff mass estimates with relatively small discrepancies from the QAR-recorded reference values. Batch experiments involving A320 and B737 flights further show that the DE algorithm achieves absolute percentage errors of 1.64% and 2.60%, respectively. These results demonstrate the applicability of the proposed method to the two aircraft types considered in this study and indicate its potential to support aircraft performance monitoring and trajectory prediction.