What effect does a higher weight have on aircraft performance in terms of max range and max endurance?

A higher weight on an aircraft affects its performance in a couple of significant ways, particularly in terms of maximum range and maximum endurance. When an aircraft is heavier, it requires more lift to maintain flight, which is typically achieved by increasing engine thrust. However, this increased thrust also leads to higher fuel consumption.

Maximum range refers to the furthest distance an aircraft can travel on a given amount of fuel, while maximum endurance is the time the aircraft can stay aloft with the available fuel. As weight increases, the lift-to-drag ratio decreases, requiring more energy (fuel) to maintain flight, which ultimately leads to shorter distances that can be covered before exhausting fuel reserves. The increased weight also leads to a shorter endurance because the aircraft burns fuel more rapidly due to the higher thrust required to maintain altitude and speed.

Thus, with both maximum range and maximum endurance negatively impacted by excess weight, the correct conclusion is that both are decreased with a higher weight.