What’s the absolute minimum speed a plane has to go for it to stay in the air?
In: Physics
To stay airborne, an aircraft has to produce enough lift to offset weight. Lift increases with airspeed, and the angle of the aircraft to the airflow. If speed decreases, the angle must increase. If the angle increases too far, the wing stops producing lift, and the aircraft falls. This is called Stall. The speed at which is this happens can be determined from a pretty simple equation:
V = sqrt( 2 * aircraft weight / (air density * wing area * maximum lift coefficient))
Where the maximum lift coefficient is the lift coefficient that occurs right before the aircraft stalls. Using this equation, you can calculate the minimum speed of any aircraft given it’s weight, and the density of the air around it. I know equations aren’t exactly ELI5 material, but that equation is easy to use, and answers the question for every aircraft, regardless of it’s loading, altitude, and local weather.
Latest Answers