Service and Absolute

Ceilings
Aircraft Performance and Design
Chapter 5 Part H

Service and Absolute

Ceilings

How high can an airplane fly in steady level

flight?
Obvious and straightforward answer is the
altitude at which the maximum rate of climb
becomes zero is the maximum possible
altitude for steady level flight
This altitude is defined as absolute ceiling,
that is the altitude at which R / C 0
max

Service and Absolute

Ceilings

A more useful quantity is the service ceiling,

conventionally defined as the altitude at
which R / C 100 ft / min
The service ceiling represents the practical
upper limit for steady, level flight
How can we determine these ceilings? Let us
use some approach
max

Service and Absolute

Ceilings

Figure 5.44 gives us a

simple graphical
approach to find these
ceilings
The maximum rate of
climb is plotted against
altitude
For many airplanes this
variation is almost
linear

Service and Absolute

Ceilings
1.

2.
3.

4.

Calculate (R/C) maximum for

a number of different altitudes
using any of the two
approaches namely graphical
and analytical
Plot the results as in figure
5.44
Extrapolate the curve to find
a point (point1) on which R/C
maximum is 100 ft/min. The
corresponding value of h will
be service ceiling
Extrapolate the curve to find
a point (point2) on which R/C
maximum is 0ft/min. The
corresponding value of h will
be absolute ceiling

EXAMPLE 5.16

11/01/15

Chapter 5 - PART A

EXAMPLE 5.16

11/01/15

Chapter 5 - PART A