cruise of aircraft

Range Summary

Cruise Conditions of an Aircraft’s Range

Let’s summarize the information necessary to do a preliminary calculation of an aircraft’s range under cruise conditions. We are taking a very simple view of aircraft range – for academic purposes. In reality, calculating the range is a complex problem because of the large number of variables. An aircraft’s flight is not conducted at a single ground speed but varies from zero at take-off, to cruise conditions, and back to zero at landing. Extra fuel is expended in climbing to altitude and in maneuvering the aircraft. The weight is constantly changing as fuel is burned, so the lift, drag, and thrust and fuel consumption rate are also continually changing. On real aircraft, just like with your automobile, there is usually a fuel reserve, and the pilot makes sure to land the plane with fuel still on board. We are going to neglect all of these effects.

Wind Tunnel Testing of an Aircraft

There are certain things that we need to know about our aircraft. From previous wind tunnel testing, we need to determine the L/D ratio Cl/Cd and the lift coefficient Cl . We also need some information about the propulsion system, specifically, the specific fuel consumption rate TSFC of the engine. For the aircraft itself, we need to know the weight W of the aircraft, the wing area, A and the fuel load M . We are free to select a flight altitude, but this determines the air density r from our model of the standard atmosphere.

Lift Equation

In cruise, the lift L is equal to the weight W and the thrust F is equal to the drag D . Using the lift equation, we can solve for the velocity necessary to create enough lift to equal the weight.

In this equation, all of the variables are known except the velocity V , so we solve this equation for V.

Using the L/D ratio, we can solve for the drag of the aircraft which is equal to the thrust.

Maximum Flight Time

The thrust, specific fuel consumption, and fuel load determine the maximum flight time available to the aircraft.

$\LARGE t_{\text{max}} = \frac{M}{TSFC \cdot F} $

$\LARGE t_{\text{max}} = \frac{M \cdot \frac{C_l}{C_d}}{TSFC \cdot W} $

This flight time multiplied by the aircraft velocity determines the range. R

$\LARGE R = V \cdot t_{\text{max}} $

$\LARGE R = \sqrt{\frac{W}{0.5 \cdot C_l \cdot \rho \cdot A}} \cdot \frac{M \cdot \frac{C_l}{C_d}}{TSFC \cdot W} $

Try our Range Games interactive JavaScript simulation which demonstrates these concepts. This simulation presents problems which you must solve by using the range equation.

Thanks for contacting us! We will get in touch with you shortly.

by Tom Benson Please send suggestions/corrections to: [email protected]

CFI Tools
All Articles
Aerodynamics
Performance
All Quizzes
Fun Quizzes
VFR Quizzes
IFR Quizzes
Aleks Udris
Colin Cutler
Swayne Martin
Swag & Wallpaper
Tips, Stories & Pitches
Demographics & Reader Statistics
Media Options
Weather Reports & Forecasts
Turns Around A Point
Forces In A Turn
Forces In Climbs And Descents
CG Effects On Performance
Terms & Policies
Terms of Service
Privacy Policy
Refund Policy
Security Policy

What Is Cruise Climb Speed, And When Should You Use It?

By Boldmethod

Vcc is commonly called "enroute climb speed", and it's always faster than Vy. Unless a steep climb is required to avoid terrain or to fly a departure procedure, cruise climb speeds allow you to fly faster, with a relatively small loss of climb performance.

Once you've reached pattern altitude or 1,000', transitioning to cruise climb speed might be a good idea.

So what aircraft have a cruise climb speed, and what types of aircraft benefit most from it? We'll get to that in a bit, but first...

Benefits of flying Vcc

Cruise climb helps you in three ways. First, increased airflow keeps your engine cooler in the climb. That's especially important for high-performance piston aircraft.

Second, cruise climb gets you to your destination faster. You do lose some climb performance, but in most aircraft, it's an acceptable (and sometimes almost imperceivable) loss of climb performance, in exchange for faster forward airspeed in the climb.

And finally, you get better forward visibility in a cruise climb. After all, you're supposed to be looking out the window for traffic. Plus, a reduced pitch attitude can make your passengers feel more relaxed. If you're flying an unpressurized aircraft, the reduced rate of climb can also help mitigate pressure changes that your passengers experience. Remember this tip if you have a sick passenger, young child, or baby on board.

When Is A Cruise Climb speed Published?

It depends on the plane, but in general, the higher the performance, the more likely you are to have a published cruise climb speed.

But even the Cessna 172S has a recommendation for cruise climbs. The 172's sea-level Vy is published at 74 knots. Enroute climb (Vcc) is published at 75-85 knots. Here's a quote from the POH...

"Normal enroute climbs are performed with flaps up and full throttle and at speeds 5 to 10 knots higher than best rate-of-climb speeds for the best combination of performance, visibility, and engine cooling."

An Easy Rule-of-Thumb If You Don't Have A Published Vcc

If you want to figure out the cruise climb speed for your airplane, and you don't have a published speed, a good rule-of-thumb is to find the difference between Vx and Vy, and add that number to Vy.

For example, a POH for the Piper Warrior III has a Vy of 79 knots and a Vx of 63 knots. Add the difference of 16 knots to Vy, and you can estimate cruise climb speed to be around 95 knots. Depending on weight and performance, 95 knots might be a little on the high side, but it's a good ballpark to start with. It also gives you a speed you can start experimenting with in the climb.

How Exactly Does Performance Change?

To analyze the change of performance, let's look at a POH that has both rates published: the Cessna 208EX Caravan. While the Caravan might be different than what you fly, the performance change is actually very similar in most single-engine aircraft.

Let's look at climb rates first. Here are the conditions: 8,000 foot pressure altitude, 20 degrees Celsius, maximum takeoff weight of 8,807 pounds.

Vy (102 knots): 740 feet per minute
Vcc (115 knots): 675 feet per minute

With this scenario, you only lose 65 feet-per-minute climb rate, in exchange for 13 knots more airspeed. That equates to 12% more speed, for an 8% loss of FPM.

What about time, fuel, and distance for climb? Here are the conditions: climb from sea level to 8,000 feet, standard temperature, and maximum weight.

Vy: 7 minutes, 61 pounds of fuel, and 13 nautical miles
Vcc: 7 minutes, 62 pounds of fuel, and 14 nautical miles

In this example, the time to climb is essentially the same, you'll only burn about 2% more fuel, and you'll have over 7% faster forward airspeed.

While this example was limited to the Cessna Caravan, in most airplanes you'll find that the percentage change in FPM is relatively small in comparison to the substantially better airspeed flown at cruise climb.

A Cooler, Faster Climb Speed

If you have the capability to fly a cruise climb departure, you can shave time off your trip, keep your engine in better shape, and make your passengers in the back more comfortable.

Does your plane have a cruise climb speed? How much difference does it make compared to Vy? Tell us in the comments below.

Become a better pilot. Subscribe to get the latest videos, articles, and quizzes that make you a smarter, safer pilot.

Latest Stories

[email protected]
720-663-7754
[email protected]
facebook.com/boldmethod
About Boldmethod
© 2024 Boldmethod, LLC
Terms and Policies

Selecting a Direct Route in the FMS

The autopilot typically operates in two system states:

Strategic Operation: the aircraft follows the programmed route entered into the FMS;
Tactical Operation: the aircraft responds to direct inputs from the flight crew, such as heading, level and speed (used when being vectored by ATC)

To achieve a direct route through the use of the FMS the required flight crew actions are usually, depending on the architecture of the specific FMS, to either: • Select the waypoint in the FMS. Input that waypoint to the top line of the FMS flight plan. Press the ‘Execute’ button on the FMS keypad, or; • Select the waypoint in the FMS. Press the ‘Direct to’ button on the FMS keypad. Press the ‘Execute’ button on the FMS keypad.

If the FD is already engaged in the FMS Strategic Mode, upon executing the direct route, the FD will give the appropriate commands to achieve the direct route. If the FD is engaged in a Tactical Mode, such as the ‘Heading’ mode, then in many aircraft this will require the FMS Strategic mode to be engaged by pressing the appropriate button on the MCP. During fam flights controllers may observe that it can be very often surprisingly easy for flight crews to forget to engage the FMS Strategic navigation mode (when in the ‘Heading’ mode) as the physical actions of selecting and executing the direct route in the FMS easily lead to the mindset that such a direct route has been accomplished and commanded, even though it has not until the FD is set to the FMS lateral navigation mode. In such a case the aircraft will therefore continue on its present heading whilst the FD is engaged in the Tactical ‘Heading’ mode rather than accomplishing the direct route. Note that if the heading of the direct route is similar to the present heading, the radar controller is unlikely to be aware that the flight crew has not correctly accomplished the direct route, until the next turning point occurs, upon which the aircraft will still continue on its present heading (in Strategic ‘Heading’ mode) rather than accomplishing the turn as per the FMS flight plan. In some aircraft the executing of a ‘Direct to’ on the FMS keypad automatically changes the FD mode to the FMS Strategic navigation mode and therefore the above situation of forgetfulness should not occur.

In the case where the instruction “Route direct [waypoint], when on track continue the heading” is given, again it may be observed that it can be surprisingly easy for flight crews to forget to engage the Tactical ‘Heading’ mode once the turn has been completed in the FMS lateral navigation mode. Again the radar controller is unlikely to be aware that the flight crew has not correctly complied with the ATC clearance until the next turning point occurs, upon which the aircraft will this time execute a turn as per the FMS flight plan, rather than continuing the present heading.

Minimum Speed Margin at High Altitude

For reasons of efficiency aircraft often cruise at levels that are at or close to the ‘maximum’ level with regards to the aircraft’s performance. When at or close to the ‘maximum’ level the aircraft is often therefore close to its ‘minimum’ speed. The ‘minimum’ speed may be due to one of a variety of aerodynamic reasons; however, the speed must be kept above the ‘minimum’ speed in order to ensure that the aircraft is not in danger of stalling . The ‘minimum’ speed is typically displayed on the Primary Flight Display (PFD) speed tape as an amber or yellow band. The ‘maximum’ level that the aircraft may operate at due to these performance reasons is specified by the regulatory authorities and will be such as to provide a specified margin to the ‘minimum’ speed. What is useful for controllers to note is that such a margin may be in the region of as little as 10kts. Consequently, should an engine failure or loss of thrust occur at a level where the margin to the ‘minimum’ speed is relatively small, the commencement of a descent will be required almost immediately due to the fact that the aircraft is unable to maintain a safe speed with the remaining thrust and therefore would be in danger of stalling if the descent was not commenced in order to maintain a safe speed.

During fam flights controllers may observe on the PFD the margin to the ‘minimum’ speed from the current speed as described above.

Go To Descend, Approach and Landing

Return to Flight Deck Procedures - A Guide for Controllers

SKYbrary Partners:

Safety knowledge contributed by:

Join SKYbrary

If you wish to contribute or participate in the discussions about articles you are invited to join SKYbrary as a registered user

Message to the Editor

About SKYbrary

What is SKYbrary

Aircraft Propeller Theory

An overview of all aspects associated with light aircraft propellers including forces, design, and how to manage a propeller in flight.

An internal combustion engine is designed to convert the reciprocating motion of the pistons into rotational motion at the crankshaft. This rotational motion is then be converted into a forward thrusting force by the propeller which powers the aircraft forward and is required to balance the drag produced by moving through the atmosphere.

This post will focus on the propeller and should provide a good overview of all aspects associated with light aircraft propellers. We will discuss the forces generated by, and acting on a propeller, the variables associated with propeller design, the types of propellers in use, and how the propeller should be operated and managed in flight.

Engine and Propeller Combination

A propeller does not operate in isolation but rather must be designed to work in unison with the aircraft’s engine. A poorly chosen propeller-engine combination will at best result in an aircraft that does not meet the performance requirements outlined by the aircraft designer. At worst, this could produce an inherently dangerous aircraft that may struggle to get airborne and could be prone to a complete engine or propeller inflight failure. If you are interested in a more technical discussion on how to size an engine and propeller then you are encouraged to read this post , where a propeller and engine combination is specified for a conceptual light sport aircraft.

Propeller Forces

A propeller produces thrust through a momentum transfer from the propeller to the air by the rotation of the propeller blades. Momentum is the product of mass and velocity and you can think of the thrust generated as the reaction to the acceleration of a column of air with a diameter equal to that of the propeller.

Propeller Nomenclature

The terminology used to describe the various parts of a propeller blade are very similar to that of a wing. This should come as no surprise as a propeller blade is essentially a twisted, rotating wing. A blade has a root and a tip, where the tip is located the outer-most region of the blade. The root sections of each propeller blade come together at the propeller hub. Each blade has a leading edge (impacts the air first) and a trailing edge. The chord of each propeller blade joins the leading edge to the trailing edge and varies along the span from root to tip.

Resultant Angle of Attack

A propeller blade is nothing more than a wing with a twisted airfoil section which spins around an axis perpendicular to the direction of motion of the aircraft. Like a conventional wing a propeller blade will produce a lift and a drag force proportional to the square of the resultant velocity passing over the blade (relative airflow). Whereas a wing’s aerodynamic forces are a function of the forward speed of the aircraft, the propeller’s resultant velocity is a function of both the forward flying speed and the rotational speed of the blade (propeller rpm).

At higher airspeeds the airspeed component of the relative airflow increases, which reduces the angle of attack at a given blade angle. Conversely at lower airspeeds the angle of attack increases .

The helix angle is defined as the angle between the relative airflow and the plane of rotation of the propeller.

Twist is built into the propeller blade in order to ensure a more-or-less constant angle of attack along the span. The angle of attack along the span is a function of the rotational velocity component, which is a function of the radius from the hub to each spanwise location. If the blade was not twisted then the angle of attack would vary greatly along the blade, producing an unpredictable force distribution. The twist angle is a maximum at the hub, where the rotational velocity is the least, and a minimum at the tip which corresponds to the point of maximum rotational velocity.

Tip Speed and Helical Motion

The speed of the propeller varies with distance from the hub, increasing radially outward as this distance increases. The maximum speed of the propeller will occur at the tip and can approach the speed of sound if the propeller diameter is made too large.

The rotational velocity at the propeller tip is a function of the radius and the rotational speed of the propeller. The tachometer installed in the cockpit can be used to calculate the rotational speed of the propeller, remembering that some propellers are geared so the speed of the engine does not always equal the propeller speed. The tachometer is calibrated to revolutions per minute (rpm); to calculate the rotational speed at the tip requires that this is divided by 60 to read revolutions per second.

$$V_{rot} = 2\pi \times r \times rps $$

This is one component of the total velocity at the tip. The other component is simply the forward speed of the aircraft. These are the same two velocity components that form the relative airflow discussed above.

$$V_{trans} = airspeed$$

The speed at the tip of the propeller is the magnitude of the resultant between the rotational velocity and the forward velocity.

$$V_{tip-helical} = \sqrt{V_{rot}^2+V_{trans}^2}$$

If you trace the motion of a point on the propeller as an aircraft moves through the sky you will see that it makes a helical path, similar to the thread of a screw. This is because the resultant velocity is comprised of both a rotational and forward velocity component.

Thrust and Torque

A propeller bade is simply a rotating wing, which means that it will produce lift and drag in the same way as a conventional wing. However, it doesn’t make much sense to describe the resultant forces produced by the propeller in terms of lift and drag (normal and parallel to the helical flight path of the blade), but rather to resolve the forces into components normal to the direction of rotation of the propeller (thrust force) and parallel to the direction of rotation of the propeller (torque force) .

Once the forces are resolved in terms of thrust and torque it becomes clear that the lift force contributes both to the thrust and the torque components. The thrust force is dominated by the horizontal component of the lift force while the torque force is primarily a function of the vertical component of the lift generated by the blade.

In order to spin the propeller at a constant RPM the engine must produce sufficient torque at the propeller shaft to balance the torque force produced by the rotating propeller .

Forces Acting on a Propeller

Newton’s third law states that every action must produce an equal and opposite reaction. The propeller produces a thrust and torque force by imparting momentum to the air around it. The reaction to this is a set of forces imparted by the motion of the air on the propeller. The torque of the engine turning the propeller also imparts forces to each blade. A propeller must be strong enough to resist all the forces acting upon it throughout its design envelope.

Centrifugal Force

A centrifugal force as a result of the rotation of the blades tends to want to pull the blades apart. This is the dominant force acting on the propeller and pulls the blade in tension.

Torque Bending

The air provides resistance to the rotational motion of the blade. This opposes the rotational motion, tending to bend the blade in the opposite direction.

Thrust Bending

The blades tend to want to bend forward as a result of the thrust force generated.

Aerodynamic Twisting

The resultant blade force acts at the center of pressure of each blade. If this point is not coincident with the line of action through the hub (axis of rotation) then a moment will be introduced which tends to twist the blade. If the center of pressure lies ahead of the axis of rotation, then this twisting force will tend to increase the angle of attack of the blade.

Centrifugal Twisting Force

Propeller Design Variables

There are three primary design variables that affect the operation of a propeller: the diameter, the number of blades, and the propeller pitch.

A propeller produces thrust through a momentum transfer from the blades to a column of air approximately equal to the diameter of the propeller. It stands to reason then that increasing the diameter will increase the momentum (the mass component of the momentum equation), and hence the thrust. This is indeed the case and it is a well-established design practise to make the propeller as large as practically possible.

There are several limiting factors to the propeller diameter that can be accommodated on a given engine. The first is the increased torque requirement that a larger propeller brings. The moment of inertia of the blade increases exponentially with the blade diameter, which results in a much larger resulting propeller torque. The engine must be able to provide this torque if the propeller is to be used. A larger diameter also results in much larger centrifugal forces in the blade with higher resulting stresses that much be accommodated.

Another important consideration is the clearance between the tip of the propeller and the ground. The diameter should be specified such that the aircraft can be operated safely when taking-off and landing without the risk of a propeller strike in these critical phases of flight.

Finally, increasing the blade diameter also increases the tip speed. If the diameter gets too large then the tip could reach sonic speeds which results in noise, vibration, and a large increase in drag. This is undesirable and should always be avoided.

Number of Blades

The number of blades, the width (chord), and the diameter of the propeller determine the total blade area. Generally larger engines that produce more power require a greater number of blades to extract that power and convert it into useful thrust.

The propeller solidity ratio is the ratio of the part of the propeller disc which is solid to that which is air. It is measured at a particular radius from the hub, usually taken at 70% of the radius.

$$ Solidity = \frac{number \ of \ blades \times chord \ at \ radius \ r}{circumference \ at \ r} $$

Increased solidity allows the propeller to absorb more of the engine power which is why a large powerful turboprop like the Airbus A400M requires eight-bladed propellers to efficiently extract maximum thrust from its engines.

Pitch broadly refers to the ease with which a propeller can spin through the air. Since pitch is largely defined by the blade angle these two terms are often used interchangeably. Pitch is most easily explained using an analogy to the gearbox in a car. When pulling off from a stationary start, a low gear is selected, which allows the engine to spin up quickly and get the car moving. However, remaining in a low gear for the duration of the drive is very inefficient and will limit the car’s top speed as the engine hits the rev limiter quickly, and is unable to supply the power needed to drive at a faster speed. Similarly, trying to pull off in a car from a high gear will stall the engine, as the high gear ratio will limit the ability of the engine to produce the torque and power required to accelerate to the desired driving speed.

This is analogous to the pitch of a propeller. Instead of gear ratios, we talk about the pitch being either fine (low gear) or coarse (high gear).

A fine-pitch propeller has a low blade angle, will rotate easily without taking a big bite out of the air, and will move forward through the air a short distance every revolution. This allows the engine to spin easily and operate at a high speed (rpm).

A coarse-pitch propeller has a high blade angle, will take a large bite out of the air with every turn, and will move forward through the air a large distance every revolution. A coarse pitch setting will limit the speed at which the engine can operate.

The angle that the blade makes with the relative wind will determine how much lift and drag (thrust and torque) is produced. The resultant angle of attack is a function of both the rotational velocity of the blade as well as the forward airspeed of the aircraft.

As the forward speed increases, the resulting angle of attack decreases at a given pitch angle. A propeller has a lift curve similar to a conventional wing with a linear lift region and a stall region beyond a critical angle of attack (usually around 15 degrees). It is therefore possible that the propeller can stall if the resultant angle of attack is too large. In the same way, if the angle of attack is too small the propeller will be operating at a low lift coefficient and won’t be able to efficiently produce the thrust and torque required.

Clearly it is important to match the blade angle (propeller pitch) with the desired flight condition. A fine pitch at high speed is very inefficient as the resulting angle of attack is too low to produce the forces required. Similarly, a coarse pitch at low speed results in blade stall as the angle of attack is too large. Based on these examples above we can make some conclusions regarding the efficient operation of a propeller during the various phases of flight.

Take-off and landing occur at low speeds and therefore a fine pitch configuration is most preferable to produce the greatest thrust (or to have the greatest possible available thrust in the case of a go-around during landing).
Cruise is generally flown at relatively high speeds and as such a coarse pitch is the most efficient configuration to generate the thrust required to overcome the cruise drag.

This forms the basis for a variable pitch propeller where the pitch angle can be adjusted to best suit the various phases of flight.

Types of Propellers

Propellers are broadly classified by whether or not their blade pitch is adjustable and vary from relatively simple fixed pitch propellers to mechanically complex self-governing constant speed types.

Fixed Pitch

This is the simplest propeller type where the pitch is fixed at installation on the aircraft. This results in a propeller where the resulting blade angle forms a compromise between take-off (finer pitch) and cruise performance (coarser pitch).

Fixed pitch propellers are usually classified as either a climb-pitch or cruise-pitch propeller.

A climb-pitch propeller will have a finer pitch resulting in good take-off and climb performance, with relatively poorer cruise performance.

A cruise-pitch propeller will have a coarser pitch which advantages cruise performance over take-off performance.

Since the propeller is directly linked to the engine, the rotation speed of the propeller is a direct function of the engine speed. For this reason, the propeller speed will vary with airspeed, altitude, aircraft attitude and engine throttle setting.

A fixed pitch propeller may represent a compromise, but the reduced complexity that it offers results in a much simpler (and cheaper) propeller. For this reason, fixed pitch propellers are widely used on entry-level aircraft like the Cessna 172 and the Piper PA-28.

Some fixed pitch propellers are ground adjustable which means that the blade angle can be set before flight while the airplane is still on the ground. This allows for the propeller to be setup for a particular flight profile: either in a climb-pitch or cruise-pitch setting.

Variable Pitch and Constant Speed

A variable pitch propeller is one where the pilot is able to adjust and control the blade angle during flight. This allows for a large range in power settings and propeller speeds to be set, meaning that the most efficient operating point can be selected based on a desired airspeed and flight level. The pilot selects a fully fine pitch during take-off and landing, adjusting the propeller to be more coarse during the cruise in order to run the engine more efficiently at a lower rpm.

Variable pitch propellers can either be manually adjusted or mechanically governed to maintain a constant speed irrespective of the flight condition.

A manually operated variable pitch propeller does not make use of a speed governor and so the propeller speed can still vary in a manner similar to a fixed pitch propeller if airspeed, engine rpm, and attitude are varied while operated at a given pitch.

A constant speed propeller is a subset of the variable pitch type. These propellers are fitted with a mechanical governor which automatically adjusts the pitch of the blades to keep the propeller speed constant during flight. This allows the pilot to vary the power setting at a given propeller speed with the use of the throttle only as the governor makes the necessary adjustments to keep the propeller rpm constant.

The propeller pitch is controlled through a lever in the cockpit similar to the one shown below. When flying with a variable pitch or constant speed propeller it is up to the pilot to monitor both the rpm and the inlet manifold pressure of the engine to ensure both remain within operating limits.

Managing the Propeller in Flight

Changing power settings.

When flying a fixed pitch propeller aircraft, the engine and propeller rpm is directly tied to the power (throttle) setting. Opening the throttle will increase the rpm and vice-versa. If a fixed pitch aircraft is climbed, the rpm of the propeller and engine will automatically decrease, and diving in a fixed pitch aircraft will cause the rpm to increase. It is important to monitor the rpm in order to avoid an overspeed of the propeller.

This is not the case when flying an aircraft with a constant speed propeller. If the power is increased by opening the throttle, the governor on the propeller will automatically coarsen the propeller pitch to maintain the same rpm. This is undesirable if the intention of the pilot is to climb. In a climb the airspeed will drop, and a finer pitch will be required to extract the maximum power out of the propeller.

It is important that the three engine levers (power, pitch, mixture) are used in the correct order when the pilot wishes to add or reduce power. Operating the engine and propeller incorrectly could damage both the engine and propeller.

Increasing Power to Climb

When increasing power, the pilot should always operate the engine levers from right to left assuming a conventional engine lever set up. That is:

First enrich the mixture to cater for the additional power requirement of the engine.
Next set the pitch to the climb RPM – this propeller speed will be maintained during the climb by the governor.
Finally increase the power to the desired manifold pressure.

Making adjustments to the propeller and engine in this order will ensure that the correct engine speed is maintained during the climb, and that the engine has sufficient fuel entering the mixture to accommodate the additional power requirements.

Reducing Power

The opposite is true if the pilot wishes to reduce power. This is a common occurrence once the climb has ended and the pilot wishes to throttle back to a cruise power setting.

When decreasing power, the correct order to adjust the engine levers is from left to right. That is:

First set the desired manifold pressure by adjusting the throttle.
Secondly reduce the pitch to the desired cruise rpm.
Finally lean the mixture for cruise.

Effect of Propeller on Aircraft Control

Torque effects.

If you have ever tried to take-off in a single engine aircraft, you have no doubt noticed the tendency for the nose to swing to the left as full power is applied (clockwise rotating propeller as seen from the cockpit). This is due to the clockwise torque generated by the propeller, which according to Newton’s third law will cause the aircraft to react with an anti-clockwise torque of equal magnitude.

This anti-clockwise torque will push the left wheel down into the runway, increasing the friction on that wheel while relieving friction on the right wheel. With more friction on the left wheel the right will overtake the left, causing a turn to the left. This is compensated for by the application of right rudder to keep the nose straight.

Slipstream Effects

A clockwise rotating propeller (as seen from the cockpit) will cause a slipstream over the fuselage that will tend to cause the aircraft to yaw to the left. If left uncorrected (application of right rudder to correct), the aircraft will first yaw to the left and then begin a roll as the yaw angle increases (the secondary effect of yaw is roll). This tendency to yaw and then roll is most noticeable at high power settings when the aircraft is at a low speed but may be observed at any phase in flight.

Tail-wheel Aircraft

The nose-high attitude of a tail wheel aircraft produces two effects which will induce a yaw to the left during the take-off roll (clockwise rotation of propeller as viewed from the cockpit).

During the start of the take-off roll, the aircraft sits at a nose high attitude which induces a higher angle of attack on the down-going blade relative to the up-going blade. This causes a greater thrust force to be generated on the right side of the propeller which will induce a yaw to the left. This is known as the asymmetric blade thrust phenomenon and as only observed while the tailwheel is still on the ground. As the tailwheel comes up and the attitude of the aircraft reduces, this asymmetric thrust effect reduces.

The raising of the tail in a tailwheel aircraft during the take-off roll produces a gyroscopic precession to the left which must be corrected by the use of right rudder.

The asymmetric thrust and gyroscopic precession effects do not act together as the asymmetric effect is a function of the nose high attitude at the start of the take-off run, and the gyroscopic effect occurs as the tailwheel is lifted. In both cases the application of right rudder is necessary to keep the aircraft tracking the centerline.

This brings us to the end of this propeller tutorial. If you are interested in a more technical discussion on the sizing of an engine and propeller combination to meet a desired cruise speed, then I’d encourage you to take a look at this article . As always, if you enjoyed this post or found it useful as a study aid then please let your fellow student pilots know about AeroToolbox.com and share this on your favorite social media. Thanks again for reading.

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website.

By continuing here you are consenting to their use. Please refer to our privacy policy for further information.

Skip to main content
Skip to primary sidebar
Skip to footer

Savvy Calculator

Savvy Calculator is a free online tool of calculations.

Cruise Velocity Calculator

Introduction.

Cruise velocity, often referred to as “cruising speed,” is the speed at which an aircraft operates most efficiently in terms of fuel consumption and endurance. This specific velocity allows an aircraft to cover a maximum distance with the least possible fuel consumption. The Cruise Velocity Calculator is a tool that helps aviation professionals and enthusiasts calculate this critical parameter.

The formula for calculating cruise velocity is relatively simple:

Cruise Velocity (Vc) = √(2 * Thrust / (Drag * Wing Area * Air Density))

Here’s what the components represent:

Thrust: The force produced by the aircraft’s engines to propel it forward.
Drag: The aerodynamic resistance or the force that opposes the aircraft’s forward motion.
Wing Area: The total surface area of the aircraft’s wings.
Air Density: The density of the air through which the aircraft is flying.

How to Use?

Using the Cruise Velocity Calculator is straightforward and requires the following steps:

Gather the Necessary Data: Collect data on the aircraft’s thrust, drag, wing area, and the air density at the altitude where it will be cruising.
Plug in the Data: Enter the values into the respective fields of the calculator.
Calculate Cruise Velocity: Click the “Calculate” button, and the tool will provide you with the cruise velocity of the aircraft.
Analysis and Application: The calculated cruise velocity can help in flight planning, fuel consumption estimation, and determining the most efficient speed for long-distance travel.

To illustrate the concept, let’s consider an example:

Suppose you have an aircraft with a thrust of 15,000 Newtons, a drag force of 8,000 Newtons, a wing area of 50 square meters, and an air density of 1.225 kg/m³ at cruising altitude. Using the formula:

Cruise Velocity (Vc) = √(2 * 15,000 N / (8,000 N * 50 m² * 1.225 kg/m³))

Cruise Velocity (Vc) ≈ 209.42 m/s

In this example, the cruise velocity of the aircraft is approximately 209.42 meters per second.

1. What is the significance of cruise velocity in aviation?

Cruise velocity is the speed at which an aircraft operates most efficiently in terms of fuel consumption and endurance. It is crucial for long-distance flights and maximizing the range of an aircraft.

2. How does altitude affect cruise velocity?

Cruise velocity is affected by altitude because air density decreases with increasing altitude. As a result, aircraft may need to adjust their speed for optimal performance at different altitudes.

3. Is cruise velocity the same as maximum speed or top speed?

No, cruise velocity is not the same as an aircraft’s maximum speed. Maximum speed is the highest attainable speed, while cruise velocity is the most fuel-efficient speed for long-distance travel.

Conclusion:

The Cruise Velocity Calculator is an invaluable tool for aviation professionals and enthusiasts alike. It aids in optimizing flight planning, improving fuel efficiency, and enhancing the overall performance of aircraft during extended journeys. Understanding and calculating cruise velocity is essential for achieving maximum fuel economy and extending the range of aircraft, making it an indispensable tool for those involved in aviation and flight planning.

Privacy Policy
Terms and Conditions

V-Speeds Explained (Vx, Vy, Va, Vs, Vfe, Vmc, Vno, Vne, etc)

What Are V-Speeds?

Mach numbers and v-speeds, v-speeds list, most important v-speeds explained.

VR: Rotation Speed
VX: Best Angle of Climb Speed
VY: Best Rate of Climb Speed
VA: Maneuvering Speed
VFE: Maximum Flaps Extended Speed
VLE: Maximum Landing Gear Extended Speed
VNE: Never Exceed Speed
VNO: Maximum Structural Cruising Speed
VS: Stall Speed
V1: Takeoff Decision Speed
V2: Takeoff Safety Speed
VEF: Critical Engine Failure Speed During Takeoff
VMC: Minimum Control Speed

Final Thoughts

Ask a pilot how many V-speeds exist, and you’ll get an answer anywhere between “What’s a V-speed?” and “Probably a thousand.”

I’m happy to report that there aren’t a thousand, but there are a few you should be aware of.

In this article, we’ll explain everything you need to know about V-speeds. Plus, we’ve created a handy list so that you never have to Google them again.

V-speeds are specific airspeeds that are defined for operational reasons, such as limitations (e.g., maximum flaps extended speed – V FE ) or performance requirements (e.g., best rate of climb speed – V Y ).

In other words, V-speeds serve as critical benchmarks that guide pilots in managing the aircraft’s performance and ensuring safety.

For example, the rotation speed (V R ) is the speed at which the pilot initiates a gentle rotation of the aircraft to lift off the ground during takeoff.

A V-speed may change depending on factors such as aircraft weight and weather conditions, but its designation (e.g., V R ) remains the same.

You may find several V-speeds on the internet that aren’t listed here. That’s because the V-speeds we’re talking about today are defined in 14 CFR Part 1 , as well as 14 CFR Part 23 and Part 25 (used for aircraft certification).

Any other V-speeds you encounter are likely manufacturer-specific and aren’t regarded as official V-speeds by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) .

You may find V-speeds with an “M” instead of the usual “V” (M MO instead of V MO , for example).

This means that the particular speed is defined using a Mach number.

V-speeds can be defined using any type of airspeed , such as knots or miles per hour, but the designation remains “V” unless a Mach number is used – then it becomes “M”.

Let’s take a look at the V-speeds you’re most likely to encounter – and the ones you should know.

As we go through them, use the Pilot’s Operating Handbook (POH) for the airplane you fly, and make a note of the speed for each V-speed. If it isn’t defined in the POH or is variable, make sure you know how to calculate it.

You’ll make your life a whole lot easier if you take the time to memorize them.

V R : Rotation Speed

V R is the speed at which the pilot gently pulls back on the control column to lift the nose off of the runway during takeoff.

For most commercial aircraft, V R varies for each takeoff depending on the weight and configuration of the aircraft as well as environmental factors like weather or runway conditions.

In most General Aviation (GA) aircraft, V R is usually the same regardless of conditions.

It might seem obvious, but V R cannot be less than the stall speed (VS 1 – more on that later).

V X : Best Angle of Climb Speed

V X is the airspeed that provides the best angle of climb. In other words, if you maintain V X , you’ll gain the most altitude in the shortest horizontal distance.

This speed is your go-to for a short-field takeoff, particularly when there are obstacles that you need to climb above during takeoff.

You should practice climbing at V X (and short-field takeoffs) regularly, as it is a critical skill during short-field operations.

V Y : Best Rate of Climb Speed

V Y is the airspeed for best rate of climb. In other words, if you maintain V Y , you’ll gain the most altitude in the shortest amount of time.

Compared to V X , you’ll use more horizontal distance.

A diagram comparing the climb gradient of an aircraft climbing at Vx and Vy.

V Y is the speed typically used during climb.

V A : Maneuvering Speed

V A is the aircraft’s design maneuvering speed. It is the speed above which you risk damaging the aircraft’s structure if you make a full deflection of a flight control (e.g., full-up elevator).

If you make a full deflection of a flight control at or below V A , the aircraft will stall before the structure is damaged.

You should not use full deflection of any flight control above V A . That being said, repeated full deflection of any flight controls (such as full right rudder and then full left rudder, for example) is not recommended, even below V A .

V A isn’t a fixed figure; it varies with weight. If the aircraft’s weight decreases, V A decreases as well, and vice versa.

V FE : Maximum Flaps Extended Speed

V FE , or maximum flap extended speed, is the highest speed permissible with the flaps extended.

This speed is your boundary marker when flying with flaps down, ensuring you don’t cause potential structural damage.

Not all aircraft treat V FE as a singular speed regardless of flap setting. Most aircraft, like the Cessna 172, have different V FE speeds for different flap settings.

In the Cessna 172, you can fly with 10 degrees of flaps below 110 knots. Anything more than 10 degrees of flaps, and you’re limited to 85 knots instead.

V LE : Maximum Landing Gear Extended Speed

V LE , or maximum landing gear extended speed, is the top speed at which you can safely fly with the landing gear extended.

A related speed is V LO , or maximum landing gear operating speed, the speed above which you cannot extend or retract the landing gear.

V LO is typically lower than V LE due to the aerodynamic forces exerted on the landing gear during extension or retraction.

V NE : Never Exceed Speed

V NE , or “never exceed” speed, is exactly that. The speed above which you should never venture under any circumstances.

V NO : Maximum Structural Cruising Speed

V NO , the maximum structural cruising speed, is the highest speed that you can safely fly in smooth air.

V NO is marked by the upper limit of the green arc on the airspeed indicator .

A diagram of an airspeed indicator with various V-speeds marked.

If you’re above V NO (in the yellow arc or “caution range”) and you encounter air that is not smooth, you could cause damage to the aircraft.

For example, if you encounter turbulence, the “bumps” you experience will increase the load factor. If you fly above V NO in these conditions, the increase in load factor could damage the aircraft’s structure.

V S : Stall Speed

V S represents stall speed, essentially the lowest speed your aircraft can maintain steady flight.

When it comes to V S , there’s an important caveat.

An aircraft can stall at any speed.

A stall occurs when the aircraft exceeds the critical angle of attack. This can happen at any airspeed.

Say a pilot is descending at a high airspeed, far from V S . If they quickly pitch up, the aircraft may exceed the critical angle of attack and stall, despite being at a high airspeed.

So, why do we define V S ?

Well, in a “normal” attitude (think straight-and-level), the aircraft is only at risk of stalling if:

The pilot makes a dramatic control input that quickly increases the angle of attack, or
The pilot maintains altitude while the airspeed decreases, gradually increasing the angle of attack and eventually stalling at VS.

So, can the aircraft stall at any airspeed? Yes.

When is it most likely to stall? At V S .

The V-speed for stall speed is divided into two types:

V S0 – the stall speed in the landing configuration (e.g., flaps and gear down)
V S1 – the stall speed in a specific configuration (e.g., ‘clean’ – flaps and gear up)

The difference between the stall speed with the flaps down versus the flaps up is significant, so it makes sense to differentiate between the two.

One final note about V S .

Every manufacturer determines the stall speed for their aircraft. The test for stall speed is performed with the throttle closed at maximum takeoff weight.

This means that you may experience a lower stall speed than published in the POH if you’re flying at a lower weight or the throttle isn’t closed.

For more information on stall speed testing regulations, see AC 23-8C , § 23.49, page 15.

V 1 : Takeoff Decision Speed

V 1 , or the takeoff decision speed, is the speed by which the decision to continue the takeoff or abort must be made.

The primary purpose of V 1 is to serve as a decision point. If a critical system fails (such as an engine) or other anomalies occur before reaching V 1 , there will be sufficient runway remaining to abort the takeoff safely.

However, once V 1 is surpassed, the takeoff should continue, as there will not be enough runway left to stop safely.

V 1 is not a fixed number and is calculated before each takeoff, taking into account several factors, including aircraft weight, runway length, environmental conditions, and aircraft performance data.

V 1 is where the pilot must take the first action (such as reducing thrust) to stop the aircraft , or risk a runway overrun.

It’s important to note that V 1 also relates to the aircraft’s performance capability in case of an engine failure. After V 1 , the aircraft must have the performance capability to continue the takeoff on the remaining engines and achieve the required climb performance.

That’s where V 2 , or takeoff safety speed, comes into play.

V 2 : Takeoff Safety Speed

V 2 , known as the takeoff safety speed, is the minimum speed at which the aircraft can maintain a specified rate of climb with one engine inoperative.

The primary goal of V 2 is to ensure a safe climb gradient in an engine failure scenario. This speed ensures that the aircraft can maintain a positive rate of climb to clear obstacles and reach a safer altitude.

The aircraft must be able to achieve V 2 at a minimum of 35 ft above the end of the runway distance after an engine failure at V 1 .

A diagram of an continued takeoff at V1.

V EF : Critical Engine Failure Speed During Takeoff

V EF is the worst possible speed the critical engine can fail while allowing the takeoff to be completed successfully.

Interestingly, it is not at V 1 , but actually before.

This may sound strange, because we should abort the takeoff if an engine failure occurs before V 1 , right?

Well, regulations state that takeoff performance calculations should account for an engine failure that is close enough to V 1 that the pilot does not have enough time to abort at V 1 .

In other words, if the engine fails right before V 1 without enough time to react, the aircraft must be able to take off safely and achieve V 2 at the specified height and distance.

V MC : Minimum Control Speed

V MC , or minimum control speed, represents the lowest speed at which a multi-engine aircraft can maintain controlled flight with one engine inoperative and the other at full power.

V EF may not be less than V MC , and V 2min may not be less than 1.1 times V MC .

V MC is often divided into two distinct speeds: V MCA and V MCG , each addressing a different aspect of aircraft control under asymmetric thrust conditions.

V MCA : Minimum Control Speed Air

V MCA is the minimum speed at which the aircraft can maintain controlled flight in the air with one engine failed and the other at full power.

Below V MCA , the aircraft may become uncontrollable due to the loss of directional control, making it a critical speed to be aware of during flight operations.

V MCG : Minimum Control Speed Ground

V MCG , on the other hand, is the minimum speed at which the aircraft can maintain directional control on the ground with one engine inoperative and the other at full power.

It’s a vital speed to know during the takeoff roll, ensuring that control can be maintained if an engine fails during takeoff.

V-speeds are critical references that ensure safety and efficiency. They are the result of meticulous calculations and real-world testing, and shouldn’t be disregarded.

You may have even encountered these speeds when flying without knowing it.

One thing’s for sure, you’ll notice them now!

Aircraft Pressurization Systems: How They Work and When They Are Required

The Complete Home Flight Simulator Setup Guide (2024)

Top 10 Largest Airplanes in the World

Scored % on their FAA Exam

Metals & Electronics ›
Aerospace & Defense Manufacturing

Industry-specific and extensively researched technical data (partially from exclusive partnerships). A paid subscription is required for full access.

List of military aircraft with cruising speeds in excess of 1,000 knots

Military aircraft currently in service with cruise speeds greater than 1,000 knots.

To access all Premium Statistics, you need a paid Statista Account

Immediate access to all statistics
Incl. source references
Download as PDF, XLS, PNG and PPT

Additional Information

Show sources information Show publisher information Use Ask Statista Research Service

September 2016

This data displays the average cruising speed of the fastest military aircraft currently in production/service. * The Lockheed F-35A (Conventional Takeoff and Landing Variant), F-35B (Short Takeoff/Vertical Landing Variant), and F-35C (Carrier Variant) all share this cruising speed. This does not include the F-35A Lightning II, which is listed elsewhere in this statistic.

Statistics on " Lockheed Martin "

Largest armament manufacturers worldwide based on defense revenue 2022
Revenue through arms sales of leading 25 arms companies worldwide 2015-2022
Net sales of Lockheed Martin to the U.S. Government 2000-2022
Revenue of the defense technology supplier Lockheed Martin 2000-2023
Profit of the defense technology supplier Lockheed Martin 2000-2022
Operating profit of the defense technology supplier Lockheed Martin 2000-2022
Expenditure on research and development of Lockheed Martin 2002-2022
Net sales of Lockheed Martin 2022, by customer category
Revenue of defense supplier Lockheed Martin 2010-2023, by product segment
Net sales of Lockheed Martin 2010-2022, by business segment
Net sales for defense supplier Lockheed Martin 2022, by product segment
Operating profit of Lockheed Martin 2010-2022, by business segment
Capital expenditures of Lockheed Martin, by business segment 2010-2022
Floor space of properties of Lockheed Martin 2022
U.S. patents granted to Lockheed Martin 2010-2021
Revenues of Boeing in the area of defense, space and security 2001-2023
Northrop Grumman - revenue 2007-2022
Raytheon Technologies - net sales 2008-2023
General Dynamics - revenue by product group 2005-2022
Revenue of the defense technology supplier BAE Systems 2003-2022

Other statistics that may interest you Lockheed Martin

Premium Statistic Largest armament manufacturers worldwide based on defense revenue 2022
Basic Statistic Sales of the world's largest arms-producing and military services companies 2022
Basic Statistic Revenue through arms sales of leading 25 arms companies worldwide 2015-2022
Basic Statistic Military expenditure worldwide 2001 to 2023
Premium Statistic U.S. largest DoD contractors FY 2022, by contract value
Premium Statistic Net sales of Lockheed Martin to the U.S. Government 2000-2022
Premium Statistic Revenue of the defense technology supplier Lockheed Martin 2000-2023
Premium Statistic Profit of the defense technology supplier Lockheed Martin 2000-2022
Premium Statistic Operating profit of the defense technology supplier Lockheed Martin 2000-2022
Premium Statistic Number of employees at defense technology supplier Lockheed Martin 2000-2022
Premium Statistic Expenditure on research and development of Lockheed Martin 2002-2022
Premium Statistic Net sales of Lockheed Martin 2022, by customer category
Premium Statistic Revenue of defense supplier Lockheed Martin 2010-2023, by product segment
Premium Statistic Net sales of Lockheed Martin 2010-2022, by business segment
Premium Statistic Net sales for defense supplier Lockheed Martin 2022, by product segment
Premium Statistic Operating profit of Lockheed Martin 2010-2022, by business segment
Premium Statistic Capital expenditures of Lockheed Martin, by business segment 2010-2022
Premium Statistic Floor space of properties of Lockheed Martin 2022
Premium Statistic U.S. patents granted to Lockheed Martin 2010-2021

Competitors

Premium Statistic Revenues of Boeing in the area of defense, space and security 2001-2023
Basic Statistic Northrop Grumman - revenue 2007-2022
Premium Statistic Raytheon Technologies - net sales 2008-2023
Basic Statistic General Dynamics - revenue by product group 2005-2022
Basic Statistic Revenue of the defense technology supplier BAE Systems 2003-2022

Further related statistics

Premium Statistic Number of passenger aircraft of China Southern Airlines 2011-2021, by manufacturer
Basic Statistic U.S. airports - public & private 2011
Premium Statistic Business class air fares used by corporate clients - growth forecast 2011-2012

Further Content: You might find this interesting as well

Number of passenger aircraft of China Southern Airlines 2011-2021, by manufacturer
U.S. airports - public & private 2011
Business class air fares used by corporate clients - growth forecast 2011-2012

Election 2024
Entertainment
Newsletters
Photography
Personal Finance
AP Investigations
AP Buyline Personal Finance
AP Buyline Shopping
Press Releases
Israel-Hamas War
Russia-Ukraine War
Global elections
Asia Pacific
Latin America
Middle East
Election Results
Delegate Tracker
AP & Elections
Auto Racing
2024 Paris Olympic Games
Movie reviews
Book reviews
Financial Markets
Business Highlights
Financial wellness
Artificial Intelligence
Social Media

A look at where the Navy’s 11 aircraft carriers are now

The U.S.-led campaign against Iran-backed Houthi rebels has turned into the most intense running sea battle the Navy has faced since World War II. That’s what its leaders and experts tell The Associated Press, whose journalists visited U.S. ships off Yemen in recent days. (AP video shot by Bernat Armangue and Jon Gambrell)

Figther jets maneuver on the deck of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in the Red Sea on Tuesday, June 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

Copy Link copied

A pilot flyer an HSC-7 helicopter over the Red Sea on Wednesday, June 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

Crew members work during take off operations on the deck of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in the Red Sea on Tuesday, June 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

An aircraft handling officer directs a fighter jet during takeoff operations on the deck of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in the Red Sea on Tuesday, June 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

A crew member checks a helicopter in the hangar bay of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in the Red Sea on Tuesday, June 11, 2024.(AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

A crew member looks at a cell phone during a break aboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in the Red Sea on Tuesday, June 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Navy is weighing what to do about the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier , which has been battling Houthi rebel attacks on shipping in the Red Sea for nearly nine months. The question is how to replicate the carrier’s combat power if the ship returns home.

The service has 11 nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. Generally, they are getting ready to deploy, are deployed or have come off deployment and have gone in for maintenance and repairs.

The carriers have a lifespan of about 50 years, and halfway through they undergo a major overhaul of their nuclear and other systems, which can take several years.

Here’s a look at where the Navy’s carriers are now:

USS Dwight D. Eisenhower — Based in Norfolk, Virginia, and in the Red Sea, it left Norfolk on Oct. 14, 2023. Has been extended twice.

USS George Washington — It is off the coast of Chile, sailing from Norfolk to San Diego and then on to Japan, where it will be deployed, replacing the USS Ronald Reagan.

USS Theodore Roosevelt — Based in San Diego, it has been deployed in Indo-Pacific Command since January and is in the South China Sea.

USS Ronald Reagan — It has been the carrier deployed in Japan. It is on patrol in the Philippine Sea and will be going to San Diego.

Preparing to deploy

USS Harry S. Truman — It is based off the coast of Norfolk in pre-deployment workups. It is about halfway through its training for deployment and doing workups with the strike group. It is expected to deploy in October/November.

USS Carl Vinson — It is in the port in San Diego and is in pre-deployment workups. It will go to the large, multinational military exercise known as the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) in July and deploy into Pacific Command late in the year.

USS Abraham Lincoln — It is based in San Diego and has just finished its final composite unit training exercises and will deploy to Pacific Command in July.

Being repaired

USS George H. W. Bush — It went into maintenance last December.

USS Gerald R. Ford — It just returned from deployment and has entered its maintenance phase, which should last about a year.

USS John C. Stennis — In May 2021, the Stennis went into what’s known as RCOH — the major refueling complex overhaul — which can take four years. It is expected to return to duty in 2025. RCOH happens about midway through a carrier’s lifespan, and during that time, the ship’s electronics and combat and propulsion systems are upgraded, replaced and tested.

USS Nimitz — It went into maintenance in October 2023 and will move to workups later this year.

Not in service

PCU John F. Kennedy — It will be delivered to the Navy next year.

Is An Aircraft Carrier Bigger Than A Cruise Ship? Here's How They Compare

Aircraft carriers and cruise ships are some of the largest floating vessels in the world — both capable of carrying thousands of people on board. Cruise ships and carriers are engineering marvels decades if not centuries in the making as shipbuilding has advanced over the ages.

However, cruise ships and aircraft carriers differ massively in their purpose. Cruise ships are leisure vehicles, designed to bring tourists to many different ports and explore different places and countries, while at the same time having a good time between stops. On the other hand, aircraft carriers are naval vessels that countries use to project power and influence regional geopolitics, meaning the people aboard them aren't there to have a good time.

Both ships are massive floating cities, but which one is actually larger? Let's measure the largest examples of these boats.

What's the biggest cruise ship today?

At the time of writing, the title holder of the largest cruise ship in the world is Royal Caribbean International's Icon of the Seas. She is an Icon Class ship with a gross tonnage of 248,663 and entered service with the cruise liner in January 2024. This gives her a length of 1,196 feet or 365 meters — about four football fields long — and a width of 159 feet or 48 meters (about 11 cars long, at around 14.7 feet long per car). Royal Caribbean spent $2 billion to build her, and its CEO, Jason Liberty, describes her as the "biggest, baddest ship on the planet," according to CNBC .

However, the Icon of the Seas won't remain as the largest cruise liner for long. That's because her sister ship, the Star of the Seas, will have an expected gross tonnage of 250,880. She's currently under construction at Meyer Turku in Finland, with Royal Caribbean International expecting her to enter service in the summer 2025. A third Icon Class ship is slated for delivery in 2026, but we don't have much information on it right now.

The Icon of the Seas has a total of 20 decks, with 18 accessible to guests. However, not all decks contain rooms, of the 18 guest decks, only 12 have guest accommodations. The rest of the decks are reserved for amenities and crew.

What's the biggest aircraft carrier today?

The U.S. Navy claims that its newest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) is the world's largest. It is the first ship in the Gerald R. Ford class of supercarriers and is designed to accommodate modern systems within its planned 50-year service life. The Gerald R. Ford has a length of 333 meters or about 1,092 feet — slightly shorter than the Icon of the Seas — and a beam of 40.8 meters or almost 134 feet. It also weighs a little less than 100,000 tons. This makes the carrier significantly slimmer and lighter than the cruise ship, but that's because aircraft carriers need to be as fast as possible.

This ship's primary mission is to deploy aircraft, but because it has such a short length of just 333 meters (versus the runways at U.S. Air Force bases, with the longest at Edwards Air Force Base with 4,579 meters), carriers use speed to get a brisk wind of over 30 knots blowing over the deck when launching planes, alongside the use of its catapult. The slimmer profile of an aircraft carrier allow it to go faster (which also means that it can get in and out of danger more quickly, too).

As for the price, the Gerald R. Ford class will cost the American taxpayer a cool $13 billion per ship . This is more expensive than the USS Nimitz , which it slated to retire in 2026, and has an inflation-adjusted price of over $11.5 billion.

How many people can fit in a cruise ship?

Aside from its size, we can also look at the number of people each ship can carry. After all, although the Icon of the Seas and USS Gerald R. Ford have almost the same length, it doesn't mean that they can carry the same number of people. The largest Royal Caribbean International cruise ship has 2,805 staterooms, meaning it can carry 5,610 guests if each room is occupied by two people.

However, the Icon of the Seas also has a few bigger rooms that can hold more people. If you fill all the rooms to the maximum, the ship's passenger capacity is at 9,302. And with its 2,350 total international crew to complement, that would mean that the Icon of the Seas has 11,652 souls on board when filled to the brim.

We must also remember that cruise ships aren't just floating motels. Instead, they're full-fledged entertainment venues with multiple amenities. The Icon of the Seas itself features 27 restaurants, 18 bars and lounges, six activity centers for kids and teens, and 24 other amenities, including a conference center, theaters, swimming pools, sports courts, to name a few.

How large is the crew of an aircraft carrier?

Aircraft carriers also have a large number of people aboard. But since they're military weapons, these are not tourists on a leisurely trip. Instead, they're mostly sailors and naval aviators, occasionally some marines and other personnel that are there to support the carrier's operations.

The USS Gerald R. Ford has enough accommodations for 508 officers and 3,789 enlisted personnel, for a total crew complement of 4,297. This is 1,715 less than the Nimitz's full complement of 6,012 people, showing how the Ford has streamlined its operations.

But aside from its crew, remember that aircraft carriers carry both fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft. The majority of the Icon of the Seas' space is occupied by leisure amenities. On the other hand, the USS Gerald R. Ford has an expansive flat top for launching multiple aircraft simultaneously and it also has spacious hangars to store and service loads of up to 90 planes, helicopters, and drones — including the F-35C , F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, E-2D Advanced Hawkeye airborne early warning radar, EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft , and MH-60R/S helicopters.

What is the largest ship in the world right now?

The short answer to whether an aircraft carrier is bigger than a cruise ship is no, if you look at the biggest ships in their class. However, many smaller cruise ships will be dwarfed by the Navy's smallest actively serving carrier. But even though the Icon of the Seas and the USS Gerald R. Ford are behemoths in their own right, neither of them is the largest ship on the world to have been made (although they both made the top 10). Instead, this award goes to the oil carrier Seawise Giant, designed for shuttling oil from the Middle East to the United States. However, it has since been retired and sold for scrap in 2010.

As of today, the largest ship in service is the OOCL Spain, which is almost 400 meters long and can carry over 24,000 shipping containers. Next to it are four ships owned by the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) — Irina, Loreto, Michel Cappellini, and Gülsün — all of which carry around 24,000 containers.

We might see larger cruise ships and carriers in the future, especially as Royal Caribbean International and the Navy still has several cruise ships and aircraft carriers on order. We might even see a larger carrier from other countries, as the U.S. Navy isn't the only one to field these mighty ships .

Screen Rant

Top gun 2: why tom cruise wasn't allowed to fly an f-18 fighter jet.

Your changes have been saved

Email Is sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

How Fast Is Mach 10? What Speed Maverick Travels In Top Gun 2

Top gun 2: all 6 jet fighter planes that appear in maverick, how much of top gun 2 is real & how much is cgi.

Tom Cruise insisted on prioritizing practical effects over CGI in Top Gun: Maverick , adding authenticity to the aerial action.
Cruise originally wanted to fly a real Boeing F-18 fighter jet in the film, but the US Navy denied his request due to insurance concerns and the high cost of the plane.
Cruise's dedication to doing his own stunts enhances the storytelling and creates a level of authenticity that can't be achieved in any other way.

Given the actor's reputation for wild stunts, it's not surprising that many viewers were wondering did Tom Cruise actually fly in T op Gun: Maverick . Joseph Kosinski's sequel has surpassed the original 1986 Top Gun with its box office success and a Best Picture nomination. Much of this has to do with how the movie prioritized practical effects over CGI, adding authenticity to the aerial action. That said, while it's no secret that Tom Cruise does his own stunts a lot, some of the tricks proposed for Top Gun: Maverick were a little too ambitious, even by Cruise's standards.

When it came to the long-awaited sequel, Cruise signed on for the project only with the assurance that the film's effects would not be reliant on CGI. Cruise was so ambitious, in fact, that he had initially hoped to fly a real Boeing F-18 fighter jet. A certified pilot, Top Gun: Maverick's Cruise is well-accustomed to high-octane aviation stunts . Many Cruise fans will already be aware that many of the more impressive helicopter stunts in 2018's Mission: Impossible - Fallout were performed by Cruise. However, Bruckheimer maintains that the US Navy ultimately denied Cruise's requests to fly the Super Hornet, which boasts a price tag in excess of $70 million.

Pete "Maverick" Mitchell becomes the fastest man alive as he travels faster than Mach 10, a speed that has never been achieved in real life.

Why It’s Sensible That Tom Cruise Wasn’t Allowed To Fly A Fighter Jet

The navy denied his application.

The Super Hornet jet does feature in the sequel, but Tom Cruise did not fly them in Top Gun: Maverick as those scenes were all completed with assistance from Navy pilots. According to producer Bruckheimer, Cruise does fly a P-51 propeller-driven fighter plane, as well as some helicopters. With the assistance of skilled editing, the action sequences are convincing to even the best-trained eye.

There's no confirmation about why the US Navy might have denied Cruise's aspirations to pilot a Super Hornet , even though the actor has experience flying Top Gun 's supersonic military aircraft . However, the most logical reason would be insurance concerns, which is always enough of a consideration to prevent actors from doing their own stunts.

The cost of the plane also figures into this – a real F-18 Super Hornet would make up roughly half of Top Gun: Maverick 's $152 million budget. That would be likely to create logistical nightmares for the insurance of the film. That's not even to mention insuring Cruise himself, who, though already a certified pilot, may not have the specific training required to fly the F-18 safely.

Insurance woes aside, should an inexperienced pilot such as Cruise lose control of a high-speed aircraft, it could also mean peril for civilians and/or military personnel on the ground. Besides, while Tom Cruise does his own stunts to great effect, the real Navy pilots in Top Gun: Maverick 's brought more than enough authenticity to the sequel.

Top Gun: Maverick put Tom Cruise back in the cockpit after three decades, but which specific jet fighter planes appear in the followup to Top Gun?

Why Does Tom Cruise Like To Do His Own Stunts?

A passion for story telling is why tom cruise doesn't use stunt doubles much.

The real reason why Tom Cruise does his own stunts is simple: it's the best way to tell whatever story is at hand . In the actor's own words, “It has to do with storytelling… It allows us to put cameras in places that you’re not normally able to do.” Indeed, if the lead actor in an action movie is able to physically perform the character's stunts, this removes the necessity to shoot from strange angles or use editing tricks to make dangerous scenes appear real. This ultimately translates to smoother action sequences and scenes closer to the writer, stunt coordinator, and director's vision.

Moreover, whenever Cruise puts himself in danger for a risky stunt, everyone involved - from the film crew to the audience - is much more invested in the results, a level of authenticity that simply can't be achieved in any other way. Outside of the Top Gun series, this stunning effect can also be observed in the stunt-filled Mission Impossible franchise .

The F/A-18 Super Hornet Requires An Advanced Pilot

The aircraft in top gun: maverick are among the hardest to fly.

While Tom Cruise did really fly in Top Gun: Maverick with certain aircraft, confirming his exceptional pilot skills, the F/A-18 Super Hornets are not the kind of plane just anyone can jump into and take off . It requires specially trained pilots to operate these aircraft given their immense power and the danger involved. Some of the impressive specifics about the plane (via: Military.com ) include its maximum speed of 1,190 mph and the ability to climb 45,000 ft per minute. Such power is needed as the Super Hornets have a 30,500 lb weight while empty which can increase to 66,000 lbs with its maximum weapons load.

It seems as though Tom Cruise will do anything for his stunts , and that likely includes the necessary training to handle an aircraft like this. However, even if he was denied that opportunity, the Super Hornets didn't come at a discounted price. It was reported (via Bloomberg ) that the movie r ented the Super Hornets from the U.S. Navy for over $11,000 an hour . However, given that Top Gun: Maverick more than surpassed box office expectations, it seems as though it was a price worth paying.

Top Gun: Maverick features plenty of thrilling flying sequences and stunts. Here's what was done for real by Tom Cruise and the cast and what was CGI.

Top Gun: Maverick Isn't The Only Movie To Feature Tom Cruise Really Flying A Plane

Cruise really flew in mission: impossible - fallout and american made.

While Tom Cruise didn't get to fly an F18 in Top Gun: Maverick, he did get to pilot his own P-51 in the Top Gun sequel, and Maverick isn't the only movie that used real footage of him in the cockpit of an aircraft. He's flown various helicopters and planes throughout the Mission: Impossible franchise, for example. Notably, he spent hours learning to become an expert helicopter pilot for a single stunt in Mission: Impossible: Fallout in 2018. Marc Wolff, the aerial coordinator on Mission: Impossible - Fallout, revealed that Cruise spent upwards of 2000 hours in the cockpit training for the sequence ( via Quartz ):

“Flying a helicopter takes a lot of skill, to put someone like Tom into a situation like this is almost impossible to imagine.”

Another added:

“Most pilots wouldn’t attempt this, you make a mistake, somebody’s going to die from it."

However, it's not just in his franchise movies like Top Gun: Maverick and the Mission: Impossible franchise that Tom Cruise flexed his skills as a pilot. In the 2017 action-comedy American Made, Tom Cruise played Barry Seal, a real airline pilot who became a drug smuggler for a cartel. While playing Seal, Tom Cruise performed several stunts flying a twin-engine Piper Smith Aerostar 600.

Tom Cruises's stunts in American Made came with some controversy though. While he wasn't directly involved in the incidents, two stunt pilots on set unfortunately passed away during a plane crash while filming. A lawsuit followed, and while Cruise wasn't directly implicated, the family did partially blame him and director Doug Liman for encouraging a culture of pushing boundaries at the expense of safety in order to get the best shots possible.

Tom Cruise’s Wildest Stunt

Top gun: maverick isn't his most dangerous filming experience.

By Tom Cruise's own reckoning, the wildest and most dangerous stunt he's ever performed is when he hung on to a moving plane in Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation , the fifth movie in the MI series. Not surprisingly, for Tom Cruise, flying a Super Hornet would qualify as a less dangerous stunt, as that would have at least required the actor to be inside the plane.

Although Cruise was harnessed to the plane in Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation , no amount of safety precautions could account for all the inherent dangers involved with a person wearing virtually no protection while hanging onto a moving aircraft. This just goes to show the level of sheer dedication Cruise brings to his movie projects.

However, recently Cruise has suggested a new stunt in Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part 1 might be his wildest stunt yet, which involves Cruise jumping a motorcycle off of a cliff and then parachuting to safety. It is a stunt that took years of planning and training to get right and promises to be another spectacle from the dedicated actor. Clearly, even if Tom Cruise didn't really fly the F-18s in Top Gun: Maverick , he is not slowing down at all when it comes to his onscreen stunts.

Top Gun: Maverick

Russia Is Freaked: Why the Russian Navy's Last Aircraft Carrier Is a Nightmare

Summary and Key Points: The Russian Navy’s sole aircraft carrier, Admiral Kuznetsov, inherited from the Soviet Red Navy, exemplifies Moscow’s carrier challenges.

-Despite its outdated technology and frequent mechanical issues, the Kuznetsov remains in service for training purposes and its significant cruise missile capabilities.

-The carrier’s role allows Russia to maintain a rudimentary carrier capability. Moscow plans to construct a modern, indigenous carrier to compete with U.S. carriers, underscoring its commitment to developing carrier-based naval operations despite historical setbacks.

Why Russia Clings to Its Aging Aircraft Carrier, Admiral Kuznetsov

The Russian Navy inherited much of its warships, equipment, and doctrine from the Soviet Red Navy that preceded it. The old Soviet navy was, at its peak, a real competitor for the United States Navy— particularly in the Mediterranean Sea, where the Americans and Soviets played a ceaseless game of cat-and-mouse with each other there (this game was repeated throughout the world’s oceans over the course of the Cold War, but it was particularly visceral in the relatively tight quarters of the Med).

The Americans made their aircraft carriers and the detachment of fixed-wing aircraft that traveled aboard those leviathans of war the centerpiece of their offensive naval warfare doctrine. The Soviets, on the other hand, did not prioritize aircraft carriers. Instead, Moscow’s naval strategists viewed flattops as defensive systems to protect their far more important surface cruisers and submarines. Indeed, during the Cold War, the Red Navy never had traditional aircraft carriers as the Americans possessed. They possessed helicopter carriers.

And that history and strategic choices are at the core of why Russia has some very interesting aircraft carrier problems and choices it will need to make in the near future.

A Change of Strategic Heart on Aircraft Carriers

In the early 1980s, the Nikolaev Shipyard in Ukraine was contracted by the Soviet government to construct an aircraft carrier that could copy the fixed-wing launch capabilities of the American carriers. Inevitably, the Admiral Kuznetsov was a launched in 1985. But the carrier was never quite what its designers had hoped for. And the USSR was collapsing precisely at the moment that the Kuznetsov was finding its sea legs.

Clearly, the Soviet’s lone aircraft carrier was a prototype designed to train their forces on an aircraft carrier. The training this limited and rudimentary carrier provided to the Soviet Navy would have undoubtedly been folded into what Moscow had hoped would be a growing Soviet aircraft carrier capability that became increasingly complex and powerful with each iteration of development.

Yet, that was not to be.

The collapse of the Soviet Union effectively ended Moscow’s early dabbling into aircraft carrier operations. The interesting thing about the Admiral Kuznetsov is that, like its Soviet forebearers, it’s not classified by the Russian military today as an actual aircraft carrier. Rather, both the Russian military as well as NATO have coded the Admiral Kuznetsov as an “aircraft carrying heavy cruiser.” Not only does the Kuznetsov have a limited number of fixed-wing aircraft, but it also possesses helicopters.

More importantly, though, is the fact that the warship is armed with powerful long-range surface-to-surface cruise missiles. American aircraft carriers do not possess such a capability.

What's the Point of Russia's Aircraft Carrier?

Still, the single Russian aircraft carrier has never truly posed a challenge to the United States Navy. What’s more, the Russian carrier has been plagued with technical problems since its first sea trials. Having been built when the Soviet Union was collapsing, corners were cut and the ship was built on the cheap—meaning that it lacks the accoutrements or effectiveness that most US carriers possess. It has been deployed around six times in the last 33 years.

And, for the last six years, it has sat in the shipyards undergoing serious repairs. Moscow expects to deploy the aging, dilapidated warship later this year.

Given its near continual state of disrepair, and the fact that the Russian Navy has never oriented itself toward building a traditional aircraft carrier and organizing its maritime forces around the offensive capabilities that such a traditional aircraft carrier would allow, the question on many experts’ minds is: why are the Russians maintaining this hunk of junk?

The answer cuts back to capabilities.

You've Gotta Crawl Before You Can Walk

As with China’s first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, the relatively unsophisticated nature of the ancient Kuznetsov carrier allows for the Russian Navy to train on how to conduct proper carrier-based operations in the real world. While the Kuznetsov is known for being a bucket of rusting bolts, the carrier has conducted wartime operations. During their war against ISIS in Syria, the Kuznetsov air wing launched 400 missions. Of those 400 missions, 100 of them were executed from the Kuznetsov.

And don't forget the Kuznetsov' s massive cruise missile capability. This makes it still a valuable member of the Russian fleet. Especially after the Russian Baltic Sea flagship, the Moskva , was sunk by Ukrainian forces (with the help of US intelligence) during the ongoing Russo-Ukraine War. Russia badly wants to maintain its maritime cruise missile launch capability.

Recently, Moscow announced that they intended to begin construction on a new, indigenously built aircraft carrier that would be more modern and compete better with the American aircraft carriers. Whether the Russians can achieve this objective is another matter entirely, given the cost, complexity, and time commitment involved in building such behemoths.

Nevertheless, the Russians have identified maintaining at least a rudimentary carrier capability as being in their national interest. They have endeavored to maintain this capability, no matter how imperfect. Moscow will likely be able to scale their experiences with the failing Kuznetsov up, and even possibly build better carriers in the future.

That is why Russia won’t just kill their only aircraft carrier .

Author Experience and Expertise: Brandon J. Weichert

Brandon J. Weichert , a National Interest national security analyst , is a former Congressional staffer and geopolitical analyst who is a contributor at The Washington Times, the Asia Times, and The-Pipeline. He is the author of Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His next book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine, is due October 22 from Encounter Books. Weichert can be followed via Twitter @WeTheBrandon .

All images are Creative Commons or Shutterstock.

From the Vault

Russia Freaked Out: Why the U.S. Navy 'Unretired' the Iowa-Class Battleships

Battleship vs. Battlecruiser: Iowa-Class vs. Russia's Kirov-Class (Who Wins?)

Admiral Kuznetsov Aircraft Carrier Russia

Defense Web TV
Contact advertising
Send Press Release

Air Defense Vehicles
Man-Portable Air Defense Systems
Self-propelled anti-aircraft guns
Anti-tank guided missiles
Rocket launcher
Tracked anti-tank vehicles
Wheeled anti-tank vehicles
Amphibious All-Terrain Vehicles
Fire Support Vehicles
Multi-Role Armored Vehicles
Reconnaissance Vehicles
Tank Destroyer
Tracked APC vehicles
Wheeled APC Vehicles
Artillery Reconnaissance Vehicles
Mortar Carrier
Multiple Launch Rocket Systems
Non Categories
Radar Vehicles
Self-propelled howitzers
Towed Howitzer|Guns
Command Post
Communication Vehicles and Systems
Electronic Warfare
Armored Recovery Vehicles
Bridge layer
CBRN Vehicles
Deminining Vehicles
Engineer Vehicles
Mine Laying Systems
Airborne Vehicles
Tracked vehicles
Wheeled Vehicles
Amphibious Tanks
Light Tanks
Main Battle tanks
Ballistic Missiles
Cruise missiles
Hypersonic Missiles
ICBM Intercontinental ballistic missiles
Tactical Missiles
Light Tactical Vehicles
Logistic Trucks
Security Vehicles
Air Defense Radars
Counter battery radars
Ground Radars
Mobile Radar Systems
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Unmanned Ground Vehicles
Assault rifles
Field Equipment
Grenade Launchers
Machine Guns
Sniper Rifles
Sub-Machine Guns
Aircraft carriers
Amphibious Assault ship
Amphibious transport dock
Landing Craft
Auxiliary ships
Destroyers/Cruisers
Naval Aircraft
Naval Combat Equipment
Patrol vessels
Rigid Inflatable Boat
Attack submarines
Cruise missile submarines
UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles)
USV (Unmanned Surface Vessels)
UUV (Unmanned Underwater Vehicles)
Automatic Cannons
Close In Weapon System
Civil aircraft
Attack Helicopters
Electronic Warfare Helicopters
Transport Helicopters
Command and control
Electronic warfare
Reconnaissance
Trainer aircraft
Transport aircraft
Unmanned aircraft system
Libya conflict day by day
Operation Serval in Mali French Army
Sangaris operation Central African Republic
Sangaris opération militaire République Centreafrique
Ukraine - Russia conflict
Russia Ukraine War 2022
HAMAS - Israel War 2023
Syria conflict news
Defence & Security Industry Technology
Armies in the world
Analysis Defense and Security Industry
Naval Exercises
Naval Technology
Aviation defence industry technology
Air Force in the world

Breaking News

Paramount Unveils Latest Version of Its Next-Ge...
Boeing Delivers First F/A-18 Block III Super Ho...
Ecuador Modernizes Its Artillery Capabilities w...
GDELS Unveils Cutting-Edge Pandur EVO 120mm Sel...
Russia Unveils Tests of Impulse-M Combat Unmann...
Vietnam Tests Smaller Version of VCM-B Coastal ...
Moving House new camo for Ukrainian vehicle ?
Uganda Begins Local Production of Tornado 4x4 A...
Hamas uses Chinese HJ-8L missiles to destroy Is...
France Develops High-Precision Guided Katana 15...

Please enable JavaScript

Boeing develops REVOLVER System enabling C-17 aircraft to launch multiple X-51A hypersonic missiles .

22 Jun, 2024 - 18:10
Defense News Aerospace 2024

The defense sector has been stunned by a groundbreaking development in military aviation and missile technology, driven by Boeing's latest innovations. A new REVOLVER launcher system, designed to fit within the cargo compartment of the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III, has been unveiled, showcasing unprecedented capabilities in deploying Boeing X-51A Waverider hypersonic cruise missiles. Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link

Virtual image showcasing a C-17 Globemaster III equipped with the REVOLVER System, launching multiple X-51A hypersonic missiles. (Picture source: Video footage Boeing)

This state-of-the-art launcher features two sequentially installed drums and an advanced electromagnetic catapult mechanism, enabling the rapid launch of up to 12 Boeing X-51A Waverider hypersonic cruise missiles. The system's design ensures that each missile can be deployed with precision and speed, enhancing the United States' aerial strike capabilities.

The Boeing C-17 Globemaster III, a high-capacity military transport aircraft, is renowned for its versatility and robust performance in various missions, including troop deployment, medical evacuation, and cargo transport. With a payload capacity of 78,000 kg (170,900 pounds) and a range of 4,450 km (2,400 nautical miles) (unrefueled), the C-17 is a critical asset for global military operations. Its ability to integrate advanced systems like the REVOLVER launcher further cements its role as a cornerstone of modern military logistics and operations.

The Boeing X-51A Waverider is a hypersonic cruise missile that has been at the forefront of hypersonic technology development. Designed to travel at speeds exceeding Mach 5, the X-51A can deliver precision strikes over long distances, making it a strategic asset in modern warfare. The missile’s scramjet engine allows for sustained hypersonic flight, pushing the boundaries of current missile technology.

While integrating the REVOLVER launcher within the C-17 Globemaster III is not yet ready, Boeing has released virtual images and videos showcasing the potential of this revolutionary system. These visual materials, published on X, have generated significant excitement and anticipation within the defense community. The imagery provides a glimpse into how the system will operate, demonstrating the rapid deployment of hypersonic missiles and the transformative impact it could have on aerial combat capabilities.

The successful future integration and testing of the REVOLVER launcher and X-51A Waverider within the C-17 platform will underscore the ongoing evolution of military capabilities in response to emerging threats. This technological advancement not only promises to enhance current military operations but also sets new standards for rapid, high-speed missile deployment. As nations continue to invest in defense technologies, such developments will be crucial in maintaining strategic superiority.

This revolutionary advancement in military aviation marks a pivotal moment in the ongoing evolution of defense technology. Launching multiple hypersonic missiles in quick succession enables swift, decisive action in critical scenarios, providing a significant edge in modern warfare. The future prospects of such systems indicate further innovations and enhancements in hypersonic warfare technology, ensuring that strategic superiority is maintained in the face of evolving threats.

Cookie policy
Legal information

Ukraine war latest: Russia says it is considering nuclear shift - and tells West it is 'playing with fire'; US leads drills after North Korea warhead test

A senior Russian diplomat says Putin is reviewing the country's nuclear doctrine - and warns the West it is "playing with fire". Meanwhile, a Russian navy missile cruiser carries out drills in the Mediterranean. Listen to a Sky News podcast on Putin and North Korea while you scroll.

Thursday 27 June 2024 19:10, UK

US warned of 'dangerous illusions' as Russia mulls change in nuclear stance
EU signs security agreement with Ukraine in Brussels
Ukraine receives latest EU financial support package worth £1.6bn
N Korea tests multiple warhead missile - as US leads drills after Putin-Kim pact
Your questions answered : Has the West been honest about Ukraine's failures?
Big picture : What you need to know this week
Listen to the Daily above and tap here to follow wherever you get your podcasts
Live updates by Katie Williams

Ask a question or make a comment

Ukrainian troops have repelled Russian forces from a neighbourhood in the frontline town of Chasiv Yar, a Ukrainian military official has said.

Nazar Voloshin, a spokesman for the Khortytsia operational-strategic group, told the Interfax-Ukraine news agency that Russian forces had been pushed out of the Kanal neighborhood in the east of the town.

Mr Voloshin claimed Moscow's forces were not slowing down in their push to break through in Chasiv Yar, and said two assault operations were ongoing.

"Ukrainian defenders reliably hold the defence in this area and give a decent rebuff to the Russian aggressor," he told the agency.

For context: Chasiv Yar, a strategically-important town in the eastern Donetsk region, has long been a Russian target.

It has been pummelled by Russian air, artillery and drone strikes for months now, as Moscow views the town as a gateway to launch direct offensives against several Ukrainian "fortress cities".

Chasiv Yar had a pre-war population of more than 12,000, but now only a few hundred residents remain.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged EU leaders to make good on their promises to provide his country with military aid after the bloc signed a security agreement underlining its support for Kyiv in the long term.

"Fulfilment of every promise is important, not only in terms of protecting lives but also to destroy the Russian illusion that they will achieve something by war," he said at the summit in Brussels today.

The Ukrainian president thanked countries that have so far promised equipment and arms aid, but pointed out that they were "needed urgently on the battlefield".

He also urged more help on "the urgent things - air defence, that is one".

The EU-Ukraine security agreement entrenches the EU's commitment to help Ukraine in nine areas of security and defence policy - including arms deliveries, military training, defence industry cooperation and demining,

In essence, it encapsulates what the 27-nation bloc has been doing for the country since the start of the war.

But the EU has made a specific commitment to the "predictable, efficient, sustainable and long-term provision of military equipment" for Ukraine.

Kyiv in return has promised to uphold European values and continue on its reform path in preparation to join the EU.

Five people have been injured in Russian airstrikes in Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region, according to emergency services.

The State Emergency Service of Ukraine said the strikes hit a residential area of the region, partially destroying one building and damaging others - including a school - as well as cars.

Crews at the scene said five people were hurt.

The windows and gates of the local fire station were also damaged, the emergency service said.

While the apparent gains made by Russia during its spring offensive in Kharkiv were the focus of much of the news coverage of the way in May, a new report indicates any progress made by Vladimir Putin's troops came at a significant cost.

According to UK and other Western intelligence agency sources cited by the New York Times, more than 1,000 Russian soldiers were injured or killed each day last month.

However, the newspaper also cites US officials as saying Moscow is continuing to recruit between 25,000 and 30,000 new soldiers a month - roughly as many as it is losing from the battlefield.

American officials told the outlet that Russia achieved a critical objective of Mr Putin in creating a buffer zone along the border to make it more difficult for the Ukrainians to strike into the country.

But, the Western officials said, this did not threaten Kharkiv and was ultimately stopped by Ukrainian forces.

A Russian official currently in charge of the occupied Zaporizhzhia region says it's time to "burn everything Ukrainian down to the root" until "there is no trace left".

Dmitry Rogozin, who was previously head of Russia's space agency, posted on his Telegram channel that there could be "no truce" with Ukraine as it would mean "certain death for our children and grandchildren".

"This time we need to burn everything Ukrainian down to the root," he said.

"Together with their bastard literature, delusional history, cannibalism of the 'ancient Ukrainians', passion for fascist 'aesthetics' and servility towards the West.

"Burn it so that there is no spirit left. No truces. Any truce, let alone reconciliation, is certain death for our children and grandchildren."

The comments come as the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) adopted three resolutions relating to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Among them is recognition of Russia's intent in destroying Ukraine's cultural heritage and identity.

As we've been reporting today, Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been in Brussels for an EU summit.

The Ukrainian president signed three defence agreements — two individual deals with Lithuania and Estonia, plus one with the EU.

The agreement with the EU confirms commitments to help Ukraine in areas of security and defence policy.

So far the texts of the agreements with Estonia and Lithuania have not been made public but both countries firmly support Ukraine’s NATO accession.

Lithuania's president Gitanas Nauseda and Estonia's prime minister Kaja Kallas have also declared their commitments to allocate no less than 0.25% of their GDP for military aid for Ukraine.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy will hold talks with Polish prime minister Donald Tusk next month.

Mr Tusk announced the talks after speaking to Ukraine's president in Brussels.

"The EU understood what Poles have known since the beginning of this war: the defence of Ukraine is the defence of Europe," he said.

Talks between the two leaders will take place before the NATO summit on 9 July in Washington.

The Russian spring offensive into Kharkiv shows the existing level of international pressure on Moscow is insufficient, Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said.

Kyiv's military says it has stabilised the situation after Russian forces launched an assault on a new front in Ukraine's northeastern region.

It was Vladimir Putin's second attempt to advance on Kharkiv, after Ukrainian troops successfully repelled his forces following the invasion in 2022.

Speaking in Brussels today, Mr Zelenskyy said the attack "proves that the existing pressure on Russia for the war is not enough."

The EU today signed a security agreement that entrenches its commitment to help Ukraine in areas of security and defence policy.

The European Union has signed a security agreement with Ukraine in Brussels.

The pact, confirmed today, is intended to complement similar agreements sealed between Ukraine and its allies as it continues its defence against Russia's invasion.

The agreement entrenches the EU's commitment to help Ukraine in nine areas of security and defence policy - including arms deliveries, military training, defence industry cooperation and demining,

Both Lithuania and Estonia signed security agreements with Ukraine also, joining several other countries offering a long-term commitment to help Kyiv, including once the war is over.

Mr Zelenskyy signed a similar pact with US President Joe Biden earlier this month, which will run for the next decade.

Ukraine has received the next €1.9bn (£1.6bn) tranche of financial support from the European Union.

The money arrives via the Ukraine Facility plan, which aims to support Ukraine in its recovery, reconstruction, and modernisation efforts.

It will provide up to €50bn (£42.3bn) in support between 2024-2027.

The plan was first proposed in June 2023, with the first payment of €4.5bn (£3.8bn) being sent to Ukraine in March.

To obtain the support, Ukraine must implement its recovery and reform plan while also upholding democratic mechanisms, the rule of law and human rights.

Once the European Commission can verify these conditions, payments will occur on a fixed schedule every quarter.

Be the first to get Breaking News

Install the Sky News app for free

COMMENTS

Cruise (aeronautics)
Cruise (aeronautics) A Qantas four-engined Boeing 747-400 at cruise altitude. Cruise is the phase of aircraft flight that starts when the aircraft levels off after a climb, until it begins to descend for landing. [1] Cruising usually comprises the majority of a flight, and may include small changes in heading (direction of flight), airspeed ...
aerodynamics
Changing cruise speed is indeed one of the degrees of freedom to change lift, but not the best one. In the aircraft aerodynamic axes, lift L is given as. L = CL ⋅ 1 2 ⋅ ρ ⋅V2 ⋅ S L = C L ⋅ 1 2 ⋅ ρ ⋅ V 2 ⋅ S. S is wing area, usually a constant that cannot be changed during cruise. So the degrees of freedom to change lift are:
What is understanding cruise speed
Understanding the Cruise Speed of Common Aircraft. On average, the typical cruising speed of a large commercial aircraft, like a Boeing 747, is somewhere between 475 and 500 knots (roughly 575 mph). So what is the cruising speed of a 747? Depending on passenger load, the average 747 cruising speed is 490 nautical miles or Mach 0.85.
Aircraft Performance
In this video, we go over how to calculate cruise performance of an aircraft using the graphical and chart methods. To do this on your own aircraft, you wil...
Cruise Conditions
This flight condition is called a cruise condition for the aircraft. While the weight decreases due to fuel burned, the change is very small relative to the total aircraft weight. The aircraft maintains a constant airspeed called the cruise velocity. Except during take-off, the Wright brothers' powered aircraft spent most of the flight time ...
Airplane Cruise
The aircraft maintains a constant airspeed called the cruise velocity. Relative Velocity. If we take into account the relative velocity of the wind, we can determine the ground speed of a cruising aircraft. The ground speed is equal to the airspeed plus the wind speed using vector addition. The motion of the aircraft is a pure translation.
Aircraft Engine and Propeller Sizing
At a constant cruise speed, the aircraft forces will be in balance; thus the thrust produced by the engine-propeller combination must be equal to the total drag of the aircraft. Power is defined as the rate at which work is done, and work is simply a force multiplied by a displacement. Therefore, the total power required to keep our aircraft ...
Range Summary
Cruise Conditions of an Aircraft's Range. Let's summarize the information necessary to do a preliminary calculation of an aircraft's range under cruise conditions. We are taking a very simple view of aircraft range - for academic purposes. In reality, calculating the range is a complex problem because of the large number of variables.
Airplane Cruise
The aircraft maintains a constant airspeed called the cruise velocity. If we take into account the relative velocity of the wind, we can determine the ground speed of a cruising aircraft. The ground speed is equal to the airspeed plus the wind speed (vector addition). The motion of the aircraft is a pure translation.
Cruise Performance (Chapter 12)
In this chapter we introduce the concepts of distance flown by an aircraft with and without stop for refuelling (§ 12.1). We discuss a number of cruise programs at subsonic and supersonic speeds and some optimal problems in long-range cruise, with or without constraints. First we present the analysis of the instantaneous cruise parameters ...
Cruising speed of most popular airliners
Of these aircraft, only the Boeing 777 family had an average cruising speed in excess of 500 knots, with its speed of 518 knots translating to roughly 960 kilometers per hour. Read more. Cruising ...
What Is Cruise Climb Speed, And When Should You Use It?
Cruise climb helps you in three ways. First, increased airflow keeps your engine cooler in the climb. That's especially important for high-performance piston aircraft. Second, cruise climb gets you to your destination faster. You do lose some climb performance, but in most aircraft, it's an acceptable (and sometimes almost imperceivable) loss ...
Study of aircraft cruise
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics 12700 Sunrise Valley Drive, Suite 200 Reston, VA 20191-5807 703.264.7500
Cruise
General. During cruise the flight crew will generally provide a monitoring function, but will also manage ATC instructions and do any necessary paperwork. Constant weather updates will be obtained and occasionally the aircraft will be deviated around weather cells following negotiation with ATC. The crew will also use this time to prepare for ...
Aircraft Propeller Theory
This is the simplest propeller type where the pitch is fixed at installation on the aircraft. This results in a propeller where the resulting blade angle forms a compromise between take-off (finer pitch) and cruise performance (coarser pitch). Fixed pitch propellers are usually classified as either a climb-pitch or cruise-pitch propeller.
Cruise Velocity Calculator
Cruise velocity, often referred to as "cruising speed," is the speed at which an aircraft operates most efficiently in terms of fuel consumption and endurance. This specific velocity allows an aircraft to cover a maximum distance with the least possible fuel consumption.
V-Speeds Explained (Vx, Vy, Va, Vs, Vfe, Vmc, Vno, Vne, etc)
V-speeds are specific airspeeds that are defined for operational reasons, such as limitations (e.g., maximum flaps extended speed - V FE) or performance requirements (e.g., best rate of climb speed - V Y ). In other words, V-speeds serve as critical benchmarks that guide pilots in managing the aircraft's performance and ensuring safety.
A Complete Guide to Flight Phases
Also, the cruise phase requires pilots to remain in contact with ATC throughout the entire flight via radio communication systems so both parties know where the aircraft is located at all times. They will also monitor other aircraft in their vicinity, communicate with air traffic control when necessary, and perform any additional tasks required ...
Aircraft Carrier vs Cruise Ship: Giant Size Comparison
90,000 Tonnes. 100,000 Tonnes. 150,000 Gross Tons. 248,663 Gross Tons. As you can see from a comparison of the current record holders for size, cruise ships tend to be longer than aircraft ...
Military aircraft with highest cruise speeds
Of these aircraft, only the Lockheed F-22 Raptor and Boeing F-15E Strike Eagle have cruising speeds more than twice the speed of sound (approximately 1,333.5 knots) Read more. Military aircraft ...
A look at where the Navy's 11 aircraft carriers are now
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Navy is weighing what to do about the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier, which has been battling Houthi rebel attacks on shipping in the Red Sea for nearly nine months. The question is how to replicate the carrier's combat power if the ship returns home. The service has 11 nuclear-powered aircraft carriers.
What is the wing angle of attack of a Boeing 737 in cruise?
Constant Mach Cruise Nose Attitude will vary with aircraft weight, while if flown at airspeed/Mach consistant with LRC for weight the AoA remains constant. The Minimum Maneuver Speed for any given weight is normally 5 degrees Nose Up in Level Flight. Any higher attitude (e.g. 8 degrees) would indicate flying at an unsafe angle of attack with ...
Is An Aircraft Carrier Bigger Than A Cruise Ship? Here's How They
The U.S. Navy claims that its newest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) is the world's largest. It is the first ship in the Gerald R. Ford class of supercarriers and is designed to ...
Top Gun 2: Why Tom Cruise Wasn't Allowed To Fly An F-18 Fighter Jet
While Tom Cruise did really fly in Top Gun: Maverick with certain aircraft, confirming his exceptional pilot skills, the F/A-18 Super Hornets are not the kind of plane just anyone can jump into and take off.It requires specially trained pilots to operate these aircraft given their immense power and the danger involved.
Russia Is Freaked: Why the Russian Navy's Last Aircraft Carrier ...
More importantly, though, is the fact that the warship is armed with powerful long-range surface-to-surface cruise missiles. American aircraft carriers do not possess such a capability.
Boeing develops REVOLVER System enabling C-17 aircraft to launch
Boeing develops REVOLVER System enabling C-17 aircraft to launch multiple X-51A hypersonic missiles ... The Boeing X-51A Waverider is a hypersonic cruise missile that has been at the forefront of hypersonic technology development. Designed to travel at speeds exceeding Mach 5, the X-51A can deliver precision strikes over long distances, making ...
Fire breaks out on world's largest cruise ship
The cruise line said there were no injuries and the overall on board impact was "minimal." The record-breaking Icon of the Seas - which is nearly 1,200-foot-long and 250,800 gross tons ...
Ukraine war latest: Russia says it is considering nuclear shift
A senior Russian diplomat says Putin is reviewing the country's nuclear doctrine - and warns the West it is "playing with fire". Meanwhile, a Russian navy missile cruiser carries out drills in the ...