How many kilometers per hour does an airplane fly. How fast do passenger planes fly: maximum speed and required minimum. The concept of aircraft cruising speed

The speed of an aircraft is one of its most important technical characteristics, on which the flight time depends. Therefore, many are interested in what is the speed of a passenger aircraft. Modern passenger airliners fly at speeds of over 500-800 km/h. The speed of a supersonic aircraft is 2.5 times higher, 2100 km / h, but these liners had to be abandoned for safety reasons, as well as for a number of other reasons:

  • Supersonic aircraft must be streamlined or else they may break apart at altitude. And to achieve this is difficult for a passenger airplane, because it is quite long.
  • Supersonic airliners do not consume fuel economically, which makes flights on them expensive and unprofitable.
  • Not every airfield has the ability to receive such machines.
  • Frequent maintenance required.

However main reason refusal to fly at supersonic speeds is the safety of flights.

Previously, there were only 2 types of supersonic airliners: Tu-144 (USSR) and Concorde (English-French). Now aircraft manufacturers are also working on new models supersonic liners and perhaps we will find out about them in the near future.

Various Models passenger airplanes have different speed flights. IN technical specifications any model specified maximum speed aircraft and cruising, which is close to the maximum, is about 80% of it. It is optimal for flights, because at the maximum, they usually do not fly.

If we talk about passenger aircraft, then they all have a low cruising and maximum speed. Indicators of some models:

The Boeing Corporation is currently working on a passenger liner, which will be able to develop flight speeds up to 5 thousand km / h.

Airplane gaining speed during takeoff

takeoff conditions

For the operation of aircraft, an important role is played by the speed of the aircraft during takeoff, i.e. at the moment when it takes off from the ground. For different models, these are also different indicators. Indeed, to lift off the ground, a large lifting force is needed, and to create it, it is necessary high speed developed during takeoff. Therefore heavy passenger aircraft have these indicators more, and lighter models - less.

The table for each model shows average speed aircraft during liftoff, because it is influenced by several factors at once:

  • wind speed, direction;
  • runway length;
  • air pressure;
  • air humidity;
  • runway condition.

Approach

Landing stages

The most important stage of the flight is the landing of the car. Before that, the liner goes to the airfield and comes in for a landing, which consists of several stages:

  • height reduction;
  • alignment;
  • keeping;
  • run.

How fast do passenger planes fly? Everyone who has flown on an airplane knows that during the flight, passengers are always informed about the speed of the aircraft. In different various conditions different speed value. Let's take a closer look at this interesting question.

Classification of aircraft by speed

Nowadays, it has become customary to measure speed with the speed of sound. The speed of sound in air is 1,224 km/h. Based on the correspondence of the speed characteristics of the aircraft to the speed of sound, all aircrafts are classified as follows:

  • subsonic - fly at speeds below the speed of sound;
  • supersonic - fly at speeds exceeding the speed of sound (speaking of speeds commensurate with the speed of sound, they use the concept of "transonic" or "transonic");
  • hypersonic - exceed the speed of sound by 4 times or more.

All passenger ships are classified as subsonic, as they fly at speeds that usually do not exceed the speed of sound.

And yet in history civil aviation had experience in the use of supersonic passenger aircraft.

The legendary past of supersonic civil aviation: Tu-144 and Concorde

Revealing the question of how fast passenger aircraft fly today, one cannot fail to mention the supersonic passenger aircraft of the past - Tu-144 and Concorde. These two legends of world aviation saw the light almost simultaneously.

The best minds worked on the creation of the ultra-high-speed "Tu-144" Soviet Union. It made its first test flight in late 1968.

The Concorde was the brainchild of the Franco-British Union of Aircraft Designers. He first took to the skies in early 1969.

Both planes looked very similar to each other. The speed of the Tu-144 was 2,300 km/h, the speed of the Concorde was 2,150 km/h.

A significant drawback of both monsters of aviation was the unbearable noise during the flight, emanating from the engines and the air conditioning system.

The first accident with the Tu-144 occurred in 1973 at the international air show Le Bourget in France. The plane crashed to the ground during a test flight. The exact cause of this disaster remains unknown. In 1978, there was a second crash - in the Moscow region, during the control and acceptance flight, the side of the aircraft caught fire. The pilots managed to land the car and evacuate, but it was not possible to stop the fire - the plane burned down. After this incident, passenger flights on the Tu-144 were stopped forever.

The aircraft "Concorde" continued to carry out successful passenger flights until July 25, 2000. On that terrible day, the Concorde passenger liner, flying from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, crashed 3 minutes after takeoff. 113 people died. This tragedy was the reason for the ban on the use of Concorde aircraft. Subsequently, this ban was lifted, since, according to the results of a detailed examination technical condition of all the Concorde aircraft, not a single defect was identified. However, in 2003 major airlines Great Britain and France announced the refusal to operate ships of this brand.

Since then, the world's civil aviation has preferred simpler, quieter and more economical subsonic vessels, and the use of supersonic vehicles for passenger traffic left in the past.

The concept of aircraft cruising speed

Aircraft speed is a complex and not always unambiguous concept, depending on many factors.

First of all, you need to understand the difference between cruising and maximum speeds. IN technical description aircraft, both of these indicators are indicated, but the maximum speed of a passenger aircraft is a theoretical concept, since liners on working flights do not develop maximum speed, but adhere to cruising, which is approximately 60-80% of the maximum design speed of a particular airliner model.

There are also concepts of acceleration speed, takeoff and But if we are talking about a generalized concept, then, as a rule, it is cruising speed that is meant.

Speed ​​indicators of civil and military aviation

According to their purpose, aircraft are civil and military. Civil aircraft, in turn, can be not only passenger, but also intended for specific needs: sports, fire, cargo, agricultural, etc.

It is not surprising that the speed performance of civil and military aviation differ greatly from each other. Such a big difference due to radically different purposes for the use of airships. The main goal of passenger liners is safety, economy and comfort for passengers, while for the military aviation technology speed matters.

The average flight speed of a passenger aircraft in our time is about 900 km / h, which is about 3-4 times lower than the average speed of military aircraft. By the way, the fastest of the military aircraft of our time is the NASA unmanned X-43A, which set a speed record of 11,231 km / h.

And yet, at what speed do passenger planes fly? Below are the speeds of the most common and frequently used aircraft models in civil aviation.

The cruising and maximum speeds of some passenger aircraft

It is worth mentioning that the speed of a passenger aircraft in the air is significantly influenced by weather. The amount of air density and the strength and direction of the wind can significantly affect the actual speed.

Expanding the topic of the speed of passenger aircraft, we should mention the so-called stall speed.

The concept of stall speed

Too low flight speeds are dangerous for air transport, therefore, for each aircraft model, the minimum allowable flight speed required to keep the aircraft in the air is V min additional, or the stall speed. If the value of the flight speed falls below the mark V min add, then a threat occurs. The value of V min add depends on many constants and variables and is especially critical in the take-off phase. As an example, for a Boeing 747 model, the estimated stall speed is 220 km/h. The actual stall speed may differ from the calculated one depending on the direction and strength of the wind.

Summarizing the above information about the speed at which passenger aircraft fly, we can give the following answer: the generally accepted average limits are 600-900 km / h.

Aircraft speed was, is and remains its very important factor, which allows not only to move between cities, regions or countries with great comfort, but also makes the flight time as fast as possible.

The very first civilian aircraft "Ilya Muromets" had flight speed only 105 kilometers per hour, this limit today can easily be overcome by a conventional car, and in some cases by international bus, and therefore, such a movement cannot be called comfortable.

As for conventional passenger aircraft, their flight speed has already exceeded the milestone of 500 kilometers per hour, and is far from the limit, but as it turns out, this is far from real comfort.

Modern passenger aircraft have lost the pleasure of flying at supersonic speeds, and, moreover, this had very good reasons, consisting in the following factors:

    Reliability. When flying at supersonic speeds, the aircraft is forced to have the most streamlined shape, and as you know, than more length airliner, the more difficult it is to achieve. Otherwise, the aircraft upon reaching supersonic speed can literally fall apart, which is naturally unsafe and can have catastrophic consequences.

    Profitability. In fact, supersonic aircraft have low fuel economy, and consequently, flights on them will be much more expensive than on slower airliners.

    Narrow specialization. By this factor it should be understood that not every airport can afford to accept a supersonic airliner because of its large mass and speed, that is, a large runway is needed.

    Frequent maintenance. In view of the fact that the aircraft moves at ultra-fast speeds. It must be constantly maintained, that is, after almost every flight, check the condition of the fuselage, rivet fasteners, etc., which also causes a number of inconveniences for air carriers.

If the modern speed of a civil aviation aircraft is about 800 kilometers per hour, then for supersonic passenger airliners it was over 2100 kilometers per hour, which is more than 2.5 times faster than modern air travel. However, due primarily to safety, there are currently no operational passenger supersonic airliners, of which there are only a few in history. civil aircraft industry there were two - the Soviet Tu-144 and the Anglo-French Concorde.

It is quite possible that in the near future we will again be able to observe supersonic aircraft in the sky, and it is worth noting that a number of aircraft manufacturers and design bureaus are working on this issue. Nevertheless, one should not expect any innovations in the next few years, if only because the safety of passengers remains an important factor, and aircraft speed taken into account later.

It is known that different models aircraft have different speed flight. Thus, combat strike aircraft have significantly higher speed indicators than civil aviation vehicles.

Speed ​​indicators of passenger airliners

    Nevertheless, passenger aircraft have a low cruising and maximum flight speed, although there are exceptions to the rules. So, for example, the Concorde or Tu-144 aircraft can boast of high speed performance. More recently, the Boeing Corporation announced the creation of a new high-speed passenger vehicle, which was tentatively dubbed Zehst. The plans of the company's management and designers to bring the speed of this model to 5029 km / h.

    The highest flight speeds have newer military vehicles that reach supersonic speeds.

Everyone who used the services of civil aviation wondered: at what speed does an airplane fly, take off and land? Aircraft speed It has great importance to move quickly and safely between destinations. The first passenger propeller-driven aircraft had a low speed, which gave air travel some discomfort. With the advent of jet engines, the average speed of the aircraft also increased sharply.

To determine how fast an airplane is flying, you need to take the distance traveled by it and divide it by the time in flight. Since this value will change for the liner during the entire flight, naturally, we will eventually get an average value. That is, in order to obtain more accurate data, it will be necessary to take into account shorter periods of time. For example, during takeoff and landing of the liner, its speed will be in the range from 200 to 300 km/h. When it reaches the echelon height, it will be equal to the cruising height. The pilots of passenger airliners are guided by the readings of the instruments and transmit them to the passengers, displaying the data on the monitor screens.

If we consider the speed of aircraft during takeoff, then this indicator is individual for each airliner. The takeoff is carried out due to the lifting force, when a certain value of the takeoff run is reached. runway. In addition, changing the configuration of the wing plays an important role in increasing the lift. This role is performed by flaps located on the wing. When taking off, they fall by 15 degrees and the liner begins to take off. As soon as the speed is reached at which the lifting force exceeds the weight of the liner, it will begin to take off.

From this it is clear that the heavier the liner, the higher the run-up value is required for it. For example, a Boeing 737 takes off reaching 220 km/h, a Boeing 747 needs 270 km/h, but a small Yak-40 needs 180 km/h. Approximately the same thing happens when landing a liner. Due to the flaps, the wing area increases and the speed decreases to 220-240 km / h and the liner begins to decline. One has only to increase its value, as it will take off again.

Watch an impressive video of an airplane taking off vertically.

Passenger aircraft speeds

Below we will consider some of the speed characteristics of aircraft in service at the moment, expressed in traditional and generally accepted units of measurement - km / h.

  • Tu-154. Due to the small supply of fuel, he flew over medium distances. So, when flying from Khabarovsk to Moscow, I had to make two landings for refueling. The speed of the aircraft reaches 950 km / h. Today it is not used for regular passenger traffic.
  • Tu-204. Also an airliner for servicing flights over medium distances, but with larger capacity compared to the Tu-154. The optimal flight speed is 850.
  • Sukhoi Superjet-100. One of the new developments for maintenance local airlines. Air travel speed is 830 km/h.
  • IL-62. Today, it is practically out of service. Used for flights long distance. Average cruising aircraft - 850.
  • IL-86. An airliner with a capacity of more than 300 passengers. Although it was huge, it could reach speeds of up to 950.
  • IL-96. Transports up to 300 people over long distances. The indicator is 900.
  • Airbus A-310. Depending on the variety, it can fly over different distances. At the same time, it could reach 858.
  • Airbus A-320. An aircraft flying over medium distances, while developing 853.
  • Airbus A-330. Designed to carry nearly 400 passengers over long distances. Develops up to 925.
  • Airbus A-380. The largest double-decker aircraft in the world. Can carry up to 853 passengers. Due to its efficiency, at 900 km / h it can fly over a distance of up to 12 thousand km.
  • Boeing 747. Operated for long-haul flights at a speed of 917.
  • Boeing 777. Performs long-haul flights at 891.

And yet it is believed that these are low speeds for air transportation of passengers.

Attempts to outrun sound in passenger air travel

At the end of the 60s of the last century, the whole world learned about supersonic passenger aircraft. The first flight was made on the Soviet Tu-144. A year later, the French-English Concorde was raised into the air. The first could fly 2300 km / h, and the second - 2150 km / h. These indicators allowed passengers to go back in time. The plane, which took off at 9 am from England, arrived in America at 7 am. In total, 16 Tu-144s and 20 Concordes were produced in history.

Due to the fact that these were very uneconomical aircraft and after a series of accidents with their participation, they were removed from further operation in passenger air transportation. These days they are museum exhibits air travel history. In the seventies of the last century, the development of a new supersonic passenger liner Tu-244 was started in the USSR. But the attempt to create an ultra-fast, economical, and most importantly safe airliner has not yet been completed. Official data on the stage of the project is not yet known. By the way, in other countries, too, nothing is known about the success in creating this type of airliners.

The fastest planes

Below we will consider a number of domestic and foreign fighters.

  • MiG-25. The fighter is highly reliable and safe. Could develop up to 3 thousand km / h.
  • MiG-31. Began to be produced since 1973 as an interceptor. Could reach up to 2500 km / h.
  • Su-35. Multipurpose supermaneuverable fighter. Could develop up to 2500 km / h.
  • F-22 Raptor. American fighter of the 5th generation. Reached 2570 km / h.

Today, many countries are working on a new generation of fighters, trying to squeeze the maximum speed out of them.

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It seems that the distances from the Earth to other planets and celestial bodies are not so great. "Inexperienced cosmonauts" even suggest that the distance from the Moon to the Earth takes only a few days.

But the Moon is not of much interest to earthlings. Mars is unexplored and mysterious, which leads to many questions.

What is interesting is how long the flight can take, and what is the distance between Earth and Mars.

In the night sky, you can see a star that has a bright red color. This is Mars, which is not far from the Earth, given the length of the path to other planets in the solar system.

The shortest distance between Mars and Earth is determined by the position of the planets in their orbits.

This position is called opposition. Opposition arises once every 2 years.

How is the distance from Earth to Mars determined in kilometers:

  • At the moment of opposition between the two planets, the gap is 55 million km.
  • The largest gap may be 401 million kilometers.
  • The average distance is approximately 225 million kilometers.

Space agencies of all countries of the World are engaged in constant calculations that help determine the minimum number of kilometers between our home and the "red planet".

Using such data, it is possible to launch shuttles and rovers to study the red neighbor.

How long does it take for a person to fly to Mars?

If you determine the mileage between the planets, it is possible to calculate the flight time too.

Many are interested in why humanity has not visited a nearby planet? There are many reasons, but basically everything concerns the flight time.

How much to fly to Mars for a person, taking into account certain nuances:

  • When calculating the time, scientists indicate the flight time is approximately 150-300 days.
  • The flight time depends on the speed of the planets in their orbit.
  • The speed of the spacecraft will depend on the quantity and quality of the fuel - the more fuel, the faster the flight will be.

Science videos talk about all the nuances and problems of a human flight to Mars. Unfortunately, these are exclusively computer models and calculations.

Attention! Human flight to Mars is not carried out for various reasons, which are associated with the imperfection of spacecraft, the poor knowledge of the planet and the huge cost in the preparation process.

In the near future, a human flight to the “red planet” is planned, which means that discoveries will occur that, in terms of historical value, will exceed even the achievements of Columbus.

How far is the planet in light years

To determine the distance between planets in light years, it is worth considering a few basic concepts and features.

The concept of a light year is rarely used in astronomy. In 2008, the definition was partially changed, but the principle remained the same.

Light years are measured in meters, so the value is used to determine vast distances.

What should be considered when determining the distance in light years:

  1. It is worth considering the distance of each orbit. More often take the average value: 225 million kilometers or 225×〖10〗^9 meters.
  2. 1 light year is approximately 9.46×〖10〗^15 meters.
  3. Mathematical calculation is performed: (225×〖10〗^9)/(9.46×〖10〗^15). We get 23.8×〖10〗^(-6) years.

Determining the distance between Earth and Mars in light years is incorrect; parsecs and their derivatives are more often used.

Other units of measurement are not included in the official system of measurement.

Hypothetical time of flight at the speed of light of the satellite and rocket

The speed of light is fast enough to quickly cover vast distances. The distance is constantly changing and the flight time is determined.

At worst conditions it will take several hours to fly to the destination. The satellite will travel at a slower speed than the rocket. The rocket holds more fuel.

Note! In each case, the time depends on how far away the neighboring planet is at a certain moment. The Elon Musk rover flew for about 9 months.

If we move to a neighboring planet, measuring time and distance in earth years, then the flight will last 5-12 months.

The speed of the object must be at least 20 thousand kilometers in 1 hour. Need to focus on modern technologies and achievements of astronautics.

When the device moves at a speed of 299,792 km / s, it will be possible to reach the surface of the red planet faster.

The flight time will be …. at the speed of light:

How much to fly by plane

The dream of many space agencies is not only to send people to the red planet, but also to master it.

Space agencies plan to build prototype aircraft for space travel to the red planet and other objects.

Before calculating the time, it is worth deciding on the speed of the aircraft, the type of fuel and the amount of fuel. Only then will the data be as accurate and relevant as possible.

Fly on different types aircraft:

  • If you travel on a conventional plane, then the flight time may take several years.
  • On a supersonic aircraft, the distance can be covered in about 1 year, as well as on a rocket.
  • A cargo plane flies slower than a passenger plane, so the flight time will be more than 5 years.

In an individual case, it is necessary to take into account secondary factors that affect the speed: solar storms, space debris, radiation.

So far, flights on this type of transport seem to be an invention from the verge of fantasy.

Useful video