Ceiling (aircraft)

The service ceiling referred to in the aviation, the height at which the maximum rate of climb of an aircraft at maximum continuous power of the engine and a maximum permissible laden weight still 100 feet per minute ( 0.5 m / s), with multi-engine aircraft 50 feet per minute after failure of a motor. For jet airplanes, the service ceiling is reached when the rate of climb / s falls below 5 m. Fixed-wing aircraft, it is in reaching this altitude possible curves to fly without loss of altitude.

The weather conditions affect the rate of climb of an aircraft. The service ceiling is always based on the ICAO standard atmosphere, it can be the expected performance for the actual prevailing conditions calculated.

For helicopters, the service ceiling refers to the forward flight. When hovering, the additional supplied by the forward motion of dynamic lift is missing, so that the flying height is usually significantly below the maximum altitude. The recoverable amount in which even a hover is possible, is also called " static peak height". For example, the service ceiling of the helicopter EC 145 is located at 5300 meters, the flying height at 3,400 meters.

The service ceiling is modern single-engine light aircraft with piston engine without turbo at about 4,000 meters, in airliners approximately 12,000 meters.

During the Second World War there were hunting engine piston airplane that could compensate by compressors or turbo power loss at high altitude so far that service ceiling heights were obtained from partially over 14 km, such as the German aircraft Ta 152 or the Soviet Yak- 9PD.

The spy plane Lockheed SR- 71 has a service ceiling of 24,385 meters.