The Sinking Speed of Aeroplanes: A Swedish Suggestion of an Alternative to Horsepower Required for Use in Performance Calculations

IN accurate performance calculations it is usual to calculate the two curves for the horse‐power required and available (against the path velocity), especially in the case where the individual engine and airscrew characteristics are to be considered. With the principles applied in this article it is recommended to use instead the rising and sinking speeds respectively. Here only the sinking‐speed part of the problem is to be studied. It is well known that the calculation of the curves for the horse‐power required or the sinking speed involves considerable labour, especially when the calculations must be repeated for different heights and for different alternatives or assumptions according to the design and aerodynamic qualities of the aeroplane.