Linked Questions
27 questions linked to/from What determines the maximum altitude a plane can reach?
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What happens if an aircraft goes above maximum altitude? [duplicate]
We all know what happens when a plane goes overspeed... but what happens when a plane goes above their max. altitude? And why are planes certified maximum altitudes anyway? Is it because there won't ...
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Is it the engines or the fuselage that limits service ceiling? [duplicate]
Reading this article about the Northrop Grumman E8 it says the the aircraft will be able to fly higher after engine upgrades. Wouldn't the max service ceiling be limited by the fuselage design too?
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Why do (jet) airplanes fly at tropopause (and not higher) [duplicate]
I've got a question which is nearly answered by the following thread however not fully to my satisfaction.
Why do jet engines get better fuel efficiency at high altitudes?
The question ultimately ...
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Can a commercial aircraft theoretically reach 60,000ft? [duplicate]
As per this question:
Altitudes above 60,000 feet are class E airspace.
That means that, if you are lucky enough to have an aircraft that flies that high, once you get there you could theoretically ...
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Calculating the maximum altitude of a drone [duplicate]
Is there an equation to find the maximum altitude that a drone or quadcopter can fly to ?
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Why is the F-16's service ceiling 50,000ft? [duplicate]
What defines the service ceiling for aircraft, in particular the F-16?
I suppose, as with almost everything, this depends on the aircraft, the engine type, etc. While I'm fine with a comprehensive ...
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Why are many jet aircraft designed to cruise around FL350-370?
If the flight distance permits, the B737-800 will cruise at FL350, the A320 a little bit higher...
Flying at FL370. Photo: Live from the Flight Deck by GolfCharlie232 (reframed)
Elements such as ...
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Why can't jet engines operate with supersonic air and how do they slow it down?
Typically jets cannot operate when intake airflow is supersonic relative to the engine. Why is this so? Also, why are scramjets able to use supersonic air?
To slow down the air to subsonic speeds, ...
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What prevents a small plane like a Cessna or Piper from flying as high as a jet?
Obviously taking oxygen in consideration. What prevents a small plane from being able to fly at a much higher altitude? I know some business jets can fly up to 40,000 ft. Does it have to do with the ...
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What is a high speed stall?
I'm told that planes can actually stall when the airflow over the wing goes past Mach 1? Why does this happen and how do you design an aircraft to avoid it?
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How high can propeller airplanes fly?
Is there a maximum height a propeller airplane could fly?
Some lower bounds for maximum flying altitude:
12,000m (39,370ft): Antonow An-70, produced 1994
12,310m (40,387ft): Lockheed Martin C-130J ...
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What are the limiting factors for high altitude planes (e.g: U2 or SR71) preventing them from going higher?
I'm curious as to why planes like the U2 Dragon Lady and the SR71 Blackbird couldn't fly higher. What physical constraint set their operational ceiling?
Pilots wore spacesuits, so that wasn't the ...
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Can the plane Celera 500L be eight times more fuel efficient than a jet of similar size and capacity?
Celera 500L (see Otto Aviation site for more details) is a plane with a single propeller powered by a piston diesel engine. The constructor claims it is 8 times more fuel efficient than a jet of about ...
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Why would a Su-25, which has more power and is much lighter than an A-10, only fly half as high?
On the web, on several sites, the A-10 is listed with a ceiling of 14 km, the Su-25 with 7 km, although there is data that puts the height for the Su-25 at 10 km.
Nevertheless, why would the Su-25 ...
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At what altitude does aerodynamic forces become negligible?
If I sail on a boat from North to South the boat will be dragged by the oceans which it floats on, and the oceans are dragged by the Earth. Now when you go higher let say 10 km an airplane will also ...
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